“When your very first award is one that you are given by your own fans this immediately gives it more emotional value.” Meet the 4-piece pop band from Vienna Farewell Dear Ghost.

Hey guys, thanks for your time! Who is “Farewell Dear Ghost”? Describe each other in a few words. And how do you know each other and when was the decision made to form a band together?

“Farewell Dear Ghost” is Alex, Andy and Philipp x 2 and we are a 4-piece pop band from Vienna, Austria. Alex creates the band’s unique soundscapes with his guitar and is indisputably the best cook in the band. Andy is the band’s power source on the drums and part-time stand-in for Ronnie Venucci from The Killers. Philipp P. is our reliable bass machine and is a walking encyclopedia of autobiographies of musicians. Philipp S. is our frontman, likes everything space related and feels quite fancy wearing his gold Kimono on stage every time.

Some of us met at university, some of us at school – in hindsight it’s funny how many coincidences it took until all our ways crossed. The band in this formation developed over the years, it wasn’t a straight decision to form a band, but more of a slow process. If you want to pin it down on a date we would say this band formed in 2015 right after our first tour through China.

So you’re coming out to Mödling in September for “Sturm und Klang”. What are you looking forward to most about this new festival?

We are always keen on playing new festivals and venues and curious to explore the vibe of new locations. What we like about this festival is the concept to host different stages throughout the town in order to give people a chance to check out different genres and artistic programs. Most importantly the line-up looks cool and diverse, so it will be great fun to go and try to see as many other acts as possible.

What should fans expect from your “Sturm und Klang” session?

We always try to put everything we have in our live shows, we want to make every show a spectacle.
So expect a cinematic experience with the best soundtrack full of energy and emotion.

“Right before the show starts we grab a small drink, get together and hug and kiss each other.”

Do you have any pre-show rituals?

Everybody has his own little routine before the show, however, right before the intro starts we grab a small drink, get together and hug and kiss each other.

And do you ever get nervous right before going on for a live performance?

Nervous may not be the right word to describe it. It is always more of a joyful anticipation than nervousness. In the last minutes before a show we get very focused and encourage each other to just play our hearts out.

You won the FM4 award at the Amadeus Austrian Music Awards 2018. Congratulations! What does winning an award mean personally to you all?

Thanks a million. This award was definitely very special to us, as – to be honest – it was on our bucket list for a long time. What makes this specific award so rewarding is that is entirely chosen by the fans and not a jury. We put ourselves and a lot of work into our music and when your very first award is one that you are given by your own fans this immediately gives it more emotional value.

“As simple as it sounds, you need a strong belief in yourself and your band and really big passion for what you do.”

How do you reset to be creative?

Everyone has his own ways I guess. It can vary from spending downtime with family and friends, as well as stumbling over new music or eavesdropping on a conversation on the train. Of course it is also nice to go on holiday for a week and not work on new songs, but in general we don’t really think we need to reset, since we have an inherent sense and urge of creativity ingrained in our personas. It is more a matter of finding and getting close to the things that spark a new idea rather than trying to get away from them.

What is more important to succeed in the music industry, hard work or talent?

Both is important. However, as simple as it sounds, you need a strong belief in yourself and your band and really big passion for what you do. You need to be persistent and always be willing to learn something new.
Or as The Boss once said, “Stay hard, stay hungry, stay alive.”

Last question, what has been the most unforgettable moment or experience so far throughout the whole music journey?

To be honest, there are so many great moments, nights and memories that we had the luck to experience. It’s hard to pick just one. Receiving the news that we’ve won the Amadeus Award was one, for sure, or most recently our co-headline show at the Acoustic Lakeside Festival with a 12-people strong ensemble. The beauty of it all is that every year we are able to add new highlights to our list and we hope this won’t stop for a while longer.

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Farewell Dear Ghost are playing at Sturm und Klang Festival on 8th September 2018

sturmundklang.at
Timetable can be found here
Tickets here

images by Christoph Liebentritt