“We want to keep making music.” This statement became the creed of the Corona crisis for the guys from the Würzburg rock band Devil May Care. Even a pandemic with its far-reaching consequences for the cultural scene failed to dissuade the Würzburg band from their passion: music.
Many bands fell into a state of shock because of the canceled concerts, says Tim Heberlein, singer of the band. “So we tried to stay creative and make the best of the situation for ourselves.” “We played concerts online, wrote new songs and just wanted to keep making music,” Heberlein sums up.
The crisis means that you have to deal more with yourself “
Tim Heberlein – singer of Devil May Care–
But the Corona period does not pass the musicians without a trace. “The whole thing tore us from everyday life,” remembers Lukas Esslinger, guitarist of the band. The missing rehearsals and the direct exchange with the people, all of this is missing from the musicians. The musicians’ creative workflow is also affected. The artists don’t always manage to empathize with other people’s ideas. “An online meeting cannot replace a personal exchange,” says Lukas Esslinger.
But the crisis does one thing above all: humble.
But the crisis makes him one thing above all: humble. “I also think it’s crazy what the whole thing has done to us as a country. It’s unbelievable what is happening there, and also what kind of people are taking to the streets. Sometimes you are more afraid of the people than of the pandemic itself.” says Esslinger. “The crisis means that you have to deal with yourself more,” adds Tim Heberlein. Especially internally, it does something to you, he continues. Other, more essential questions arise than usual. “Whether you are satisfied with yourself at all, with what you see in the mirror,” he explains.
The second song followed in mid-December
This is how the first single “Calm Waters” came about, which was released in autumn 2020 with a self-made music video. And that’s not all: in mid-December, the second song “Painter” followed, which just a month later had over 90,000 hits on the online music platform Spotify.
For this the band was able to win the singer of a befriended band from Bremen. Here, too, the boys provided a suitable music video, which they were able to shoot using green screen technology from a distance of 485 kilometers despite Corona. The songs were produced by the Spiral Musik recording studio in Würzburg.
The topics are born out of isolation
“The topics are born out of isolation and are about dealing with yourself and your own problems,” explains Heberlein. In “Calm Waters” the band deals with the subject of alcoholism. Musically it is also getting darker. “Compared to the previous album Echos, everything will be a bit harder,” says Esslinger.
The work has paid off: Since the end of last year, Devil May Care has also received funding from the Music Initiative. This central funding agency of the federal government supports up-and-coming artists all over Germany together with the culture industry.
“Suddenly there were endless possibilities”
“Suddenly there were an infinite number of possibilities,” says Lukas Esslinger. “Many ideas often fail because of funding, and now we have the necessary funds,” he says. “Above all, we can now give something back to everyone who has so far only supported us for reasons of friendship, be it as producers, photographers or technicians on tour,” says Heberlein happily. The appreciation shown through the approval of the funds also strengthens the musicians in their endeavors.
Devil May Care advises other musicians one thing above all: stay tuned. “It sounds flat, but you just can’t give up,” says Lukas Esslinger. “You have to bite into it. Nobody will come up to you on their own. It can only progress if you stay active.”
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