On stage is where their rock talents truly shine: April Art’s live performances are always met with a mean full throttle. With excellent and virtuoso guitar work, Chris Bunnell decisively shapes the modern and emotional sound of the band. Front-woman Lisa-Marie Watz, who performs with her charismatic rough voice to the verge of complete exhaustion, creates an intimacy with their audience by always keeping the crowd involved in their shows. On drums, Ben Juelg provides a loud, aggressive drum sound that is moulded by musical grooves and crisp fills. And, last but not least, bassist Nico Neufeld who not only delivers a sound foundation but also fresh funky bass lines that make him an unmistakable part of the band.
After they released their single “Not Fair” in 2018, they released their first album “Rise & Fall” in April 2019. The band raises their middle finger to the record industry in rebellion to make their point clear. The band’s motto is individuality instead of intellectualised conformity. Fittingly, the band has given their front woman an alter ego: Lisa is now also available as a comic figure. Armed with an axe and heading straight for the radio next to her, this “red” bundle of energy can now be marvelled on the single cover of “Not Fair.”
April Art produced their songs in the Horus Sound Studio in Hannover and at the legendary Principal Studios, a place many of alternative German rock bands called home. In Fabio Trentini (i.a. Donots; Guano Apes) and Frank Bornemann (i.a. Scorpions; Revolverheld) as producers, April Art found the perfect musical partners to put the finishing touches on their debut album. In a space beyond genre borders, by combining and molding their diverse roots and influences the musicians created an authentic and powerful rock album.
The time was just right. Only one and a half years after their brilliant debut album “Rise & Fall,” April Art from Hessen Germany kicked off their brand new single “Break Out.”
And it really has it all: “Break Out” immediately puts a rhythm in your heart and, above all, it mesmerizes your ears. The song consistently continues the path that the quartet paved with “Rise & Fall.” At the same time, the band is not afraid to venture into new things and redefine its sound. Merciless and brutal is how April Art always sounded and “Break Out” is forging its way forward. The uncompromising alternative rock of the four members has undergone a fresh cell cure and from now on, in addition to the tried and tested sounds, will rely on modern metal core elements and light punk influences too. Handmade rock instrumentation meets up with playful well-dosed synthetic sounds. The focus is still on the rough and sassy vocals of front woman Lisa-Marie Watz.
Lisa effortlessly manages the tightrope walk between aggressive-energetic and intense emotionality with ease. In interaction with the instrumentalists and the new band sound, “Break Out” draws a clear arc of tension from a gloomy mood to a hopeful-positive mentality. With all these new elements, the band finally breaks away from the accusation of walking too much on the well-trodden rock path, but still sounds unmistakably like April Art. The Single “Break Out” not only represents a departure in musical terms but was written in the middle of the Corona crisis where almost everyone wants to Break out. A time that challenged the band with setbacks and tried to force the band to stand still. But April Art refused to be controlled and forced to a halt so they used the time, when there was no rehearsal or performance, for song writing. The basic idea for “Break Out” was composed around a campfire at home – it is hard to believe that the song works in such a reduced and simple manner when you hear what kind of sound monster the band has released. The entire song and the accompanying campaign came into being independently with no management, no publisher and no producer. “Break Out” is 100 percent April Art production without compromise. It is a life affirming energetic and positive song that encourages you to reflect on things for the moment, to rearrange them and actually leave trivial things behind. Just start over, drop the needless baggage and do what makes you happy, at the same time, simply show all the skeptics and envious people as well as fate the middle finger. This new beginning is also clearly reflected in turning away from the old self, turning back from the well-trodden paths and from emotional dead ends are the central themes of the song. One thing is clear: The time is ripe for April Art. The time is ripe to “Break Out.”
Read our review here.
