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First Jochen Klemp (guitars) told me a little bit about the history of Depressive Age. "We started in 1985 in Eastern Germany as a cover band. We all wanted to leave to Western Germany. Three of us requested the permission to leave, but it take time. Meanwhile our singer Jan Lubintzki tried to escape. He been caught at the Berlin Wall and been in jail for about a year. In the end he was the first in the western parts. In 1989 we all met in Western Berlin and started Depressive Age."
It started out very fast after you founded a label. You released your debut in '92, a year later Lying In Wait and now the third one. Was this fast happening process a problem for you and the band?
Yes and no! We had to work under pressure and in between the tours there hadn't been much time to work out the songs.
Do you feel the pressure as something positive or negative?
The positive thing was that we been forced to work intensively. Almost we take the songs in their first version. We didn't change that much.
There is an obvious difference between the last releases. Is it just a developing process or do you think the debut is more influenced by the changes from Eastern to Western Germany and what depends on that?
I don't think that the change is a main influence. We changed, we developed as musicians.
The old stuff is more thrash and speed metal with a melodic touch. The newest release is more commercial, commercial in the way that it's less thrash and more variety. Commercial as something positive.
Yes, I think we reach more people with Symbols For The Blue Times. We recorded a few unusual tracks, e.g. the acoustic one without drums, also there are hard and speedy tracks. That's influenced by the music we listen to. As we developed as musicians we started to listen to other music, too.
You played with German and American bands. Was it different to work with them?
No, all worked very professional and we made just positive experiences.
Do you have plans to go on tour?
Our management will try to find a support slot or will book our first headlining tour for December / January. At the moment everything seems to turn out for a headlining tour.
That would be a possibility to check out your fans. As a support less fans would just come to see you.
I think the time is right for that. We also get the chance to work on another basis. We have the chance to show the people more of us live.
What's about playing out of Europe?
We got very good reactions with Lying In Wait in Northern America. We been in the US-college charts for quite a while. We hoped to tour with Overkill in August in the U.S.A., but sadly it turned out different. Our American label and our management will try to let us tour over there. Also Japan is successful for us, too, we hope to play there with this album.
Do you think that a video-clip is helping you?
A video-clip on MTV or VIVA is the best promotion. You reach more people as just with an advertisement, etc. We as a band think it's very important in these days.
The more commercial album Symbols For The Blue Times gives the band the chance to reach more people. They continue their way, they have their own style and this will be the time to make it or break it. Everything seems to turn out for the good and this band will take it's chances.
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