Berlin-based trio, Pabst, are set to release their second album this summer, ahead of a debut European headline tour. Comprised of Erik Heise (vocals, guitar), Tilman Kettner (bass), and Tore Knipping (drums), the group recently released their latest single ‘Ibuprofen’ – giving fans a first glimpse into their sophomore record. LDOI spoke to the band to discover more about how they came about, their future plans, and their unrelenting energy.
Pabst were founded in 2016 – but this wasn’t the first time the group found themselves playing music with each other. Vocalist and guitarist, Erik Heise, discusses how himself and drummer, Tore Knipping originally played in electronic projects together, before creating Pabst. He notes that although he had an interest in electronic music, it eventually became tedious as he was “overwhelmed by the endless possibilities [electronic] music leaves you with”. This led him to “crave the sweet limitations of three-piece rock music again”, eventually leading to the creation of Pabst. Tilman Kettner then joined the band on bass, after playing different instruments in other bands for eight years.
The trio are influenced by everything from White Stripes and Nirvana, to hip-hop and electronica. Their sound is punky at heart, packed with vibrant energy and witty lyricism. Both Knipping and Kettner note that most of their inspiration comes from other band members, with Knipping stating that they “learn from each other and grow together”. Heise discusses how he still enjoys listening to electronic music, however making it “never clicked” with him. “It somehow feels much fresher to just play four chords on a crunched-out guitar”, says Heise.
The band discuss the importance of knowing songs are working live before they head to the studio, with Knipper revealing the band “made a mistake during the recording of the first album, getting in lost building a song in the studio environment, and making it work on the recording, just to find out parts of it wouldn’t translate well into the live-version”.
Pabst already have a wide-spanning discography, but if they had to direct someone to just one song, which would it be? “Skinwalker”, says Kettner, meanwhile Knipper goes for ‘Bias’, and Heise states he’d “hint them to Youtube or Spotify and have them check out for themselves”.
The band’s plans for the rest of the year involve touring, releasing their second album, and more touring; along with “maybe sleeping and eating”.
Listen to Pabst’s latest single, ‘Ibuprofen’, here:
LDOI 