Interviewed by Brian Rademacher
Date: June 17th, 2006
Deddy, tell me about the first garage band you were in and at what age?
I founded my first band at the age of 16 together with my best friend in the “childhood center” in which I grew up – it was 1986. The band was called Wiry and we were pretty much influenced by KISS and Mötley Crüe. I picked up the guitar at that time – anyway the only problem was that we couldn’t play our instruments and it ended up making big noise mixed with a rock star attitude.
Were you in any other bands before Forever that recorded material?
I came to know Wolfgang (the other S.I.N. guitarist) in 1990 when we founded a band called Brandal, which later became Tempest then Forever and finally ended up in Somewhere Into Nowhere. We produced many demo tapes, but no real recording was done at that time - which I really regret now.
What was the first record you owned?
My first record was KISS’ “Animalize” and Dokken’s “Under Lock & Key.”
What was the first concert you attended?
It was the “Monsters of Rock” Festival in 1987 in Pforzheim, my hometown. Bands like Treat, Cinderella, Ratt, Testament, Metallica, I think, and David Lee Roth were on stage. It was great … ohh - if anybody who was there at that time got my wallet which I have lost on the concert, please call me.
Tell me what kind of kid were you in school?
Ha, ha… well, I think I was some kind of outsider. I was always more into music and sports than into alcohol, cigarettes and drugs like my friends of the same age.
Did you play sports?
Yes, I used to be a boxer in the 2nd federal league and also in the national selection as an amateur. Someday I thought about making a “short” break … hmm, this was 1990, and the “short” break never ended.
How was your family support when you wanted to play music?
The support of my family was to bring my first guitar to the pawnshop when I was not at home… (school vacation)
What other names for SIN did the band take into consideration?
The decision for the name was very difficult. Candidates were Thornrose, ScienceFiction and Samavada, but now we are pretty happy with Somewhere Into Nowhere - S.I.N.
Your first self-titled release in 2003 was a good release on MTM. Why did you decide to go with another label for the second CD, “Metal Heaven?”
We were not too happy with the support from our former label and we won’t say too much here except that we have back now all the rights for our songs. Many of our music colleagues gave us the advice to contact Metal Heaven as a very good company, treating their artists with respect and as a good alternative and move forward for the band.
The new SIN CD “Equilibrium” has some remarkable tunes, which have overtones of Dokken, Queensryche, KISS and Bon Jovi. How much differently did you record and write the tunes as compared to the first release?
We put more emphasis on providing a more consistent picture of our music. And we were able to apply many of the things we learned during the recordings of our first album. Well, I think we are honored by the names you mention above, as these bands describe our biggest influences and our “heroes”.
Let’s get into some of the tunes. “Walk Away” is killer tune that will make the women melt. Tell us a little about the recording of that tune. How long did it take and were there any memorable moments you can tell us about recording the album? I really like the acoustic work on that tune.
“Walk Away” is actually a song, which was originally written by us in 1995. We never had the mood, capabilities or the right feeling to capture it on CD before. At the time we recorded our latest album we had the feeling that the time was right now and that we have learned enough to bring our emotions into this song like we had it in our minds.
It took us roughly 6 months to complete the album, because each of us has a daily job to make our living. We recorded and wrote only in the night and on the evenings.
We are also very proud of our acoustic guitar sound which is the result of many different studio setups and guitar configurations.
Would SIN ever do an acoustic album?
Why not, if it feels right… we don’t plan for this right now, but we have enough songs, which would be suitable for an acoustic album or EP.
“Fight for My Life” feels like the bands Firehouse and Queensryche, and the song also has the rhythm of “Tears are Falling” by KISS. What are some of your favorite bands now?
The song is dedicated to the boxers in the ring and describes the feeling when it’s only you against your opponent – one on one – no retreat, no surrender. Our favorite bands at the moment are Harem Scarem, Savatage and Queensryche, as well as our “old heroes” from the 80’s.
Do you have any songs ready for the new release?
The album is already fully written and it will be a concept album. The story is still TOP SECRET. We will again extend our spectrum in a little bit harder direction. We will start with the recordings at the end of September.
What is your most memorable moment being in music?
Our deal in Japan and the ranking in Japan’s BURRN magazine was like a dream come true for us.
Do you have a favorite new guitarist?
Just the heroes from long time ago, George Lynch, Bruce Kulick and Paul Gilbert.
When did you start learning guitar and what was the very first guitar you owned?
My grandmother bought my first guitar… it was a black AxeStar from Ibanez. I was 16 years old. 730 German Marks.
What is your favorite guitar now?
The ESP Deluxe Series (like a Les Paul with less weight and a more aggressive tone) is great and we use it a lot in the studio.
Does the band have personal signature guitar picks/plectrum? If so, how can I get a few for my collection?
We work on it but not at this time, sorry.
Why did Jason Marks leave the band?
He was not happy being part of a team any longer and making compromises. As Jay is an absolutely great musician, able to play almost every instrument on his own, he felt the urge to bring his own “100%-Marks baby” to live. Also musically he was not too happy that we moved into a harder musical direction. It was his decision to leave “overnight” which really hit us hard, but we think he never sounded as good as he did in S.I.N. – anyway we wish him good luck and all the best.
You do the introduction of the two new members John Jeff Touch on vocals and Jan Ebert on bass. Tell us a little about those new members?
Unluckily John is not in the band any more as the early demos and work together showed that we are not moving in the same direction. He is very nice person, but it just didn’t work. You are the first one getting this news: and hey, folks, if you are or know a great rock singer which might fit to our music, please don’t hesitate to apply for the job.
Jan is an experienced bass player and very loyal to the band. We are happy that we could find him for the band and if the manages to transport the groove and tightness of the rehearsals onto the next recordings we will be more than happy.
Are there any plans to reach the US on a tour?
Unluckily we don’t sell enough cd’s to afford this endeavor, but we would love to do it one day.
Shylock is one of my favorite German bands with amazing talent in Johannes Löhr and Matthias Schenk. Can you tell us a few other German bands that you would recommend?
Give “Wicked Sensation”, “Faro” or “Domain” ( By the way, Carsten Schulz was our very first FOREVER singer) a try.
Will there be a new CD in 2006 or 2007?
We target for the end of 2006 for the recordings and a release in early 2007.
What are the future plans for SIN?
To record our best cd ever … and present it to a big audience face-to-face.
What does Deddy do on a normal day?
I work in a clothing warehouse as an inventory manager and order management assistant. Besides this I have a lot of fun with my two kids Jillian (2yr) and Jordan (1yr) and try to be there for them as much as possible… and for my wife of course.
Deddy I first want to thank you for taking the time out to talk with us. Would you like to say anything in conclusion?
Thanks for the interesting questions, it was a pleasure doing this interview. We hope that all people out there having their “hearts” in our kind of music to give a new band from Germany a chance and have a listen …
And: We are looking for a singer!
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