1. Thank you very much for your time! Before we introduce your new release to our readers – what kind of drink would you recommend to zip on while they listen to your new music?
As you listen to Sun Smash Palace’s “Got a Long Time,” imagine yourself holding a cold Caiprinha in your hand. This simple yet delicious drink transports you to a Brazilian beach, where you nostalgically gaze at the sunset. The sun dips below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the ocean, and you can feel the anticipation building for the huge party that awaits you tonight.
2. Please give us an update about – new single, new album, tour dates, new videos?!
Now that the album is out we are focusing on organizing a tour in February 2025. Also, three of us are writing songs, so we’re constantly working on ideas and already have the next bunch of songs written and w’re wondering what to do with our next song ideas. We might work together with Mike Rucinski, the producer of A Little Nothing, for our next EP.
3. Name 5 things we all should know about you as a band?!
A) We’re a European band with band members from Luxembourg, Germany, Italy and France and not only are we friends, I think this mix of backgrounds and personalities is enriching our project greatly.
B) Sun Smash Palace originally started in Seoul, South Korea, in 2019 and I am still surprised sometimes how easy it was to play play gigs there.
C) Vita is a professional dancer, Michele has been a professional drummer in Italy for years and Raoul is a Jazz musician. Axel has been playing the guitar forever but Sun Smash Palace is his first band whereas Eric was in the German band ‘Jovernanté’ before and had started a little Garage Rock project called ‘The Serious Hyenas’ in Brazil before.
D) The Song ‘Friend of Mine’ was actually recorded with one of the singer’s (Eric) best friends from the band ‘Carnival Kid’.
E) Singer Eric has a German Garage Rock Project ‘The Pineapple Beach Experience’ which plays some of the Sun Smash Palace songs in Garage Rock versions.
4. What fashion style or brand would best describe your music?
Vans. Mostly connected with skating culture it is a brand that I connect with a simple, casual day in summer with some slip-on shoes and some shorts. However, their collection extends far beyond summer aare, offering a wide range of clothing for all seasons.
5. We live in @mes of many conspiracy theories. Which, harmless, theory would you wish were true? (For example Dinos living inside Earth or E.T. living in a home in California)
There has long been a theory about a secret island in the Caribbean where many famous arEsts and actors are believed to live in seclusion. This idea first emerged with the death of Elvis Presley, as some speculated he had faked his own demise to enjoy a tranquil life away from the public eye. Over Eme,
the theory expanded, suggesEng that other celebrities, particularly those who died young, also retreated to this hidden paradise.
Imagine how wonderful it would be if this were true: beloved artists, seeking peace and quiet, living their lives away from the spotlight while still creating music under pseudonyms.
6. If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
I don’t want to join the chorus of criticism against Spotify regarding artist payments. In the early 2000s, few people paid for music at all due to the ease of digital copying, so the current situation is actually an improvement.
What I’d like to see is more opportunities for bands to perform live. There are many talented artists, but limited venues and occasions for live shows. Typically, there are three main models for live performances:
a) The artist receives a fixed payment to play a show. b) There is no upfront payment; instead, the entrance fee is split between the artists and the venue. c) The artist pays a fee upfront to cover costs like security, sound engineering, and cashiers, with the hope that ticket sales will recoup these expenses.
Ideally, option c) should not exist, while opEon b) is a fantastic model, especially for smaller venues or bars that are already open. This allows bands to perform, bringing in a crowd if successful, or simply providing background entertainment on a regular night.
Currently, we’re fortunate to be in category a), receiving payments for our performances. However, I’d love to see venue owners provide more opportunities for newcomer artists to play.
7. Tell us more about your songs! Topics! Message!?
For me, much of music is about forging your own path. It might sound cliché, but every day we’re nudged into conforming to societal norms. No one has explicitly told me to live a certain way, pursue a specific career, or love a particular person, but in countless subtle ways, our socialization is ever- present. Music has always been my guide in following my own path, inspired by artists often labeled as the oddballs. But we all know who the real oddballs are, don’t we?
You can’t quesEon everything in life and society—no one has that much energy. But to accept everything as it is without quesEon is no way to live. Our songs „Summer Drive,“ „Run Away from Your Aare,“ and „The Hollow Sound of Popping a Stem out of a Cherry“ embody this senEment. Even the track „Got a Long Time“ fits this theme, as it centers on the idea that there’s always Eme to start something new and change your ways.
Beyond this, our music also explores themes like budding love in „New July,“ the unseMling feeling that everyone else is having a beMer summer in „Suburban Summer,“ and the regret of asking for love but not giving as much in return in „Give Me Love.“
8. A question you’d like to answer, but never been asked in an interview before?! + Answer pls
(I love either or questions, so I made up a few.)
Drum solo or guitar solo? – Guitar solo, as is not difficult to hear on our album
Harmonica or kazoo? – The kazoo is an underrated instrument and deserves. The German punk band ‘The Wohlstandskinder’ make great use of it on ‘Roter Luhballon’
Karaoke night or silent disco? – Karaoke night. However I have been to some great silent discos in the UK
60s or 80s? – 60s. There are fabulous 80s songs but the 60s have a certain natural feeling to it. beach or mountain? – Beach, although our marathon running guitarist, Axel, would disagree
Vinyl records or streaming? – Sure, vinyls are preMy but to have all the songs I want with me at all Emes. Imagine telling this to someone from the pre-internet past and what they would’ve given to have that!
Your Instagram: @sun_smash_palace
