Another of our regular trips to Germany today where we find out a little more about a band named after an extinct brand of British car. OK, I made that one up.
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We come from Münster, Germany
How did you meet?
Luca and Paul were playing together in the blues rock band Square Heads before, but were looking for a new drummer since their former drummer had left the band. Luca knew Bennet from some past projects and asked him to come around for a jam session with Paul. We discovered there’s a great chemistry between us – musically as well as personally – so Bennet decided to join and a new trio was born. First we continued to play gigs under the name Square Heads. But when we started writing new songs together we soon realised that we were headed in a quite different direction than before. Also because of Bennet’s new influence, our new stuff turned out to be much more energetic and our blues roots became less apparent. So we decided to make a fresh start. Our self-titled EP released in July 2019 marks the starting point for Rovar.
How long have you been playing as a band?
We have been playing together since 2018.
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
It was a sign plate that Luca saw on a trip in the Czech Republic. After searching for a band name for almost half a year, Luca texted us a picture of that sign plate saying “ROVA”. We agreed to put an extra “R” behind it and that’s where our band name comes from.
What are your influences?
Luca and Paul are heavily influenced by 70s and 90s rock, whereas Bennet brought in some new emo and alternative influences.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
It’s hard to describe. In a review our music was once referred to as “highspeed heavy Blues”. Our music is very energetic and can indeed get quite heavy, and it’s definitely predestined to be performed live at a crowded venue. During our live shows we put in all we got to make the music come to life and take our audience on a trip with us. It’s all about the moment.
We also try to capture that live feeling on our recordings. So most of what you hear is us in one room playing our music as we would at a live concert, with just a few carefully considered overdubs.
We think what makes our music unique is also the combination of us as individuals. As we are a trio, everyone plays an equally important role in shaping our sound. Everyone of us has his own musical taste and diverse influences that get totally mixed up to create something new and unique when we write music together in our practice room.
If you like what we do, consider joining us on Patreon for as little as £1 per month!
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
In general, it’s up to everyone’s own interpretation. We don’t have particular recurring themes. But we have a tendency to reflect on our personal emotions and experiences in our lyrics. When we write songs, the music usually comes first. So when we write lyrics, we also try to use words and phrases that underline or amplify the mood that the music creates.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
Our live show, as people describe it, is like a psychedelic jam trip. And many say it’s pretty loud… you should find out for yourself! We think we have played around 69.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
We played at a rehearsal room gig and the crowd, which was around 50 people, went totally crazy and insisted that we would play topless and finally entered the stage and started ripping our shirts off. At the end they moshed the shit out of the entire room including the stage and sang along to our last song, to which they all somehow seemed to know the lyrics.
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
Paul: I use a LAKLAND Skyline 44-01 with an Orange terror bass. My pedals usually are an overdrive pedal like a tube screamer and a P.O.G.
Luca: I play an 80s Stratocaster. My amps are a 63s super reverb Fender amp and the WEM Dominator. Most of the time I play them stereo. And every time they are turned to 11!
Bennet: I play a 70s Gretsch kit in 13/16/22 combined with some quite modern Meinl cymbals. Also I love my Ludwig Black Beauty snare!
Don’t fancy Patreon? Buy us a one-off beverage!
What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
Our new single “Thirst”, which was released on November 27th. Check out our music video!
What are your plans for the next 6 months or so?
Writing and recording some of the remaining songs and hopefully getting the chance to release our album in summer.
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
Headliner: All Them Witches
Opener: Our labels mate. Shout out to the guys from Red County Jail!
