I spoke to Giant Rooks, the German indie-rock band about their upcoming debut album ROOKERY and the impact of COVID on the band.
Words: Katie Beaton
Art: Millie Stimpson
Over the past 5 years, Giant Rooks have released 2 EPs which have both gathered a lot of traction, leading to support tours for acts such as The Temper Trap and KraftKlub and a headline tour in 2018 across Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Formed nearly half a decade ago it was only in 2018 that the band felt confident enough to start work on their debut album. They attributed this shift within the band to moving from their hometown Hamm, a small town in North-Western Germany to Berlin saying it was an “important step for us as a band and as people as well”. The songwriting process was long but natural where they figured out what they wanted the album to be “within the process”.
Giant Rooks didn’t limit themselves to a certain type of sound or style within the album, the album spans from the melancholic folk of Misinterpretations to the upbeat indie-pop of Heat Up.
This range was a deliberate choice as the band was excited to use their debut as an opportunity to push the limits of their established sound further. They wanted to “free [themselves] of expectations” and “go in directions that no one expected [them] to”.
Indie-rock groups can often sound traditional and repetitive but ROOKERY shows a band willing to push the boundaries of the genre. As well as sliding between genres with ease, Giant Rooks mix genre conventions within a track to great effect. They told me that playing with contrast was something they focused on during the songwriting process with drummer Finn Thomas referencing the “classic folk vibes in the chorus” versus the “modern autotune and beats in the verse” of the outro track, Into Your Arms, as an example of this.
Although sonically this album is defined by its differences, lyrically the band concentrated on answering a few unifying questions, “what is my role in this world? What am I supposed to do and how do I handle my own privilege?”. Honesty is clearly a central theme to the album. Among their many influences, Giant Rooks name-dropped Celeste and Joy Crookes, two UK neo-soul singers, a choice that may surprise some, considering they're an indie-rock band. However, the band explained that the influence transcends genre and lies in the singers' songwriting because they're both, “so honest and it’s really pure and beautiful”.
The stylistic range of the album, however, is reflected in its range of influences such as Bon Iver, James Blake, Arlo Park and Glass Animals, however, the band see their influence as indirect only. Their aim is "to try and do something new” firmly stating that they "do not like to copy things and paste it into [their] own music”.
ROOKERY Album Art & The Giant Rookery by Millie Stimpson
"What is my role in this world? What am I supposed to do? How do I handle my own privilege?"
The age of coronavirus could be seen as a strange time to release a debut album with the standard promotional tours banned, especially for a group who see themselves as primarily a live band, stating “we come from the stage”. Despite having to cancel a huge European tour and headline shows in the US, Giant Rooks are optimistic and excited for the release of their debut ROOKERY. They have already managed to play three open-air concerts with 1000 people allowed to attend in a socially distanced manner. The band don’t see coronavirus or lockdown as an obstacle, with the pragmatic attitude of a band far more seasoned than they are. When questioned as to whether lockdown has been a help or hindrance on the creative process, the consensus was that those who claim lockdown has been a blessing are ‘egotistical’ for not taking the widespread disaster into account. They did acknowledge the gift of time that lockdown provided, taking 5 months to perfect the details of the mixing and the artwork, but laughed that they "[weren’t] sure if anyone other than us would hear the difference”.
Giant Rooks is a band that doesn’t feel restricted by genre, pandemics or expectations.
Their debut album ROOKERY is available on all streaming platforms from the 28th of August.
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