Band Interview: Schultz
Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life are very pleased to bring you an interview with industrial crossover metal band, Schultz.
1. How did you get started as a band?
Franz: SCHULTZ is a solo project born in 2002 in South of France. It became a duo with the female performer VDREY during several years and a real band since 2018 with the arrival of Guitarfox (Guitar and vocals) and Sandy Dynamite (Live dance performance and vocals).
Guitarfox: Franz asked us to join him as a backing band for one gig at the Industrial Music Fest in Cannes (French Riviera) in 2017. It was meant to be a one shot, but it went well… So Sandy and I are still in the project today…
2. How would you describe your sound?
Franz: We can resume it as Industrial Metal but not only. Our music is a crossover of lot of things from experimental to EBM, from industrial to Punk and a lot of other influences.
Guitarfox: Dark Electronics with metal guitars… But if you like short formulas, call it Industrial Voodoo ! LOL
3. What bands/artists would you say have influenced your style of music?
Franz: I think lot of things from French music to industrial music. When I was young my parents listened lot of music at home and in the car. So I have always listened to lot of music. Now I have my own taste but I think all this kind of music have an influence on the music I make today. Even if my parents don’t listen to metal or industrial music.
Guitarfox: My parents used to listen things of their age : Beatles, Rolling Stones, Who, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple… So as a teenager, I rebelled with more heavy stuffs : Punk rock, heavy, thrash, black and death metal… Classic story ! Now as an adult I am more open-minded, I can listen to Jazz, classic, electronic, in fact, everything that opens the doors of cosmic mysteries in me, whatever the style…
4. Has the rise of YouTube & music streaming helped or hindered you as a band?
Franz: As a child from the ‘old generation’ I grew up with K7 and Vinyls, and I was still very young when the CD appeared… So yes things have changed. I have knew the old good time when music was an art, and not only an expendable good. When I was a little boy, like everybody I would never think one day we would listen music on mobile phone (who didn’t exist at this time), or buy digital music, or watch music videos on mobile phone. But I don’t think it is really a problem, just a question of generation, but I do my best to follow it, I can agree I don’t understand yet everythings about this new market but I do my best….and I think we are doing pretty well ! For the first time all our albums are now on streaming, on all digital shops…
Guitarfox: The ways of making music evolves from one era to another at the same time as the evolution of technology. For example, at the time of the vinyl record, you had to say everything in a very limited time. After that came the CD, with much longer running time capacity, so you had to fill, and put more unnecessary materials, hence a quality of composition often diminished. Then later came the MP3, YouTube and the streaming, still a new deal again, which marks the end of styles classifiable by record stores, you can now mix everything and anything, from black metal with bavarian java to Mashups… If the Beatles appeared today, they would surely not have the same success as in the 60’s. Times are changing, and so is music. But this is my advise to keep it exciting : you just have to remember the primary message of rock’n’roll, which has always been… F**k Authority !
5. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not making music?
Franz: I like to take good time, and as an open minded person, I love to discover new things, there are so much more things to discover in one so short life….
Guitarfox: Reading books, watching movies, walking in the woods, having me a drink… Life is made to be enjoyed, and nothing else… OKAY ?!
6.What are your future plans musically? Tours?
Franz: We just released our new album Black Magic Party the 1st May and its first video, called “Rats In The Sewers” a few days before. Available everywhere on all streaming service and digital shop. 10 new crazy songs talking about rats, drugs, sex, spanking, cats, life.… And lot of things !… If you are curious, then check It out !…
Guitarfox: This is an album you can dance on naked like a crazy ape around a bonfire… I guess you may like it !
Franz: About touring, I hope when all this f***ing Covid crisis will be totally finished, we can restart concerts in good conditions asap.
Guitarfox: Who knows? Singing with surgery masks?… Maybe we’ll have to deal with it and make fun of it… Would that perhaps add more to the dark atmosphere of our shows… LOL
