Interview: MAGEFA (Written)
German death metal band MAGEFA are thick in the writing phase of their new album, but will release the new single, ‘Bombs Over Europe’ on October 20th, 2024. In this interview, we get to know them a little better.
1. Hello! Thank you for taking the time to chat to us. First things first, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started.
Hello! My name is Kevin Grams. I am the vocalist, guitar player and songwriter of the death metal band MAGEFA from Frankfurt, Germany. Kai (drums), our former bass player and I met in a high-rise bunker in Frankfurt in 2014 as looked I for a band. Things got started with our first demo “A peek into human bodies” in 2016.
2. Someone comes to you and asks you to sum up what kind of music you play – what do you tell them?
Death Metal with an own twist.
3. What’s currently going on in your camp? New releases? Tours? Etc.
A new release will drop in October 20th with the single “Bombs Over Europe”. We are also in the writing phase for a LP coming late 2025.
4. What has been the most positive experience of making music to date for you?
The most positive thing is to being recognized by people coming farther away. Just an amazing feeling, especially when we toured abroad in the UK.
5. Likewise, what has been some of the more challenging aspects and how have you overcome them?
We had a small period without a whole band as our first bass player left the band in 2021. We asked musician friends to fill up but it didn’t work for us. In 2022 we found Andreas on the bass guitar and later Nico at the guitar and we cannot imagine the band without them ever since.
6. How do you handle the modern expectations of being in a band? Always online, having to put out content constantly, your success measured in likes and follows?
Kai always puts the finger on social media and promotion. Its really tough to stay alive in the constant flood of bands but we are doing our best we can. Maybe some day it will worth something.
7. What’s something that really ‘grinds your gears’ about the industry/business these days and what would you propose is done to combat it?
As a small band in the underground we know the hurdles anyone else must feel too. As artists streams on platforms are important, but to achieve that you need money. The money you need goes into playlisters and promotion as a whole, but you don’t get paid enough for your streams from the plattforms. They also set new hurdles per say a stream minimum to get a payout. And even when you break that hurdle you earn nearly nothing as an artist compared to the money you spend. Sounds unfair to me.
8. Speaking directly to listeners – what would you ask they do to help support your music?
Come to our concerts, buy our merch, have a laugh and drink a beer with us. Follow and like on social media would be appreciated but we need you in front of us.
9. Outside of the music, what’s do you do to relax?
For me it’s my family with my little girl born in January this year. I enjoy the time of her growing up before my very eyes.
10. Where can people find you?
We are active on all social media sites (bit mostly in meta) and are on any streaming platform there is, but we have two small links where anything combines:
Hope to see you there!
