Dear readers, we present to you in this article an exclusive interview with Exdirectory, a German band known for their unique blend of Psychedelic, Stoner, and Progressive sounds. In this conversation, they delve into their musical journey, influences, and future plans. Read on to discover more about this talented group.
Can you tell us how the band formed and how you started playing together?
We have known each other for a long time and some of us had been playing together before Exdirectory came about as a project. In 2017, when some of us relocated to the city of Cologne, we decided to start playing as a five-piece band. In the first years we were more of a rehearsal room band. Our style was not that refined and had many Indie /
Alternative Rock influences. In 2020-2021 we intensified our appreciation for Psychedelic Rock & Progressive Rock, which ultimately led to our first LP “Forgotten Dreams, Forgotten Tales.”
What does the name “Exdirectory” mean? Is there a story behind it?
Phone numbers that aren’t listed in a directory may be referred to as ex-directory numbers. We actually found that word in a dictionary by accident after we weren’t able to agree on a band name.
How would you describe your musical style and the main influences that inspire you?
Our style usually oscillates somewhere between Psych Rock, Stoner Rock & Progressive, but we also draw inspiration from many other styles such as Shoegaze, Krautrock or Post-Rock. We have no clear main influences regarding other bands, but we compare our music to bands like Motorpsycho, Causa Sai, Black Mountain or Coogans Bluff from time to time.
Your sound combines elements of Psychedelia, stoner, and progressive music: how do you manage to blend these genres into your songs?
This blend of sounds came to us quite naturally although not every single song of ours contains elements of each genre you mentioned. Our songwriting process doesn’t amount to ticking boxes. We just happen to like to switch things up within our songs. Loud and Heavy parts reminiscent of stoner rock may alternate with more quiet or atmospheric psychedelic-sounding parts. We’d get bored staying in one lane for too long. That motto also implies that our stylistic future is wide open – we might go for a grand Progressive hyperfolk opera on our next project, who knows.
Your instrumentation caught my attention; what equipment did you use to create this work?
It’s actually not that special, our guitarists both played Stratocasters with a VOX AC-30 / Roland JC-20, but they both like to experiment with lots of different weird effect pedals. It may also be noteworthy that our keyboarder plays a Vintage Korg CX-3 organ with a Leslie rotation speaker. A pain to carry but worth it!
Tell us about your creative process: how do your improvised jams come about?
This one is hard to explain. Let’s just say that as long as our chakras are open and our reserves of a, c and e vitamins are filled, jams will happen.
The EP “Vitamine” was recorded during a live session with completely improvised jams. What was it like working in this recording mode?
The session those jams are taken from was actually a gig we streamed via twitch by the great people over at stagehouse.tv. They got us into a room full of cameras and microphones with no audience and had everything recorded and broadcast live. That setup took some getting used to at first since the crowd reactions were limited to a twitch chat. But deeper into the session, it felt just as comfortable as a rehearsal since it was just the five of us doing what we always do. Also, the crew at stage house were so lovely and did a great job!
What advice would you give to young artists starting out today?
Most importantly, invest time in finding and refining your sounds. It may sound obvious, but in a time where more and more music sounds the same, trying to do your own thing is one of the most important things to do if you really care about the music. Also, try to bring your music on stage, nothing compares to playing live!
What has been the audience’s reaction to your live performances and festival appearances, including in Costa Rica?
Our first shows back then in front of mostly friends and family, which was also fun, but it was great to see more and more new people coming to our shows over the years. We had some great experiences during the German and Costa Rican tour, people dancing, moshing, some just carefully watching us play. Our shows in Berlin and Ciudad Quesada
were especially energetic. Also, the festival experiences (e.g. the great people from Campen in Hain or Trafostation61 <3) during the last two years were just amazing.
Do you have any upcoming tours or concerts planned for the next few months?
We play Red Rocket Festival in July and a gig in Hannover on August 21 st with our friends from TFNRSH. We also have some concerts planned for the end of the year, so stay tuned for that!
How do you see the psych/stoner scene in Germany and North Rhine-Westphalia in particular?
There is a vivid underground scene in Germany and especially North Rhine-Westphalia with so many great bands, too many to name them all. It’s easy getting to know new people within that scene and there is a great sense of comradeship and mutual support.
Are there any other artistic activities or passions outside of music that you’re involved in?
Some of us are also active in other bands or have solo side projects. Check out our drummer’s project Ermano if you’re into Deep House/Electronica.
What are your future goals as a band? Are you working on new material or other projects?
We’re hoping to keep playing concerts and tours, but also evolve and mature as artists and explore new styles. As mentioned before, we don’t like staying in the same lane for too long. We’ve been on a songwriting break for a couple of months, but we’re currently writing new stuff that may take on a different sonic direction. To give a little hint, we may
intensify some Post Rock and Krautrock ambitions.
If you had to recommend your music to someone who’s new to it, what should they expect?
They should expect lots of different layers and soundscapes you might not expect. Our upcoming release “Vitamine” is great if you just want to vibe with the music and float along with some playful Psychedelic Rock. If you look at our last album, people should expect more complexity and songs that may need several listens before you’re into them.
Is there any interesting or funny anecdote related to the recording of “Vitamine” or your live performances that you’d like to share?
We recorded our EP “Vitamine” in northern Bavaria and had to wait for a Folk brass band next door to stop playing so we could get started.
I thank the band for the interview, wishing them all the best for their future projects and the continuation of their artistic career.
Purchase the new EP “Vitamine” on Bandcamp: https://exdirectory.bandcamp.com/album/vitamine-2