Burning Trace is an upcoming punk rock band from Germany. We had the chance to chat with their guitar player and singer Nico about their influence, their place in the local scene, the way they write music and the importance of playing music with your best friend at every possible show you can be booked on. Here’s how three punk rock kids from Germany make it happen in the music world. Get inspired!

Hello! Tell the world about yourself.

Hello, this is Nico from Burning Trace. We are three young musicians from Emden, Germany (guitars + vocals, bass, and drums) who are playing our own rock and punk rock songs. The band was founded in 2014 and a lot changed throughout the years. Our line up changed often and there were many breaks we had to take but since May 2018 we are in our best shape and I think right now everything is on its place.

Introduce your current musical efforts.

From June until now we’ve done a lot of work. We released our first EP “Friends For Never”. It appeared on Spotify and all other platforms. We did some live shows, we printed some merch and we are now working on our first full-length album.

How do you find the drive and inspiration to keep making music?

I’ve been playing the guitar for 4 years now and I’ve also been in the band for 4 years now. To make and play music turned out to be something more than just a hobby. It has become a part of me that I will never let go. Every day is a new day and a new chance to create and write something.

How is your local music scene in your perspective? Do you feel like you belong there?

We have many metal bands in our town and only a few rock and punk rock bands. So, I think our music fits well in the scene because this way there’s something for everybody. Gradually we’ve managed to reach more people and we have definitely grown up as a band.

What is your all-timee favorite record and how did it change you as an artist?

Our all time favorite records are “The Color And The Shape” by The Foo Fighters (actually every album of them is a favorite). We praise some Iron Maiden, Guns’n’Roses and Red Hot Chili Peppers albums.
All of this might have not really changed us but we got a totally different perspective on music and it blew our minds. Hearing all this music gave us inspiration to do our own thing.

What are your favorite software and hardware tools for music production?

We actually don’t use software, our producer used Logic Pro on his MacBook for our EP but that’s all.

What is your songwriting process like?

Sometimes I have an idea for lyrics and I write it down. There doesn’t have to be a melody first. When I think about something and it could fit in a text I just use it and play a melody to it. Sometimes I might have a melody in my mind or a chord progression then I’ll write something to it and at the end of the day I’ll have a complete song with both a melody and lyrics. All you actually need to write a song is four chords and a big heart.

Which is your most memorable show and why?

When we look back at all the shows we’ve played all of them were a great fun. We always try to give our best and we always have as much fun as we can. I think there’s no single show that stands out. It does not depend where we are playing as long as the audience can feel what we feel and have as much fun as we do. This is the best thing you can ever have as a musician.

What is your biggest musical goal?

Our biggest musical dream is to play more and more shows, to record our first full-length album and become a little bit bigger as a band. But the most important thing is that we are the best friends and that we are playing music together.

How has being on Drooble helped you as a musician?

Drooble helped us meet musicians from all over the world. That would have not been possible without it. We are really thankful that we have the opportunity to be in a network like this!

Thank you for the questions. Have a nice day.