Comedian Norm Macdonald famously posited that “Germans love David Hasselhoff.” While it’s true the former Knight Rider and Baywatch star has an unusually large following in the country that gave the world the Volkswagen, the Mercedes Benz, and bratwurst, Germany also has a thing for progressive rock. One band that falls under that umbrella that’s currently working its way from the German airwaves to US ears is The Intersphere.

Formed in 2006 in a practice room, The Intersphere consists of vocalist/guitarist Christoph Hessler, guitarist Thomas Zipner, bassist Sebastian Wagner, and drummer

Moritz Müller. The foursome have played over 350 shows in the past five years and are readying the release of their third full length album, Hold on, Liberty. Hold on, Liberty will be released on Long Branch Records / SPV, giving the band a real opportunity to make some noise in the States.

With The Intersphere poised to take the next big step in their career, Substream Music Press caught up with the group’s bassist to get some more info on their upcoming album, the creepy video they made for the first single off of it, and why you shouldn’t believe everything you read about them.

Substream Music Press: You met in 2006 in a practice room. Six years later you’re 350 shows deep and readying the release of your third album. How did this all come together so quickly?

Sebastian Wagner: From the first days on we started to play gigs all over Germany. We started to play shows in youth centers and ended up on huge festivals such as Rock am Ring and Rock im Park. I guess the basic factor is that we feel most alive on a stage.

SMP: Have you had the chance to catch your breath and really take it all in, or is personal reflection at a premium at this point?

SW: We just carry on writing songs and working on our particular sound. This has always been what kept us going.

SMP: I’ve read you describe yourselves as “progressive rock for the Facebook generation.” Could you expand on that a bit? What makes it Facebook generation-centric?

SW: Oh, actually we didn’t write that ourselves. I guess that journalist just wanted to say that Hold on, Liberty has a kind of compatibility with a wider audience than our last two albums. Let’s hope he’s right.

SMP: When I hear “Facebook generation” I actually think of a more limited audience. Is there any concern that the qualities that writer felt were great for the “Facebook generation” may alienate older audiences who aren’t into accepting friend requests?

SW: I don’t think so. Listening to music is a very subjective choice. Within the band we all listen to very different stuff and we don’t think about who is going to like, or dislike, our music. Our main goal is to play like a band that we’d love to see on stage ourselves and to write songs that we still can listen to in a few years’ time.

SMP: Let’s talk about the music. The new album is Hold on, Liberty. What’s different this time around? In what ways do you feel you’ve grown as a band?

SW: On our first two albums, especially on S.O.B.P., we tried to put all our ideas into one song, and we ended up overcharging some of them. We have always had more than enough songwriting ideas, but this time we paid more attention to the mood of the tunes. Some of the songs needed raw energy, so that’s what we gave them, others required time and space to develop. Also, we began to search for new sounds with Hold on, Liberty – electronics, real strings, pianos.

SMP: You recorded this album over the course of seven days in the studio. Did you guys sleep there? Were your families sending out search parties after a couple days? What was the recording process like?

SW: We had an apartment right in the studio, so we were immersed in music and recording day and night. Our families are used to not seeing us so often, but we try to spend some quality time with our friends and families during the year.

SMP: What do you hope people get from listening to Hold on, Liberty?

SW: People and fans always tell us that hearing The Intersphere live is a great experience, regardless if they already know one of our albums or not. Our goal for Hold on, Liberty was to create a sound that is as close to our live sound as possible, rough edges included, together with everything that makes up the charm of a real record. The end of the story was a one week live recording session at Horus Sound in Hannover (Germany) after several weeks of practicing. I don’t think we ever got this close to our vision (before)!

SMP: Speaking of visions, tell me about the “Sleeping God” video. How did that come together? Who had the bad dream and decided to make it into a music video, and did they wet the bed when they had that dream?

SW: We met two great producers, the Caliman brothers from Berlin, and we immediately knew we wanted them for our new video. They managed to translate the song’s raw energy and depth into emotionally disturbing images. The story of a creator being pursued by his own creation has many predecessors – the Biblical Fall of Man, Goethe’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, but also, and more specifically, the Japanese Underground CyberPunk movie Tetsuo – the iron man.

SMP: Why is that video the perfect way to introduce Hold on, Liberty to listeners?

SW: “Sleeping God” combines a heavy, overwhelming energy with catchy melodies and almost hummable songs. Those are the cornerstones of The Intersphere’s style.

SMP: Obviously you’ve been gaining notoriety with each release, but what have been some of the challenges you’ve faced as you continue to break into the U.S. music scene?

SW: Over the last two years we started to play gigs fromRomaniato theNetherlands, fromTurkeytoSwitzerland, andAustria, but a lot countries are still missing! With our third album, and SPV / Long Branch Records to support us, we will definitely tour even more than we used to. Incidentally, we (still) haven’t played in the U.S yet.

SMP: Finally, since you’re from Mannheim, and it is the holiday season, I have to ask – have you ever come across a Mannheim Steamroller?

SW: I’m sorry, but I’ve never heard of a steam-roller before?! Is that a Mercedes Benz invention? That’s the only thing I really know about Mannheim, because Carl Benz was from Mannheim. Seems like we are traveling a bit too much.

By Adam Bernard

Check out the exclusive track “We Are” by The Intersphere below

  We are by Interspheres by Substream Music Press