Interview: Get To Know GERÄUSCH

What first got you into music?

My family was always very musical, my mom sang and played guitar, and my dad played trombone. Some of my earliest memories are going to his community band concerts! I started playing the trombone myself in 6th grade beginning band.

How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t heard it before?

"Punk-Rock Trombone Blasmusik!" I mix traditional German/Austrian volksmusik style with covers of modern pop/rock/edm songs and perform the melody on trombone. Another way I thought I could describe myself to people is to think of a polka-ified Timmy Trumpet that actually plays their horn the full set! (not trying to throw shade at Timmy, I love him, but he doesn't play his trumpet much...)

Was there a defining moment when you realized music was your calling?

In 9th grade I asked my junior high band director what I had to do so I could have his job.

Where do you find inspiration for your lyrics or melodies?

A lot of the music I've covered so far is from the 90s to early 2000s alt-rock/punk-rock era. But then more recent influences like modern Blasmusik brass bands from Europe, and even pop music artists are sounds and styles I love a lot. I figured, why can't all of these sounds live together in one project!?

How do you balance personal expression and creating something your audience will love?

Well, I pick songs that resonate with me, and as mentioned blend in the traditional "oompa" vibes, but I also keep an ear out to what seems to be popular at music festivals or even on social media. If I can grab the attention of a Gen-Z/Alpha Tik-Tok loving person with a viral hook but then expose them to a wider range of musical eras, artists, cultures and genres, I feel I'm doing Gods work.

What has been the most rewarding moment of your career so far?

I performed a solo-set at the BC European Festival this past summer representing Austria! This was a monumental achievement for myself because I am a terrible procrastinator and/or get nervous and don't see things through. But I got booked for the festival, and it gave me the focus and drive to complete arranging and rehearsing an hours set of music for the show. People were loving it, and it felt so great to have my project be well received in that setting!

Are there any specific milestones you’re working toward in your career?

I am planning to release my first full length album as "GERÄUSCH" by end of summer or early fall 2026 and want to then take my live-show performance to venues and festivals in Europe next summer! In particular I want to perform at the Austrian brass band festival "Woodstock der Blasmusik" which I've attended the past two summers!

How do you prepare for a show or tour?

I like to curate my sets to fit the audience and/or vibe of where I am performing. For a show like the EuroFest gig, I did more covers of both traditional and modern music from Germany and Austria, with a few North American pop-punk covers sprinkled in. For a rock-n-roll festival, I'd flip the script on that and do more rock covers with traditional music influences but stick to the aggressive high energy songs people in that setting would relate to more. For a general community or Pride event set, I will probably do a wider spread of genres and bring in some of the pop-girly covers! Outside of figuring out my sets, once the song selection is locked in I practice a lot, building up the stamina to play my songs well past the set-time limit of a show, to ensure I can do a full set without killing my face and starting to sound like crap.

What’s the most unusual or memorable thing that’s happened to you on stage?

This past summer I performed on the Main Stage at Woodstock der Blasmusik in Austria as a member of "Kapelle Gefällt Mir"! This group is chosen via an application, facebook voting, and then final jury selection to create a festival community band of people from all over Austria, Germany, and occasionally a few other places, like myself from Canada! I was so excited to be selected to be a member of the trombone section in the band! We performed a fantastic mix of music from traditional marches and polkas to rock songs such as an arrangement of a song "Ein Kompliment" by German band Sportfreunde Stiller and even a medley of music by David Guetta! It is very affirming for what I am trying to do as a musical artist to be in an environment that also celebrates the love of blending traditional band instruments with modern music! Plus, the audience of around 10,000 people watching us was totally epic as well!

Can you tell us about your latest project or release?

So "GERÄUSCH" technically came about in 2020 during the pandemic days while doing livestream DJ-ing on Twitch. As a DJ I love mixing genres playing whatever in a wild open-format. I felt the name GERÄUSCH represented that well, as it is the German word for "noise" and thus I was just playing a bunch of noise! Deeper than that though, it is also a nod to an album I got in Germany during a year as an exchange student by the band Die Ärzte, also titled Geräusch! As I've more recently shifted gears into doing more solo-trombone and custom original remixes of music, still in a wide range of genres, and using traditional volksmusik sounds as a foundation to that, I feel the name GERÄUSCH is that much more appropriate! A fantastic representation of this is my first single release, "The Kids Aren't Alright" by The Offspring. On that track you can clearly hear the influence of accordion, tuba, drums, baritone, trumpet and acoustic guitar backing up my trombone in place of a singer. It is a great intro to the fuller sound I will introduce on my upcoming full album "Bring the Noize!"

Are there any collaborations in the works you’re excited about?

Nothing yet, but I am hoping to connect with more Blasmusik artists and bands in Europe to do custom remixes/covers of some of their songs as well!

What message or emotion do you hope people take away from your music?

Nostalgia, Vibrancy, Energy, Optimism - Not being afraid to be yourself and show it off to the world!

Who are you listening to right now?

"Dance..." by Slayyyter.

How do you see your music evolving in the next few years?

I want to release a series of EP/albums to lay the overall foundation of what "GERÄUSCH" is. It is a bit difficult to pin down a band/genre of music that takes influence from so many other sounds. As mentioned, my first big release will be "Bring the Noize!" which will focus heavily on the alternative/punk-rock sound, I also want to do a collection of songs that leans into more German pop/rock and is a bit stronger on the volksmusik traditional vibes, and the third piece to this sonic foundation would be pop/disco/edm music. After I lay down these key corner-stones of my style so to speak, I think by that point people will get what I'm all about and the style I bring to music production and performance.

How do you handle the balance between commercial success and artistic integrity?

Well, I don't see trombone fronted punk-polka going mainstream anytime soon, so I am leaning hard on just doing what I want to do. However, it would be nice to get a little bit of income coming in, paid performances and people buying music and merch that can cover at least the expenses of doing the project and traveling. Ideally if I could travel to Germany/Austria/Switzerland every summer and have the trip covered by whatever pay I'd receive, I'd be happy with that.

What’s next for you? Any upcoming projects, tours, or surprises?

Well as mentioned, finishing my album is a big one. Besides that, I just got a nice new battery powered speaker and I plan to do busking around downtown Vancouver. I am playing a live variety show at a local Vancouver theatre in early September, Paul Anthony's "Talent Time!" which I am very excited about!

Anything You'd Like Your Fans to Know.

Thanks for listening to my music and supporting me at shows!

The Kids Aren't Alright by GERÄUSCH - DistroKid