5 questions to make you cry
I remember at one of my first concerts…
Gwen Dolin: At one of our first TEARS shows, we didn’t find the organizer until late in the evening, and several people were trying to somehow wake him up. It was no longer clear whether something had happened to him. Luckily, he just celebrated and slept through it. At the same time, we were supposed to play in the afternoon, and it was incredibly hot on this field, probably 40 degrees. Then it happened that Blumengarten was cancelled. Due to the cancellation and the inability to find an organizer, the entire event was postponed and everyone was only able to start playing late. Then we had a great and really good concert and it was very well attended. We were incredibly happy about this.
I realized that my path as a musician was right when…
Gwen: I never knew this was the right way. I wish I had that kind of undeniable intuition. I just did it because it was the only thing that could help me survive, and it did 🙂
Steffen Israel: When I realized that I especially liked playing live.
What comment do you remember about yourself from another performer?
Tarek KEEZ once said that our name is the most popular band name.
Where do you like to buy vinyl and what was your last purchase?
Gwen: I don’t buy vinyl anymore. I’ve moved so many times and it’s so tiring to carry around. But I like the idea of buying vinyl, and so if I buy vinyl, I will definitely go to a small local store. And take your time while watching. In general, I sometimes go into such stores and look through them, but then I don’t take any records with me. As a teenager I really enjoyed being in Darmstadt during my return trip.
Steffen: Yes, and such a store is, for example, Underworld Records in Chemnitz. This is a select store with a very good selection where I often buy vinyl and also enjoy having a nice chat with the owners.
Your 3 albums for a desert island.
Steffen: For me, there are definitely two albums that I’ve been listening to for a long time and know that they don’t bother me today and have just aged well: “Hidden World” by Fucked Up, which I can actually listen to every day, and “Give Up” by The Postal Service.
Gwen: I think I’d take one from Belle and Sebastian. Probably “If You’re Feeling Sinister.” Then I took the We Are Heroes album with me. But I don’t know if it’s “Complaint” or “Hence Blind”. And I wouldn’t care if I picked up the new TEARS album because it gives me incredible courage to hear me sing like that.
Indie pop duo Tears, made up of Gwen Dolin and Steffen Israel, have just announced their second album, “Leben In Eine Katzen”, which will be released on October 30th. Her debut “Haare of a Dog” was released in 2023. The tour in support of the new album starts in February 2027.