The Sound Monkeys are a cool new band from Immenstaad, Germany that I found at their MySpace page. What is the best way to learn more about a band that you know nothing about? That's right, with an interview!! So here we learn a bit more about who they are and what they are about! Thanks to Jonas Pommitz (vocals, guitar) for taking the time to do this! :) - Mikki 9/09

First of all I would like to know how long the band has been together, how you all got together and most importantly - what the heck is a "sound monkey"?

Jonas: Hey hey, the pleasure is on our side =)
We play together since December '08, Raimund and me we tried to make noise about 2 or 3 years ago when I started playing guitar. Raimund was and is the one who can handle best with his instrument. Last year I met Andy by entering my new school. He also played guitar and so after a while we tried that trio out. And it worked! All we needed were more power, we needed a bass! Marius, I also met him at our new school, were "forced" to buy some bass equipment and start playing =D After that we rehearsed the first time last winter.
But the question about the sound monkey.. Oh man better you don't ask.. Our name was a first emergency solution, everybody said one word until it sounded good xD After our first concert a fan throw a flying monkey toy at the stage and so we had no choice =D Watch our pics there you can see the toy of fortune xD

DML: What term would you use to describe your sound?

Jonas: Hm... that is what we want to hear from you^^ I would say.. punk-garage-soft-strange-rock =D or in two words: damn cool! xD

DML: Is this your first band?

Jonas: For me, it is the second, a short time I tried to play with other people but if nobody care about rehearsing, song writing and teamwork you can kick this action... And seriously, I'm fucking happy about the decision to search other people because so I found some of my best friends. For the other three, it's their first band.

DML: How long have you each been playing and how did you first decide to start making music?

Jonas: Well I play since.. less than 3 years, and at the beginning I wanted to do my work better than Tokio Hotel (if you don't know them, google and you will see -.-) Marius was playing some years keyboard but then he broke up and wanted to try something cool, some time later he met us. Andy also plays guitar for about 3 years, he needed a business for the winter: snowboard or guitar =D And Raimund plays for 7 years, the reason why: he's cool xD

DML: I understand you just finished your first album - that's impressive for such a new band. Can you tell us more about the album? Was it done in a studio and, if so, have you all worked in a studio before?

Jonas: Oh yes our new and first album is called "Something About WHAT ???" according to our song "Something About Rock". The title speaks for itself, actually we don't know how our music sounds like =D It's something about rock we thought, but ROCK is hard to define, so what is it? Something about.. what??? We use not definable styles, on the whole it's rock, about feelings, opinions, experiences and silly nonsense^^
It was our first interplay with a studio, connections helped us to get there and I think I speak for all if I say: It was awesome, hard work and of course pretty funny^^

DML: When and where will the album be available?

Jonas: NOW!!!! But at the moment you can only order it by writing me at myspace =D or the coolest solution, you come to our next concert ;)

DML: I noticed you also took part in a recent T-Mobile band contest. How did that go?

Jonas: Oh well.. damn system... we heard from that contest and so.. we took part, every day you were able to give 5 votes, judge a band with 1-5 points and the one with the best average of all votes reached the next round, but everybody cheated and the judging system.. I mean.. how retarded is that? In the end we didn't reach the finals, we reached place 65. from about 500, sounds good but in the end it didn't help us.. Well don't think about it, just keep playing =)

DML: Have you played any particularly interesting shows and, if so, where and with whom?

Jonas: Particularly and interesting for us and our friends and fans was our first concert because we didn't know how the audience would be react. Our last concert we played with DJ FUSSSEL, a great newcomer DJ out of our region, that was pretty cool. But how you said it, we are a young band and we most time worked on our album (by the way school stress xD) but next time our aim is to get more public.

DML: What is the scene like where you live? Is it hard to find gigs and/or parties to play at or is your town band friendly? What do you think could make it better?

Jonas: Oh man our scene here? Damn hard to find some gigs, we organized all concert on our own. We are trying to find new and good locations but thats hard^^ Actually there are some times some small festivals but nobody knows until it's over -.-

DML: What bands influenced you all before joining The Sound Monkeys?

Jonas: Hm actually we like a lot of music and bands and between each other it's pretty different. For me, I like everything about punk and rock for example NOFX, Wizo but also melodic punk like Rise Against or the classics: Nirvana, Blink 182, Ramones, and so on and so on. Andy really likes for example Dover or Die Toten Hosen and other punk bands. Raimund more likes the blues-rock legends like Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd, Red Hot Chili Peppers.. So you see, if everybody likes different styles we play a multi-mixed style something about.... WHAT??? =D

DML: What do you guys do for fun besides make music?

Jonas: Marius does snowboarding and DLRG (life rescue organisation), Raimund have the "Private-Pilot"-license and is able to fly with small planes, Andy likes carting, you know these small cars. Me, I like doing everything, mainly it is summer, I hate winter!! And of course everybody of us like to party and celebrate!!

DML: You guys haven't been together for very long but what have been the best and worst experiences as a band so far?

Jonas: Our best experience was our last concert, the audience jumped and freaked out, amazing! And the worst... also was our last concert =D We played such a bullshit together, we played so bad we never rehearsed!! But nobody cared^^ At this point we also want to say thank you to our fans, listeners and mostly to our crew, DJ FUSSSEL and MAUZEN MC PLAUZEN (SUPERMAUZEN), without them we were lost ^^

DML: As a band, what do you think would be the greatest thing you could achieve?

Jonas: Good question, if we play at every great festival around the world and everybody listens to us, knows and shouts out our name, and if all this would make the world a bit more "come together"-like by us, than we could say we achieved "something".

DML: So, now that you will become the most important band in all of Germany and North America because of this interview, the inevitable question is: When does the US tour begin?

Jonas: If you pay the flight tickets: WEEEEELCOME AMERICA =D
A tour through America would be awesome, and if we become famous, our first concert will be in Arizona (just for visiting you^^) so you know what you have to do: help us to get famous!! =D

DML: I want to again thank you very much for doing this interview! Is there anything you would like to add?

Jonas: Well WE have to say thanks, it was pretty cool to answer your questions, thx a lot amiga =)
So our last words:
FRANK SPECKER NUMBER ONE!!! und ganz klar Benni stinkt!

Tschüüüüssi Servus Pfürti =)

More at:

• Official/MySpace