Where are you based out of?

Maroon is based in Nordhausen. That is a small town in the eastern part of Germany near the Harz mountains (some of you may know from the Pulp Fiction film). So, we all grew up in the German Democratic Republic that broke down in 1989. It is very nice and very relaxed living here and we love our home!

Why did you choose the name Maroon?

Because our first show was drawing near and we still didn't have a name. We had a lot of different suggestions but they weren't very good... So then we had to act, because the show was near. We decided to go through Andre's record collection and pick a certain number and look at the song names. The number was a record by a band called Harvest and they had this song called Maroon, so that's how we got our name! And because we were already very big Maroon 5 fans at this time, hahaha! But, some years later we thought it was stupid to have a band name that doesn't mean shit so we were looking for some explanations why we called the band Maroon, and we heard of this tribe called the Maroons that live independently and almost vegan somewhere in the jungle, and we thought that this story is much better! So we told everyone that we named ourselves after this tribe and that the name means something like 'independent' and 'outcast'... so, which explanation do you like more? The honest one, or the not-so-honest one?

You are an all vegan straight edge band. Were those beliefs that you wanted to express in your music from the get-go, and what made you choose this path?

When we started the band, not everyone was vegan. We were all vegetarian and straight edge, but only a few were vegan. So the first few songs are more personal stuff, but we always wanted to bring back the message into the hardcore scene. Half a year after the formation of Maroon we all became vegan and veganism became more and more important in our lyrics. We just realized that being vegetarian isn't enough to end the suffering of millions of animals everyday. Veganism and animal rights became a bigger part of the band. Now we try to look at other topics, we are all vegan and we made a lot of songs dealing with this topic but we don't want to talk about the same things again and again! So now we try to read and write more between the lines. Since Andre is my older brother (by six years), I learned a lot from him. He became punk really early and soon came in contact with vegetarianism. I was a die hard death metal head at this time and wasn't really interested in such things, but with bands like Carcass, Napalm Death, and Sepultura, I started to became more and more interested in political things. Andre always tried to convince me to stop eating meat, and I did it when I was 14. Maroon was the first band we were in together and at this time we listened to a lot of new school hardcore stuff like Earth Crisis, Morning Again, or Loxiran, and so we came in contact with veganism.

Are you also pro-life?

No. I am not. And I don't think it's a big part of veganism as some people may think. I am not pro-choice either. This topic is much too complicated to be on either one side or the other I think. I really don't like the opinion of total free choice for the mother no matter which reasons she has. I think a career is not a reason that justifies an abortion, but I also don't believe that it is right to refuse an abortion when the woman was raped and has to carry a child inside that is a product of this cruel crime. So, it's very hard to be on one side, because I think it is necessary to look at each individual case before it's possible to have an opinion. I am not pro-life and I am not pro-choice and I think mostly everyone in the band thinks the same.

Europe has always seemed to be an area where veganism, straight edge and hardcore are more readily embraced than here in America. Do you agree?

I don't know. I mean most of these things were very big in the U.S. before it came to Europe. It just seems like it is trendier in the States because a lot of people gave up on these ideas very soon. We have a very long political tradition in Europe including vegetarianism/veganism, human rights and emancipation. So I think that's the reason why some people here take these things really seriously. I mean veganism really still means a lot to us and we are all vegan now for 6 or 7 years. I heard a lot of bad stuff from the U.S. People who gave up everything, people like Damien from Culture or Morning Again or even some Day Of Suffering members and that makes me sad. But you know, in Europe also a lot of people sold out in the past... I know what you mean and it sometimes seems that it is right, but I think you can't say that in Europe people are more dedicated than in the U.S.

What are your thoughts on the Hardline movement?

Well, I don't know about the U.S. but here in Europe there never was a real hardline movement. And I don't think this hardline thing is particularly clever. Most of the things those people said were just stupid. And most of them have now become who they once wished painful death on. That is ridiculous! It's sad that 'hardline' now has such a negative connotation. I believe it could be very helpful to be hardline in reaching your goals, but to me it's just a word everyone has to define on his own. I am hardline when it comes to my beliefs and the things that mean something to me, but that doesn't mean that I want to force other people to think the same or that I don't accept another opinion. It's just that I do my thing and don't give a fuck about others, and that is what hardline means to me. It has nothing to do with rules. But some people in the past combined some very stupid rules with hardline and hardcore and that's why hardline in combination with veganism and hardcore always brings things like intolerance or homophobia in mind and that's really sad, and something that I don't want to be involved in. In everyday politics it's still a very often used word and it doesn't have a special defined meaning. So, I never liked the hardline movement and I still don't like it. Does it still exist? In Europe no one talks about hardline anymore, but then again, no one really ever did, haha.

One band in Europe that seems to have taken a lot of flack is Arkangel, because the members aren't vegan anymore, and because of domestic violence accusations. If you have comments on the situation, would you like to share them?

I'm sorry, but I would rather not comment to this question. Just let me say that Maroon and Arkangel are not what one may call friends. I don't like this band, I never did and we all have a latent aversion against most of its members...

You draw from both metal and hardcore to make up the Maroon sound. Do you consider yourselves to be more in tune with one genre over the other?

No, I wouldn't say so. When we started Maroon we were all a bit bored with the metal scene we were part of for many years at this time and we found some fresh tunes in the new hardcore scene. We never stopped listening to metal stuff and I would still prefer Metallica or Death instead of most of the hardcore bands, but at this time a lot of great new hardcore bands appeared and metal stagnated somehow. But the hardcore scene is a very small scene and it is sometimes hard. I never liked the 'disco' character of the new hardcore scene. I grew up with bands like Metallica, Sepultura, Agnostic Front, or Death and in this metal/hardcore scene music was more important than the look. Sadly, it seems to me that in the newer hardcore scene it defines itself more about the look than about the message or the music. So that's why at the moment I can't really relate to the hardcore scene anymore. It seems that all that counts are tattoos, the right clothes and the right dance moves, and it makes me sick to see more and more kids turn into gangsta hip hop hustler. That it just ridiculous! I mean where is the meaning? I am very attracted by scenes like the gothic scene or the black metal scene. These people don't give a fuck about trends, of course they also have a certain way to dress and a certain way to act, but they always stayed true to themselves. In the last two years it became more and more 'in' to sell out in the hardcore scene and to listen to hip hop and to wear certain brands. That was never what hardcore meant to me. To me it was always about being yourself and being accepted for this, and this acceptance gets lost and lost more and more and that's sad. So at the moment I feel in tune with both scenes but I listen to way more old metal stuff, so musically hardcore is not very important to me at the moment.

When are you going to tour America? Seriously. You guys should make it out really, really soon.

Yeah we want to go there as soon as possible, but there are lot of things to do here too. We are on European tour with Downset, and then we have to pause for a while because my first child will be born in April, then we have to play some festivals here, but we're planning to come to the U.S. ASAP. Maybe in the summer for a few weeks.

There are a couple videos on your Abacus/Century Media album. Where were they shot and why did you choose those two songs to be included?

The songs were filmed at the With Force Festival 2004 by a company called Roax Films. This festival is one of the biggest metal festivals in Europe. About 30,000 to 40,000 people show up every year. It was such a great experience to play such a huge festival, because the first time we visited the festival it was in 1996 and about 8000 people were there and we thought this is the biggest thing that could happen to a band. And eight years later we play the same festival and it became so much bigger! We just wanted to use footage from this festival, because it was filmed professionally and it was a great show for us. Roax Films chose the songs on their own and asked us if it is ok with us and we said 'yes' because we thought it's better to have two songs as a bonus on 'Endorsed By Hate' that aren't from the record.

What made Abacus/Century Media right for you?

Because we know that they do a great work. As I said before, we all grew up with all this death metal stuff and so from the beginning Century Media was a part of our life. We owe records by a lot of CM bands like Unleashed, Tiamat, Grave, etc. So when they asked us, it was an honor to be on the same label like all the heroes of our youth! We had also some other very, very tempting offers but CM made the best one for us, so we decided to sign to them. And we heard a lot of good things about Abacus, that's why we chose to work with them and CM in the US. And so far it's worked out perfectly, otherwise I would never have had the possibility to make this great interview; it's all thanks to Abacus, haha.

Do you guys do any covers?

Not anymore, but we did a lot in the past. Since 1995 we've played a concert on New Years Eve every year in our home village. The main attraction was always the project between most of the bands in our area. Different members from different bands came together to form a band and to do some covers, from punk over hardcore to metal. In 1997 we had the later 'Maroon constellation' and after the show we decided to form a real group. So you see covers are a big part of the history of Maroon. With Maroon we also did some covers, we did Inside Out, Canon, Morning Again, Refused, or Earth Crisis, but now we have enough of our own songs to fill an evening, haha, so we don't do covers anymore. Maybe we'll do one in the future again, who knows.

A lot of Europeans seem to really hate President Bush, America's involvement in Iraq, and often, Americans in general. Not saying it's every European, or that some of that resentment isn't warranted, but I was just curious about your take on it?

Yes, you are right, and I have to say that I don't like him much too either. But he's the president of the U.S. and I don't know much about American politics, so I can't say if he's good or bad for your country. But a lot of things he did are not right in my eyes. You know in Europe Michael Moore is kind of popular and his films are much respected. A lot of people made their opinion about Bush based on his films. But also daily press and more 'serious' documentations showed a lot of things about him that seem just horrible to me. But I don't think that anti-Americanism exists in Europe. On the other hand, a lot of Europeans think that there is an aversion against Europeans in the USA or at least many people here think that Americans don't give a fuck about Europe and our history and culture, but I also believe that this isn't right too. I think all modern politics is hypocrisy no matter if it is in the USA, Germany or the UK. Bush, as well as Schroeder, is just a puppet on the string and the string is controlled by the trade and industry. But the attack of Iraq and many other wrong decisions he made, made him a target for a lot of critics. And I think most of the criticism he has to deal with is justified. But I think it is very dangerous and sad to condemn a whole nation because of one idiot. And I know a lot of Americans who are also not very happy with Mister Bush as president, it's just sad that it wasn't enough to prevent his re-election. But as I said before, it's your land and your president, so it is your choice. I don't think it's right to condemn anybody who voted for him. That should happen within your country and not from the outside. But I believe that war is mostly always the wrong way and if I hear the rumors now that Bush is already thinking about attacking Iran then it brings a sour taste to my mouth.

Favorite activities on tour?

Sleeping, reading, playing cards, making fun of each other, and everyone around and eating.

Funniest thing you've ever seen?

I really don't know. Maybe seeing Andre making squatjumps naked in the hotel hallway...

Any closing words?

Thank you very much for doing this interview, it was a pleasure. Thanx for reading it! Special thank you to all the people from the States who wrote us and stood by us the last 7 years. Hello to all our fans there, hope to see you on the road soon.