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GARDA |
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Kai Lehmann: Guitar, Vocals |
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Ronny Wunderwald: Drums |
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...and the GARDA collective |
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In 2006 Songwriter Kai Lehmann from Dresden, Germany, is looking for an outlet from the routines of his Indiecore band CLAIM. Besides, personal experiences make him want to write more personal songs only with an acoustic guitar. After a small concert with the new material he realizes that there is more potential in the new direction and asks befriended drummer Ronny Wunderwald to join. GARDA is born.
In 2007 the two work on the EP "Go On! Dance! And Explode!". They are offered help by fellow musicians from the KUMPELS & FRIENDS community, an open collective for all sorts of creativity, also concert booking. Part of it are also members of THE GENTLE LURCH. With this support in their backs, "Go On! Dance! And Explode" becomes a considerable success, German music magazines like Visions and Intro post commending reviews and compare their music with the likes of Sophia, Conor Oberst or Damien Rice. The subjects of Lehmann´s songs are anger, desperation, causalities of broken relatioships, but also hope for a new start. Built around Lehmann´s tender, emotional vocals and acoustic guitar, Ronny Wunderwald´s sensitive drumming, sparse touches of keyboards and additional guitars precisely accentuate the tone of each song. Based on this very reduced timbre certain parts can evolve into almost orchestral moments, like in "States", where GENTLE LURCH singer Neli Mothes immitates a rather creepy choir by recording multiple layers of her voice. During that time GARDA also support THE GENTLE LURCH on the tour for their debut album "From Around A Fire".
While the KUMPELS & FRIENDS collective bundle their sources to launch their own label K&F RECORDS, everybody is envolved in producing GARDA´s first full-length album "Die, Technique, Die!". The five songs from the EP appear in refreshed versions, plus six new songs, like the title track and the catchy "This City Is Ours". More musicians join GARDA´s idea of an open collective for the recordings and the sound is getting expanded by strings and brass. Again, every detail, every single note is perfectly placed, at the same time the delivery is always spontaneous, never too technical. Heart rules over technique or are they getting married here?
Albumrelease SW34/K&F004 GARDA Die, Technique, Die! CD: 10 Oct 2008
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