We sent Adrian from Distance In Embrace some questions via e-mail to find out how the band got together, what they have been doing recently and plans for the future.

Thanks’ for taking time out to do this interview
No problem. Thanks for doing this interview with us!

First of all can you tell us a bit about the history of the band such as how you got together, how long you have been playing music and how you came up with the name Distance In Embrace?
We originally started a band back in 2001 just for fun, playing some old school skatepunk tunes. We got to know each other from school. Back then we also started playing shows and taking the band more seriously. In 2004 we founded DISTANCE IN EMBRACE while being in the studio to record our first record “The Consequence Of Illusions” which was released in January 2005. The name “DISTANCE IN EMBRACE” is a quote from one of our songs and describes the contradiction of being physically close to a person but keeping an emotional distance to her or him.

You have just released your new studio album ‘To Hell With Honesty’ are you happy with the response the album has got so far with your fans and the press?
The reactions have been predominantly positive so far. We have put so many effort and literally “sweat and tears” into this album that we are truly thrilled that our fans and the press seem to like what we have created.

What’s your favourite track from your album ‘To Hell With Honesty’ and why?
We don’t really have a favourite track, but if we ought to pick one, we would probably choose “The Devil And The Sea”. The song and its lyrics deal with friendship and interpersonal relationships, which refer to us personally. Besides that we also think that it is a good song, haha.

How does ‘To Hell With Honesty’ compare to your previous album ‘Utopia Versus Archetype’?
The new album sounds more rough than “Utopia Versus Archetype”, although we have worked a lot more precisely and perfectionistic during the recording process than last time. Thus the songs sound more powerful and aggressive, while they even turn out to be more melodic that the songs on our previous record. Furthermore, the guitar work and the vocals have improved a lot, as far as we can tell.

Over the next couple of months you have a fair few gigs booked, are there any that you are looking forward to more than others?
We are definitely looking forward to support ALL THAT REMAINS from the US this month, but for us every show is something special. We also can’t wait to go on tour in September this year to promote the new album.

Can we expect Distance In Embrace to tour the UK in the near future?
We hope to come back to the UK as soon as possible. We have been to the island in 2007 to promote “Utopia Versus Archetype” and we had an awesome time. We met many cool people and bands over there. We expect to make it to the UK again by spring next year…

For someone that has never seen you play live, what can we expect from your live show?
At best one can expect that our live shows differ a lot from just listening to the album at home. We are playing rock music, so you will never see us rooted to the spot on stage. Playing shows is what we always want to do best, this is something we try to convey to the audience.

Do you prefer being on the road or in the studio recording?
We prefer being on the road. For us it is much more fun to play live shows. Recording songs in the studio is of course essential and very important for us, but it always turns out to be hard work, haha.

You are from Germany, how is the music scene in Germany these days and are there any underground bands in Germany you think people should check out?
When we went to the UK we noticed that there were much more and primarily better bands than in Germany. But we recently realized the german scene keeps constantly growing and spawning many good bands. When we started making music there were just a few young german hardcore bands, in the meantime they spring up like mushrooms. The worst thing about it: they are all much younger than you are, and they turn out to be little drumming machines and guitar gods who outact you by far, haha!
Of couse Germany has a very vital Metal scene with very popular acts such as Heaven Shall Burn, Caliban or Neaera. But there are also a lot of cool underground bands you should definetely check out: Longing For Tomorrow, May The Force Be With You, The Parachutes or Two Minute Silence.

Most bands end up getting presents from fans, have you had any weird presents presented to you yet?
Indeed we had some weird but very cool presents from fans. For instance: two DISTANCE IN EMBRACE cakes, a poem (which mainly dealt with the fact that our old bassist was leaving the band) and a feather duster.

What do you think of the current state of the music scene in general?
That’s a good question. The title of our new album “To Hell With Honesty!” pokes fun at the recent developments of the so called Screamo/Metalcore scene. I don’t know about the current situation in the UK, but in Germany we have the dim feeling that a lot of the people who keep attenting Hardcore shows don’t have the slightest idea of what Hardcore is all about. Hardcore shows turn out to be just a huge fashion show. The guys are showing off with their ridiculous “Tough-Guy-Attitude” and the girls kick over the traces with their glutted make-up. These people don’t give a damn about Hardcore music and what it stands for: considerateness and respect for each other. Of course we are not talking about the whole scene in general, but it seems as if more people behave like this than a few years ago.

Okay, one final random question that we ask every band; if you had a choice, what animal would you be out of a Zebra and Giraffe?
Haha, I prefer to be a giraffe, it’s cool to have such a long neck… did you know that the heart of a giraffe weighs more than 12 kilograms?

Thanks for your time, is there a message you would like to give to your fans reading this?
You guys should check out our new album, it also includes a bonus DVD with lots of footage about our band such als music videos, live videos and much more. Also check out our labels in the UK: Lockjaw Records (www.lockjawrecords.co.uk) and Mother Sould Know Records (www.mothershouldknowrecords.com) , they really have a lot of awesome bands and put out fantastic records!

Interview By Trigger