Tenside: Boldly Stepping Into The Next Chapter

There is never a better time to change things for the better than right now. As RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE eternally put it, there truly is no better time than the present to make positive changes to any aspect of your life. And in translation, being in a band can be a constantly evolving process, with things changing from album cycle to album cycle, as well as potential line up changes within the band itself. For a band like TENSIDE, the German veterans have been clawing their way through the ranks across an impress 15 year career, and yet even after all this time, things are still changing, evolving, and improving as the band move forward into the next phase of their careers.

As the group moves towards the release of their latest release Glamour & Gloom, vocalist and founding member Daniel Kuhleman is proud to explain how he believes this is the best iteration of TENSIDE there has ever been. “We wanted to sound like TENSIDE than ever before. We put all our stuff together to make the heavy parts heavier than ever, the melodies brighter than ever, bring more light into the choruses and just make it brighter. We don’t want to make the next metalcore record, we wanted to sound unique,” Dan explains, and whilst the journey towards being truly unique might be a foolish journey, there is little argument against just how confident and passionate TENSIDE sound on Glamour & Gloom. There is a pounding heart at the centre of the record, strengthened by the length of the band’s career.

The band took the opportunity to take everything they’ve learnt over their years together and have moved towards an entirely independent method of working. As well as recording the record as much as they could on their own, TENSIDE now also handle their bookings, their merchandise, and as much else as they can be prepared to handle. “Don’t believe everything business people tell you,” is the answer Dan has when asked about the biggest lesson he’s learnt over the past 15 years. “We dropped off every offer we had for this new record. We had so many different offers but we said no to everyone. Just because we wanted to put everything into it on our own. From the recording to the process, to the merchandise, to the box set, to the video stuff, all of it. And here we are.”

Dan recognises this is a big ask as well, and is still a victim to the sometime immobilising overthinking that happens, but the benefit of being in a band that has slowly but surely gained constant momentum over their career means you learn to trust your gut a little bit more than usual. And even with festival appearances under their belt, TENSIDE are still encountering career defining moments with each tour cycle. Having played with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE on their European tour last year, TENSIDE were able to finally play Brixton Academy. And with this happening months before the release of an album with as much love and attention as Glamour & Gloom has, it would appear all signs point towards TENSIDE kicking the gear up a further notch.

“I don’t know what the future brings, but at the moment it feels fucking fantastic to do it this way,” Dan mentions. “It could be the future, I believe this is the future for music anyway.” For sure there is plenty of scope for bands to simply take the reigns themselves and take full control of their work, and a lot currently do. With so much free access to the market through streaming services, as well as the internet breaking down the barriers between fan and band, having a reputation like TENSIDE already has as an established band is probably one of the first requirements for most bands before making the leap to true independence.

It seems the time is just right for TENSIDE at the moment, and as the stars align, the band prepare to fully tackle the coming album cycle with furious intent. With a band lineup that Dan praises as one of the best they have seen, there is definitely a fresh and vibrant energy to TENSIDE as a whole at the moment. As the band apply their wealth of experience and knowledge to take on this exciting new phase, the German four piece continue to show that hard work and passion can get you anywhere you want to go, and become the latest band to be a clear example of how taking control of your own success can often result in more of it. As the world becomes a scarier place to be, bands like TENSIDE provide stories that can motivate and provide hope that sticking to your guns can be a band’s greatest strength.

Glamour & Gloom is out now via Ivorytower Records. 

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