Jonathan from Adventure Team
Adventure Team are a Berlin-based three-piece that play catchy lo-fi pop, offering a new take on off-kilter and cosy fuzz-laden indie rock. Their songcraft as well as their at times shambolic live shows have gained comparisons with arch Gen X slackers like Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh and Pavement. Singer, guitarist and songwriter Jonathan is answering the questions.
What are your favourite qualities in a song?
That serotonin rush you get when a catchy song comes on and you immediately know it’s gonna be so good and it restores your faith in the universe for 3 ½ minutes.
Where do you look for inspiration?
Books, comics, certain people and drugs… Anything that’ll give you that flow experience and will take your mind off your usual anxieties for a while.
Where are you happiest?
Non-chemically-induced? In nature, I guess. Mountaintops, the seaside, that kind of thing. Joyrides too, in the rain…
As a performer, what makes a show special or memorable?
The feeling of connection with your bandmates on stage and/or the audience. It’s the best thing, but it doesn’t always happen.
As an audience member, what makes a show special or memorable?
What I just said. With the best shows, it doesn’t matter if you’re on stage playing or in the audience. It all becomes part of a bigger whole.
What is your idea of success?
Just to go on playing, forever. And to connect with every other isolated, like-minded freak out there during the course of which.
What is something you would like to learn more about?
Recently, synthesizers. And feeling okay.
What was your biggest musical failure?
All those abandoned early songs and albums that will never see the light of day.
What was your biggest musical success?
Things have been going pretty well since Adventure Team started.
Who do you look up to?
Growing up, it used to be Tobi Vail. Now I feel it’s probably more generally anyone who’s able to retain a genuine optimism for themselves and/or the world.
What was the first song you have ever written like?
It had only two chords, the only two guitar chords I knew at the time. A minor and E minor. That and lyrics in basic English about the weather, specifically the rain. Not to seem overly melodramatic, I’m just originally from pretty much the coldest and rainiest place in the whole country…
Who deserves a shoutout?
My friends Spinning Coin! They’re the best people. I need to remember to fix up my stereo in time for when their new album will come out.
You can find out more about Adventure Team Here. Check out their song ‘Family Matters’ below.