The FARMER BOYS are back! The Swabian power group returns to the scene with founding members Matthias Sayer (vocals), Alex Scholpp (guitar) and Ralf Botzenhart (bass) as well as with their two new members Timm Schreiner (drums) and Richard Due (keyboard). They recently completed three great shows in Hamburg, Cologne and their hometown Stuttgart, where more than 1,000 enthusiastic fans turned the LKA into a witches' cauldron.
Founded in 1994, the FARMER BOYS dominated the colorful music landscape of the wild nineties and delivered an innovative, modern metal classic with their major debut »Countrified«. »Till The Cows Come Home« (1997) and »The World Is Ours« established the quintet and hits such as 'Here Comes The Pain', 'Farm Sweet Farm' and the cover version of the DEPECHE MODE classic 'Never Let Me Down Again' (with Anneke van Giersbergen as a duo partner) procured them a broad and loyal fan base.
Shortly after the release of their fourth album »The Other Side« (2004), the band decided to take a creative time-out. Vocalist Matthias Sayer used this time to make a name for himself as a film composer in America, while guitarist Alex Scholpp established himself as a live guitarist e.g. with TARJA.
In between, the crossover pioneers consistently drew attention to themselves with live performances, for example in the former Stuttgart cult club Die Röhre (2008) and at Summer Breeze Festival (2011), which the FARMER BOYS honoured as co-headliners at the festival's third edition. In the meantime, all batteries are recharged and the composer duo Sayer/Scholpp, who already have several new ideas, is working intensively on a new studio album, which will be released before summer 2018. To this end FARMER BOYS have recently signed a contract with their new/old partner Nuclear Blast or rather its sublabel Arising Empire (i.a. MADSEN,ITCHY, BETONTOD). "Back at home! We are delighted to have a great partner with Arising Empire and Nuclear Blast. Further cooperation with those who have accompanied us since the beginning of our career and likewise share our visions, makes us happy! We're coming back to you", Matthias Sayer and Alex Scholpp state.
Christian Klimek (Eat The Beat Music) and Armin Nöth (Headline Concerts) from the band's management/booking team are both excited in equal measure and add: "With Arising Empire/Nuclear Blast, we are convinced we have the best possible label partner for the FARMER BOYS! On this label we are working with passionate and professional music lovers for sophisticated guitar music, which, in addition to a contemporary Marketing strategy, they also bring the right understanding to a band like the FARMER BOYS. We are looking forward to working with our new label!"
The Nuclear Blast sublabel Arising Empire was founded in 2015 and is led by Markus Staiger (NB CEO) together with the former People Like You label founder Tobbe Falarz. Falarz is also happy about the confident return of the FARMER BOYS and mentions: "We are very happy about the trust they have placed in us and want to build on their old success with a new team. The new song material is 100% FARMER BOYS. Their unmistakable sound and their songs are characterised by brutal metal riffs with unbelievable chanting vocals that grow to almost epic proportions... This is still unmatched in the German area!"
In November, the FARMER BOYS will interrupt their current studio recordings to play five club concerts:
- 02.11. D Hannover - Lux
- 03.11. D Tübingen - Sudhaus
- 04.11. D Weinheim - Café Central
- 09.11. D Wiesbaden - Schlachthof
- 11.11. D Wachenroth - Toxicity
The video clip for their current, brand new song 'You And Me' can be watched over on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAJqNn0jQeg