Singled Out: Volker's Obey
05-31-2017
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Volker just released their heavy rockin' new album "Dead Doll" and to celebrate we asked singer Jen Nyx and guitarist Ulrich Wegrich to tell us about the song "Obey". Here is the story:Jen Nyx : It's a bit hard to explain this in just a few sentences. The title is a double entendre that explains the song well. The track has a punk rock spirit - "Obey!" as in we have to obey to what society dictates to us, and "Obey!" as in we have to obey our natural instincts.
Everywhere we go - at work, in life, at play - we have to follow some rules. Most of the time, without even being conscious of them. Sometimes they cage us, sometimes they permit us to not fall into madness and anarchy. For some people it's hard to find a middle ground. Some need rules more than others - like people who follow religion. They cannot live without rules. Another example would be the constitutional laws that guide people of this planet. Many people don't hesitate to follow laws without question. Are we more free when we decide to not follow these rules? "Like a dog destroying it's chains�"
Freedom can mean finding purpose in our choices - to be or not to be, to live or die. We make a multitude of choices in our lives. That's what individualizes us. But are we really free to be who we want to be inside, or is it just an illusion? This question can lead us to use our primal instincts. To just not lose control. These are the questions I asked myself when writing this track.
We chose to make a video out of this track because we felt there were a lot of visual ideas to bring this song to live. You can see me chained to a throne feeding a dog - this imagery is portraying us at the top of the "animal reign", but really, we are chained. The humans. You can also see my eating fresh meat - this is linked to the theme of primal instinct. It's also a provocative jab at veganism, although I do respect vegans� the punk spirit means provoking thought.
We're not claiming Volker is a punk band, we just kept that mentality when writing this track and planning the video.
To end, I want to quote "Together, to bite the dust". That means, whatever you do, whatever you fight for, whatever your convictions, whatever you are.... we will all turn to dust.
Ulrich Wegrich (the tracks songwriter and lyricist): I don't remember what inspired me in the very beginning of working on "Obey!", but the first version of this track was really rock n' roll and hard rock... almost maybe a bit too much... that's why you can hear a big change in ambience in the middle of the track. I added something dark and heavier with a touch of black metal inspiration.
Most of the time I avoid those kind of riffs and guitar leads in Volker but here it sounded very cool, so I kept it. I really love the way Jen absorbed, felt, and grabbed the music.
I compose alone, isolated, at home. When I have a new song ready, I send it to Jen and totally let her take the reins with the lyrics. We don't have the same brain� she feels the songs in a completely different way. Sometimes it's really funny to hear what she sees and imagines when coming up with lyrics to the songs I write. Of course, each time the vocals she send me are completely different than what I ever imagined. It's cool.
"Obey!" and Volker is the result of this combination of songwriting and creative lyricism! Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen and watch for yourself here and learn more about the album right here!
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