July

The German pop – rock -band Juli from Giessen in central Hessen have always had an affinity for the sun. Before they called themselves Juli, they were known as Sunnyglade at many summer festivals, back then with English lyrics. The name was inspired by their friend Tex from Berlin, who had a song of the same name in their repertoire. Tex played a role in the decision to switch from English to German lyrics, as Juli had previously considered them “uncool” and equated them with pop music. Another influence was Selig, who proved that German-language songs can be quite sophisticated. So in 2001 Sunnyglade Juli.

Despite the influence of Selig in their choice of language, Juli are very different from them musically and lyrically. Instead, they are often compared to Wir Sind Helden, which is sometimes exhausting for Eva Briegel.

The band consists mainly of Eva Briegel (vocals), Simon Triebel ( guitar ) and Jonas Pfetzing (guitar, also with Abay since 2016). They are largely responsible for most of the songs, which often originate from ideas that one of them brings to the rehearsal room. They experiment there first and sometimes ideas are left lying around for up to five weeks before they are taken up again. This also explains why Juli don’t release too many songs. Eva explains: “… we really work on our songs forever until we really like them and can perform them proudly and happily”.

Whether you can hear this effort in Juli’s music is something everyone has to decide for themselves. The band is completed by Andreas Herde (bass) – also affectionately known as “Dedi” – and Marcel Römer ( drums ), who likes to “breathe painlessly” and hates chest tubes.

Career

The five have known each other since their youth in Giessen. Since then, they have been writing lyrics in which they try to translate their exciting, sometimes thoughtful, sometimes desperate emotional lives into appropriate songs. They seem to have succeeded, at least in part, as they won the Rio Reiser Song Prize in 2003 and signed their first record deal with Polydor Island on August 15 of the same year. In October/November 2004, the band showed that they can also convince live. As Juli themselves say that they are unhappily creative, it’s hard to know whether to wish them luck for the future.

The band’s concerts are very well received, which is also reflected in the sales figures for their album. Before the year is out, Juli reach the top of the album charts with “Es Ist Juli” and finally go platinum for their debut album, not least because of the “perfect wave” they are riding. Whether they are the critics’ favorites or not doesn’t matter to Juli. Anyone who wins at an event like Stefan Raab’s Bundesvision Song Contest is loved by many people.

After the success of their debut album, the band is under great pressure to produce their second album. Eva Briegel and her band colleagues are taking their time: “For us, the second album is not about repeating the success of the debut, but about opening a new chapter. We want it to continue. The fans will decide whether they want to accompany us.

In the fall of 2006, Juli released the pre-release single “Dieses Leben” for the upcoming album, which immediately entered the top 10 of the singles charts. Ein Neuer Tag” is available in stores from October 2006. With the new album, Juli continue on their current path: twelve melodic and soulful songs with subtle pop/rock instrumentation await the numerous Juli fans.

In the summer of 2007, the Giesseners pull off a surprise: Chris Carrabba, frontman of the American emo-rock band Dashboard Confessional, agrees to re-record their song “Stolen” as a duet. The synth and string ballad is released as a single and can also be heard on the German version of the Dashboard album “Dusk And Summer”, which is released on August 10.

There was a creative break of around four years between the second and third albums. After the birth of his son in 2009, bassist Andreas “Dedi” Herde devoted himself increasingly to his parental duties, while singer Eva gave birth to daughter Yoko in 2010. The album “In Love”, released in the same year, surprises with electronic sounds not previously heard on Juli.

The artistic development on the basis of fixed structures remains a characteristic of Juli’s work. The band is constantly integrating new facets into their sound. In addition to the wavy guitar work, precisely crafted melodic arcs are a central component of their songs, which contain elements of dance and chanson alongside pop and rock. After a long break and nine years after the album “Insel”, they are releasing a new album, “Der Sommer Ist Vorbei”, in April 2023. The advance single “Fette Wilde Jahre” is one of around 30 demos that the band worked on during the pandemic. There are also plans for 2024, when they will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut album.

Studio albums

• 2004 It’s July
• 2006 A new day
• 2010 In Love
• 2014 Island
• 2023 The summer is over

July tickets

Get your tickets now for the July 20 years “Es Ist Juli” Live 2024

buy tickets now*

* Affiliate link