Inteview: FOR I AM (Punk Rock Holiday 2.3)

 FOR I AM is a five piece, female fronted band from Belgium. Hanne, Bo, Stef, Bjorn and Joren are the fabulous five and I had a very long and fun chat with them.

Hi! I am Irina from Punkette.

Hanne: Hi...I'm Hanne, this is Bo and that loud one in the back - that is Bjorn.

I must admit that somehow I've missed you playing before, and I'm very sorry for that as you are one of the biggest surprises for me. When you started your gig I was speechlees. You literally gave me goosebumps.

Hanne: Woow...thanks!

Bo: You say that to everyone (laughter)...

How is it to be the girl in a boys band?

Hanne: That is a good question! In my experience it is amazing!!! They look after me.

Bo: She looks after us!!!

Hanne: Stef is the daddy of the band, he looks after everyone. But I have to say, being in a band is something I've aspired to my entire life. I've been in band since I've been 10, 12 years old. My uncle had a punk rock magazine in the 90's and he used to send me all of that music. So I listened to Bad Religion and the Vandals when I was like 10 years old, so I feel like that is the advantage to me as I feel like I have always been in the punk rock scene and it is why I don't see it like anything that would compromise me in any way and it is why I feel safe in my environment and in the punk rock scene, not just the Belgium punk scene. So I never felt out of comfort, never felt like I'm the girl in the boy band. I'm just the singer in the band. For me this is the safe scene, it is just the scene where people love each other and where it doesn't matter who you are.

How long have you been on the scene? As a band?

Bo: We've been on the scene since 2014, but officially since 2015.

Hanne: Yes. We had two albums and an EP and have just recorded a new one that has not yet been released, but are hoping to release is in 2024, We don't wanna jinx it!

Your voice is amazing! Musically you guys are great. Why do you call yourself pop punk?

Hanne: Thank you!!! We don't actually, I think it is still in our bio, but nowadays we don't wanna label it...

Bo: But if we are gonna label it, it would be melodic skate (pop) punk...

Hanne: Yeah...it is a mixture of all of those things, and it's maybe what makes us kinda unique...I don't know. It is happy, it is fast, upbeat...

Energetic!

Hanne: Yeah! That is the phrase...that is what we aspire to be: energetic!

Bo: Especially for me! In Belgium back in 2014 when we started, it was a sad emo phase and the music was dark and I was like: "No!!! We wanna make people happy!!!" If you go to our show we will make you smile!

Hanne: And that is still our goal!! Make people smile and dance.

I've noticed you have a very good communication with the audience. Is there a lot of people from Belgium?

Bo: We have a large scene in Belgium, a strong scene, and a lot of them come here every year.

And what is the punk scene like in Belgium?

Hanne: I love it! It used to be maybe a little better, before the Covid. There was a lot more shows. We used to play every weekend, sometimes two shows. Nowadays it is less shows, but the scene is still out there, we still love each other, but there is less and less possibilities to host the show - because of the money and there is no new people that go to the shows. But nevertheless, this year has been crazy for us. We played Manchester Punk Fest, we played here, we have Extreme Fest...we have a lot of big shows this summer. 

Bo: Yeah! We're lucky.

As I was preparing for this interview I was trying to dig something up on the web, but couldn't find much about you. Can you say something about yourself as a band?

Bo: Uuuu...the mistery!!! Shit... Bjorn, where the f... are you? (laughter)

What are your goals, your expectations? Who do you look up to - your influences? With who would you like to play with or tour with?

Hanne: For me personally, when I was younger it was No Use For a Name, but then again Blink 182 and New Found Glory... Bed Religion is one of my favourite bands. And nowadays what I aspire to be like as well are The Decline. And the band to tour with, well...as I mentioned New Found Glory, Goldfinger.

Bo: Authority Zero...

Hanne: Woow... Authority Zero! We played four shows with them this summer, as they probably don't know...but that would be an amazing band to tour with and we would love to tour Canada, or Australia or US. We've already toured Japan and that was like a dream come true, and the large part of Europe...

But have you ever been to Croatia? Have you played in Croatia?

Bo: No, we haven't...

Hanne: I've been to Croatia but not to tour...

Bo: If you book us we'll play...we are crazy like that!

Is there someone you look forward seeing this Punk Rock Holiday as you are staying till the end of the week?

Bo: Yeah, we are staying for the whole week and Authority Zero, obviously...

Hanne: And for me them and Mellonball, Heathcliff who played and tomorrow Belgium band You Nervous?, Young Enough also from Belgium.

Bo: You Nervous? is the bend we looked up to when we started, they have been playing for a couple of years before we started.

And now you are sharing the stage with them?

Hanne: Yeah...we are sharing the stage with them, we are the best friends...so it is amazing! And what I love about the Punk Rock Holiday is the beach stage bands. Smaller bands but still...

Bo: Yes, you get to know new bands...The main stage bands you know, but the beach stage you get to know some new bands.

You have a new drummer?

Bo: Yeah, we knew him from before...

Hanne: He is a great drummer and when he entered the band it was like: this is it! This is the family, the family is complete! 

Did he bring something new to the band?

Hanne: Energy!!! A lot of energy...

Bo: To much energy! 

Causes spontaneous combustion?

Hanne: Ahaha...that is his new nickname!!!! We will trade mark you for that (laughter)...

No, no...I'm giving it to you!

Bo: But seriously, he was playing in a few bands, a bands we looked up to, so we are very humbled that he wanted to play with us!

And how was the band formed in the first place?

Hanne: Well, that is the story of Bo!!! So, Stef, Bjorn and I we were in a cover band together, it was like a main stream cover band but we had like some punk rock in there. And the other people in the band wanted to do more main stream as we wanted to make it more punk and wanted to write our own songs and so we decided to quit that band. And than there was a show we got to play, a punk rock cover songs and two days before rehearsal the bassist texted us and tells us sorry guys, I will not be able to make it, but I've found you a replacement...you will recognize him...it's an Asian guy wearing glasses! And so we went to the rehearsal and there he was, just standing there with his bass and a big glasses...and we were like ooh, that will be him! So that is how we met Bo and immediately got along. And after the show the drummer said: "Hey, this is cool, we should do this more often and maybe play our own songs" and then one week later he said: "Hey guys, I want be able to do this, I have a new job" and he bailed on us. But the funny thing is he was the one who kinda started For I Am.

And let us get back to Punk Rock Holiday...this is your second time here?

Hanne: We've been here every year since 2015. In 2016 I sung with F.O.D., a NUFAN song, 2016 we played here, 2017. I did an acoustic set with Hans at the beach stage. Last year I sung "99 red balloons at the last show with Pigs Parlament.  This is my home away from home.

Is there something you would like to say for the end?

Hanne: So many things...but I think the focus is, when people do interviews with me they ask me being a woman in a punk band, the important massage to write down is: it doesn't matter if you are a woman, a queer, it doesn't matter who or what or how you are. Just do what you wanna do! Be who you wanna be!

Bo: Be your best self!

Hanne: And this is the super important massage: people who really have punk rock hearts will never judge you. They will want you to be your true self.

I really wanna thank you guys, this was so much fun and you were great. Have fun the rest of the week and I'll see you around...

Hanne: Thank you!!! 

Written by I.