One Fine Day
Frontman Marten Pulmer tells Metropolis about the contemporary German punk rock scene

L to r: Hendrik Burkhard, Roman Rossbach, Marco Köhrsen, Marten Pulmer, Erik-Mqac Essig

Courtesy of Columbia

Metropolis tracked down singer Marten Pulmer
in advance of his band One Fine Day’s Japan debut as part of Shimokitazawa record label Vinyl Junkie’s “33/45 Junkies” omnibus event this Wednesday in Shibuya.

Acquaint us with what’s going on in Hamburg.
The music scene in Hamburg is very diverse. There are many good punk bands in Hamburg but also a lot of great pop, metal and hip-hop acts. Hamburg has many great live venues too and a special spirit. Remember The Beatles started their career in Hamburg.

How did you come together and what was your first gig like?
Our guitar player Hendrik and I have known each other since we were 3—so nearly all our lives! We always wanted to play in a band together, and after playing in a punk band and another hardcore band we met Marco, our bass player, and founded One Fine Day. Roman joined the band when we recorded our first demo tapes with him, and we met Erik in a bar in Hamburg. Our first gig was totally crazy, we were all drunk and wore these ridiculous blue shirts with orange fruits... and we sucked!

Why did you name yourselves One Fine Day?
We chose the name One Fine Day because we like the optimism in it. You can adapt this name to every hope, dream or situation in life. “One Fine Day I will go on tour with my band.” “One Fine Day I will make my own record.” “One Fine Day I will understand why my girlfriend left me.” “One Fine Day humankind will learn to walk the Earth as brothers and sisters.” Optimism, hope, belief and love are all that matter, and they are all contained in the name One Fine Day.

At what point did you get serious about the band?
Since we decided to give everything for the band and realize our dreams. There were situations in our lives where we had to make hard decisions that led to misunderstandings with our families and split relationships. Signing the record deal for our first real album Faster than the World and playing some big shows made it all feel worth it.

If the band broke up tomorrow, what would you have achieved?
I would have had the best time of my life with my best friends, who share my dreams and so many beautiful moments. I would have lived my dream and given everything for it.

How is Damn Right an evolution from your first album?
Damn Right is both technically and emotionally evolved from Faster than the World. While the songs for Faster… were developed almost solely in the studio without a central theme, the songs for Damn Right grew in a holiday house in Denmark in a spirit of unity. The first song for Damn Right was “Damn Right,” the eponym and key song for the whole album. All hopes, emotions, worries and dreams this album carries are answered in this song. It is, so to speak, a concept album.

What made you decide to cover Cindy Lauper’s “She Bop?”
Our lead guitarist Roman played in a metal band before and he covered that song with his former band. But as he never was really satisfied with the result he asked us to do it with One Fine Day. The original version is a bit lame but we made it a lot faster, which accentuates its great melodies and harmonies. We never wanted to cover a very famous song just as it is, so we spiced up “She Bop” our own way.

You’ve toured with big American bands like My Chemical Romance. What do young German bands have in common with young American bands? What sets them apart?
I think young people all over the world have dreams they maybe don’t know of yet, but they will one day. In Germany young people don’t seem to have as many restrictions as in America. And patriotism and religion are much bigger topics in the US than in Germany. But in listening to music we have a lot in common: it’s all about feeling the music and having a great time with your friends.

In your view, how has punk evolved since the ‘70s?
The slogan for ‘70s punk bands like the Sex Pistols was “No future.” It was the time of the Cold War, the arms race and the rise of conservative values. These kids were scared, frustrated and wanted to be different than regular people. Musically, punk rock was very rough, dirty, simple and political. Over the years both the music and lifestyle evolved. Different influences enriched punk rock, and the music became more interesting, more melodic and fun-orientated. Punk became the soundtrack for sports like skateboarding and political issues took a back seat. With the success of bands like Green Day, punk also became big business. Today punk has many faces. Politics, social action and environmental awareness are still important issues about which certain bands and fans care a lot.

How did you get invited to Japan?
Since Damn Right will be released in Japan on June 20, our Japanese label—and we as a band—thought it would be a great idea to do some promotion in Japan and to play a few shows. We’re so excited and curious to visit Japan. Another dream comes true!

Club Quattro, June 27. See concert listings for details.

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