Wir sind Helden

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Wir sind Helden
Wir sind Helden, left to right: Mark Tavassol, Jean-Michel Tourette, Pola Roy, and Judith Holofernes.
Wir sind Helden, left to right:
Mark Tavassol, Jean-Michel Tourette, Pola Roy, and Judith Holofernes.
Background information
Origin Berlin, Germany
Genre(s) Alternative rock
Pop rock
Neue Deutsche Welle
Years active 2001–present
Label(s) EMI
Website Official site
Members
Judith Holofernes
Pola Roy
Mark Tavassol
Jean-Michel Tourette

Wir sind Helden (German for "We are heroes") is a German band from Berlin. While it is difficult to categorise, the group's style has often been considered similar to that of the Neue Deutsche Welle. Other comparisons have been made to Rio Reiser and the music of the Hamburger Schule.[citation needed]. Songs such as "Denkmal" ("Memorial") bear resemblance to classic Pixies[citation needed], specifically "Where's My Mind", "Nur ein Wort" ("Just one Word") evoke New Order. The video for "Nur ein Wort" was an imitation of Bob Dylan's famous 60s "Subterranean Homesick Blues" video. The sense of humour evident in many Wir sind Helden lyrics and videos sets them apart from the more earnest end of Indie music, however[citation needed].

Contents

[edit] Background

In 2002, Wir sind Helden broke onto the German music scene with their song "Guten Tag" (Good Day), which reached #53 on the German singles charts and got significant airplay on MTV Europe, even though the band did not have a record deal. The band's debut album Die Reklamation (2003) entered the German album charts at number six and eventually reached number two. Their popularity was significantly increased when Judith Holofernes appeared on television on the Harald Schmidt Show, which led their small club tour to sell out immediately. Their second album Von hier an blind (2005) entered at the top of German and Austrian charts and remained in the top ten for twenty weeks.

Wir sind Helden often supports other bands by giving them the opportunity to open at their concerts. In particular, Astra Kid and the two-man-band Olli Schulz und der Hund Marie had significant exposure during tours with Wir sind Helden.[citation needed]

In late 2006 singer Judith Holofernes and drummer Pola Roy took time off from the band to have a baby. The band returned in 2007 with the album Soundso ('So and So') and a series of concerts across Germany. They have sinced announced another break following their 2008 tour and the conclusion of their recording contract with EMI.[1]

[edit] In the English speaking world

Wir sind Helden have now played at three sold-out concerts in London, United Kingdom in October 2006, November 2006 and September 2007, which is considered a great feat for a band with non-English lyrics. However, Wir sind Helden remains largely unknown in the English speaking world.[2]

Recently, the iTunes Music Store has released the first in a series of "iTunes Foreign Exchange" singles, in which two bands of different nationalities cover one of the other band's songs. The first single features +44 and Wir sind Helden. +44 provided an English language cover of "Guten Tag" while Wir sind Helden did a retro-sounding, German cover of the +44 single "When Your Heart Stops Beating". Also included are the original tracks done by both bands.

In 2007 their song "Endlich ein Grund zur Panik" was featured in the soundtrack to the EA Sports video game, FIFA 08.

[edit] Awards

Wir sind Helden in August 2005
Wir sind Helden in August 2005
  • ECHO
    • 2004: "Best National Newcomer", "Best Marketing" (EMI label), "Best New National Talent On Radio", "Best German Video"
    • 2006: "Best National Band"
  • Eins Live Krone (German TV-Station)

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Die Reklamation

  • Released: 7 July 2003
  • Label: Labels Germany (EMI)
  • Chart position: #2 GER, #3 AT, #38 CH
  • Sales: 800.000
  • Singles: "Guten Tag", "Müssen nur wollen", "Aurélie", "Denkmal"

Von hier an blind

  • Released: 4 April 2005
  • Label: Labels Germany (EMI)
  • Chart position: #1 GER, #1 AT, #5 CH
  • Sales: 500.000
  • Singles: "Gekommen um zu bleiben", "Nur ein Wort", "Von hier an blind", "Wenn es passiert"

Soundso

  • Released: 25 May 2007
  • Label: Labels Germany (EMI)
  • Chart position: #2 GER, #2 AT, #11 CH
  • Sales: 100,000
  • Singles: "Endlich ein Grund zur Panik", "Soundso", "Kaputt", "Die Konkurrenz"

[edit] Singles

Judith Holofernes
Judith Holofernes
Year Single Album Peak positions
GER AT CH NL
2003 "Guten Tag" Die Reklamation 53 — — —
"Müssen nur wollen" 57 — — —
"Aurélie" 47 — — —
2004 "Denkmal" 26 41 — —
2005 "Gekommen um zu bleiben" Von hier an blind 24 4 39 —
"Nur ein Wort" 28 13 — —
"Von hier an blind" 42 57 — —
2006 "Wenn es passiert" 41 34 — 36
2007 "Endlich ein Grund zur Panik" Soundso 34 32 — —
"Soundso" 62 — — —
2008 "Kaputt" 69 — — —
"Die Konkurrenz" — — — —

[edit] Other releases

  • Guten Tag (2002) (5-Track EP independently released, 3000 copies produced)
  • Die Rote Reklamation (Die Reklamation + Bonus DVD) (2004)

[edit] References

  1. ^ 20 February 2008 issue of "WELT Online"
  2. ^ GermanSounds. Musik Made in Germany

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
v • d • e
Wir sind Helden
Judith Holofernes · Mark Tavassol · Pola Roy · Jean-Michel Tourette
Albums
Compilations
Singles
Guten Tag · Müssen nur wollen  · Aurélie · Denkmal · Gekommen um zu bleiben · Nur ein Wort · Von hier an blind · Wenn es passiert  · Endlich ein Grund zur Panik · Soundso · Kaputt · Die Konkurrenz