Interview: 24/7 Diva Heaven (English Translation)

 Hi, and first of all thanks for taking your time for this interview! Can you briefly introduce yourselves to the readers? And also, can you tell us how you came up with the bandname?

Kat (guitar / vocals): Hey, thanks for inviting us! We are 24/7 Diva Heaven, a rock trio from Berlin. We started jamming back in 2017, and released our first EP "Superslide" in 2018. This year, we are releasing our debut album "Stress" via Noisolution which makes us very happy.
About the bandname: There used to be a series of events in Berlin called "Diva Heaven 7/11". It was a monthly event in the Raumerweiterungshalle in Berlin supporting queer and female artists and giving them a platform to perform. There was a lot of glamour, glitter, amazing acts, plenty of creativity, and a colourful audience. We were deeply inspired by these events. Being a diva to us means coming out of our shells, and performing our own multifarious identities, even though this might rub general public in a wrong way. We did not want to be divas only from 7 to 11, but seven days a week and 24 hours - a 2-hour trip in diva heaven, so to speak.

Your debut album "Stress" is a beautiful release. Also, it comes with a very chic cover artwork. Do the alphabet soup and the pak choi have a certain meaning?

Kat: First of all, thanks! We are glad that you like it.
It took us some time to think about what the cover artwork should look like. It is a tough decision to make when there are so many ideas buzzing through the air.
The album's title is "Stress" which is not meant as frivolously as the cover might make assume. We are living in time of bad news, injustice, brisant development in politics, and personal challenges. Thus, it is not only to cope with reality as an individuum. There is pressure everywhere, stress is on our tails, and only few people dare to confess that they are overwhelmed with the situation.
We love to play with contrasts, and have discoered irony to be a fitting stylistic device for us. Irony is what presents our personalities the best, and what allows us to creatively deal with serious issues and hence display the inconstitency of the contemporary reality. Thus, Irony is a very helpful approach to private and general topics these days.
Coming back to the original question: eating an alphabet soup with chop sticks is just stressful - very impractical, too. Everyone who has ever tried doing that, will confirm. Hence, the soup with the cop sticks are the perfect, ironic, pink image for our album. The pak choi is just for decoration - sometimes it can be that easy and that complex at the same time.

"Stress" was released via the Kreuzberg-based label Noisolution. Can you tell us how it came to that cooperation, and how you feel being a part of the Noisolution family?

Kat: The people at Noisolution are amazing, and we are super happy to be part of the family now. Arne and his team have stood for quality for many years without selling their own ideals - and that is not easy in the music business! Noisolution manage the split between profitability and authenticity - with one foot in the mainstream, but always two open eyes for the underground. The label is super professional and keeps his street credibility - not many labels can manage this. And this fits us perfectly, being a band that is not completely DIY anymore, but still does not want to sell their souls. We need reliable partners who support us and share our ideals - and therefore, Noisolution is an ideal catch.
I knew Arne before, and when it came to asking labels who wanted  to release our album, I immediately thought of him. Both, music-wise and as a person, him and his label fit perfectly. Also, we are fans of many of the bands signed with Noisolution, and several of our friends are part of the family, too. Thus, we were super happy when Arne approved of the idea of throwing the album "Stress" into this world.

You are also part of Grrrl Noisy. Can you introduce the collective and its work?

Mary (drums): Exactly! We are founding members of Grrrl Noisy, a collective supporting and creating a feminist network, and raising the visibility of female or non-binary talents within the spheres of Noise, Doom, Grunge, or Punk. Our aim is to support extraordinary music from the Berlin underground. We started operating in late 2019 when we organized a jam session for womxn* only together with ur friends from Riot Spears, Aptera, Isoscope, and Säsh Dustown. But i is about much more than just music. We want to break with structuralist conventions, and help creating female* role models in the music business.

Hands off Gretel, Tape Shapes, Marisa and the Moths, Brunhilder, Passionless Pointless - all those bands have something in common with you. You probably know what I am aiming for: it is that mixture of Punk Rock and Grunge or Alternative Rock. Do you confirm that the sound of L7 or Hole is experiencing a huge revival?

Karo (bass): Fortunately, yes! At least in the underground, this is happening. Actually, it does not really fit the mainstream, and adding to that, the movement is way too beautiful to be spoiled by mainstream culture. And the movement's rise is a logical matter. So many people are fed up with injustice and the issues correlating with it. And Punk and Grunge are just the best way to utter this disappointment. Also, heavy and powerful riffs will never got out of vogue.

How do you contemporarily distribute your music in times without stages and merch stalls? Are vinyal sales an important factor? And what role do platforms like YouTube or Bandcamp play?

Karo: We are distributing our music via Bandcamp, YouTube, Spotify, etc. It is harder gaining range without live shows, but nowadays these platforms mentioned help us a lot. Physical sales help the musicians a lot, both in spreading the word, as financially. As a reminder: "Stress" is out now on Noisolution!

Thanks a lot for your time? Do you like to add anything?

Kat: Keep your chins up! Stay healthy - physically and mentally!