Meet Linda and Mandy, vocalist and guitarist, respectively, of the German Metal band, Full Stop. We enjoyed chatting with the two talented musicians and learning about their musical background and their plans. Join us for this exciting interview and get to know Linda and Mandy better!
Reuel
Hello Mandy! Hello Linda! It’s a pleasure to chat with you both. How are you and the rest of Full Stop doing?
Mandy
Hi Reuel, we are very fine! We are just right now in a nice hotel room since we’re playing at the Battle of the Bands at Doiboch Open Air tonight, and our boys are with us and also doing great and excited for the show.
Reuel
How did Full Stop come together? Can you share a bit about the band’s history and how you all met?
Linda
Our drummer Heffer and I, we wanted to start a band for some time. We both were doing cover bands with great people but wanted to create our own music and share our love for music by playing together in a band. I have had an eye on some Facebook groups for musicians at that time and so…
Mandy
I have shared a post in one of those groups searching for musicians or an existing band and so we found each other.
Linda
At the beginning, we started with a friend of mine playing the second guitar and also a new contact as a bass player. When the guy with the second guitar moved to study, we decided to go without a replacement with only one guitar. In this constellation, we started 2022 with our first concerts and simple recordings in the rehearsal room. At the end of 2022, our bass player also moved due to a new job.
Mandy
So I asked Ritschy, whom I have known for many years. He agreed, joined and he definitely completed our group!
Reuel
What bands or artists have influenced your music the most, and how do those influences shape your sound today?
Mandy
I tend to listen to a lot of Metalcore and Nu Metal – especially Bullet For My Valentine, As I Lay Dying and Disturbed. Those bands have influenced me personally a lot in regards to my musical style and taste.
Linda
I listen to a really wide spectrum of different styles of metal. I started with Symphonic Metal and loved Nightwish (and Floor Jansen) a lot. Meanwhile, I prefer Melodic Death Metal and especially Children Of Bodom, my favorite group. But I also like Nu Metal, Folk Metal, or Prog Metal.
Reuel
You have released an EP recently, “Beyond Breaking Borders”. How are you feeling about the way the fans received it?
Mandy
The EP has received great feedback from our fans, which makes us really happy! Since the songs do not only deal with different topics but are also arranged very differently, there is a lot to discover and everyone can find his or her favorite song.
Linda
Yes. I totally agree. In general, we do not stick our music to a certain style. We just write the songs based on our mood and thoughts. After we had chosen the songs for the EP we realized that even though the topics are so different, they all have something in common. This is where the name Beyond Breaking Borders arises. The splintering glass ball is the perfect illustration for those breaking borders and we carry the splinters in our stage concept and make-up.
Reuel
Are there any upcoming projects you are working on that you can tell us about?
Linda
We are creating some new songs, two of them just had their first time on stage two weeks ago!
Mandy
Meanwhile, we are planning our next music video for one of the songs from the EP. And then there is also our Splintered Tour in autumn, which is placed mainly in the greater circle of our hometown.
Linda
But for next year, we are already working on some concerts across Germany (or Switzerland, or France). Some Festivals are also already confirmed but not yet officially communicated.
Reuel
Linda, are there any vocalists you look up to or have learned from? How have they influenced your own vocal style?
Linda
I definitely admired Floor Jansen a lot – I still do. But I also love the style of Tati from Jinjer and the strength and power of her voice. I love to watch concerts with female singers, because it motivates me like hell. Last year some highlights were definitely Noora from Battle Beast, Nicol from Stelvris, and Helle from Ignea. They all are of course influencing my style and ideas. But in general, I had quite some luck. I started singing 5 years ago at the age of 27, so quite late. And after a year or two I have found an incredibly competent and highly motivated Teacher Daniel. He helped me develop my voice and I can hear and especially feel the progress I have made. So in fact he is the biggest influence on my voice!
Reuel
And Mandy, Who are your guitar heroes, and how have they influenced your playing style?
Mandy
To be honest I do not have that one Guitar Hero. There are so many virtuous musicians, but I am mainly influenced by the musical style. Since I listen a lot to Metalcore, this is having a direct impact on the riffs I play. Powerful melodies, fast changes between Palm Muting and open tones, tremolo picking, and the list continues. When creating new songs I tend to exaggerate a little with the amount of ideas so that meanwhile we have a so-called cemetery of not yet used riffs..
Reuel
Have you ever experienced any kind of sexism in your professional life? What advice would you give our young readers who might experience any kind of discrimination?
Linda
In general we do not have problems with that. The only real experience was at a concert with my old cover band, when I was warming up. The other band’s singer was totally infantilising me and asking me why I was doing warm up, like “Girl, you don’t need those stupid exercises, it will just come to you on stage.” and some other patronizing things. But to be honest, he was a fool in general 😉 The Metal Scene in Freiburg is really supportive and we do not feel the difference there.
Mandy
As a musician I did not really experience sexism. I mostly had the surprising moment on my side. People do not explicitly think that I play less well, but they are usually positively surprised because they don’t really expect it. With other musicians I never had gender caused issues. I love the exchange with other guitarists and sometimes great friendships develop from that. In general my message is: stay on it and talk about issues with friends or your family. If something or someone bothers you, it is crucial to share your feelings. You are not alone!
Reuel
Thank you for the interview, ladies! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Linda
Thank you a lot for the great interview and the work you do! Speaking for both of us: It is so important to provide a stage for female musicians and show young girls that there are not only men on the stages in the metal scene!
