How Has Giant Rooks Been?

By Rebecca Sobrevilla

Looking for your new favorite artist? You’re in luck!

Giant Rooks is a rising indie rock band hailing from Hamm, Germany who continue to gain traction across the globe. Their group was founded in 2014 and consists of five members: Frederik Rabe, Finn Schwieters, Luca Göttner, Jonathan Wischniowski and Finn Thomas. Together, they have released 4 EP’s, 2 studio albums and have embarked on several tours, both as openers and headliners. 

With the title of their new album, they are posing the question: How Have You Been?. Now we are flipping the switch and taking a look at what Giant Rooks has been up to. At a recent ˚1824 press conference, founding band members Frederik Rabe and Finn Schwieters gave us all the details on their latest album, tour and more. 

New Perspective and Latest Music

Since their debut album “Rookery,” which was released in 2020, Rabe and Schwieters have grown as individuals and artists. This era of music involved a lot of R&B, soul and jazz influences. During this time, they noticed they started to lose their identity and felt the urge to change everything. They realized it was important to stay true to themselves, rather than trying to follow a specific narrative. In fact, they started to “feel more attracted to do the opposite of what’s trending.” With more confidence and a new songwriting approach, the five members are thrilled they are now able to write and release music that they love.

When creating How Have You Been?, their goal was to create a “classic band album,” full of timeless music you would still want to listen to in 10 to 15 years. They wanted to create songs that resonate with audiences at any stage of their life. The group found that their creativity stems from what they are listening to during the process of producing music. ‘70s and ‘80s influences were heavily woven into their current projects, since that’s the style of music they often listened to. Music from this time period helped them find the sound and genres best suited for them. 

After three years in the making, How Have You Been? was officially released on February 2nd, 2024. It has been well-received by fans and earned them their first #1 album in Germany. 

For new listeners, it’s hard to recommend just one song since their sound greatly differs from track to track. This is due to the fact that they dislike repeating formulas. Rabe and Schwieters noted that they like to “seek new adventures and try new things”. With that in mind, they recommend listening to their songs, “Somebody Like You,” “Brave New World,” and “Morning Blue,” all off their latest album, to help introduce you to their work. 

With 14 tracks on this album, Giant Rooks revealed they wrote over 150 songs during the writing and recording process. They teased that this is enough content to create a third album. Hopefully in the future we are able to hear all the unreleased songs made during this era. In the meantime, we are left with an amazing sophomore studio album that we can play on repeat.  

Life on Tour 

Giant Rooks had the opportunity to open for Louis Tomlinson for some shows on his 2023 North American tour. Not only were they greatly welcomed by Louis and his crew, but also massively supported by his fans. This allowed them to reach new audiences and expand their fanbase. Since then, they have met several fans who were introduced to them from these shows. The band was inspired from witnessing such a strong fan culture community and was very grateful to see how that energy translated to their own shows. 

Giant Rooks are currently on their own headlining tour and are having the time of their lives. While touring, the band is mindful of staying healthy and taking care of themselves: “Being on tour for such a long time, you have to be careful with your body and your voice and be healthy.” One of their favorite things to do to keep up with their well-being is exploring the cities that they are in. Staying in a tour bus all day and not getting sunlight can be detrimental to their mental health and energy: “It’s a good thing to stroll around the city and explore new places.” Maintaining these healthy habits is such an instrumental part of performing to the best of their abilities. The band also finds a lot of inspiration in watching people go on with their daily life. If you’re in town for one of their shows, you may find them out and about in the city! 

The five members have been together for ten years and have a lot of fond memories from their career. Some moments that really stand out to the band is when fans sing along to their songs at shows. ​​Having this close and personal connection with their fans is one of their favorite feelings in the world. This is why small theater-style venues are their favorite to play in. 

You can catch Giant Rooks at a show near you, on the “How Have You Been?” tour. For more details check out their website and tour schedule.

Where to find Giant Rooks: Instagram / TikTok / X / Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube