Interview with Tom Tschernig of Exa

Metalourgio presents EXA, a new generation four piece thrash band from Berlin. EXA released their debut album “Cut the Past” in the spring of 2020, garnering very good reviews internationally. They have shared the stage with bands like Power Trip, Nervosa, Gruesome, Night Demon, Hammerfall, Accept and they are unstoppable!

We welcome Tom Tschernig from EXA (Lead Guitar, Vocals, Songwriter)

Tom: Thanks for the invite, I'm Tom (Lead Guitar, Vocals, Songwriting). We are EXA, the other members are Johannes Lortz (Guitar, Songwriting), Tamino Bosse (Bass Guitar, Songwriting) and Leon Pester (Drums, Songwriting).

What does EXA mean, how did you choose the shape name

Tom: I guess that's the most common question, because it's not an everyday word. Back in our school days, we were looking for a cool yet short name because every mainstream band at the time had a 10 word name and we really wanted to be different. So one day in physics class I opened the book and there were all these prefixes like giga, ultra and more. EXA was often among these words, it sounds great and the meaning is "greatest of all" if I'm not mistaken. And this was somewhat different in our opinion.

You come to us from East Germany, what were your musical influences, and especially from which German bands.

Tom: I think we're heavily influenced by all the older Thrash metal legends like Slayer, Megadeth and Metallica but there's a lot more music we like so we get our inspiration from everywhere. There were definitely some German influences when I think of Kreator, Helloween and Destruction. But it was always more about the American side of Thrash for us. There are other German non-metal bands that we really like. To name a few: Kraftklub, Max Raabe, Westernhagen, Reinhard Mey or Peter Fox and Seeed mostly German vocals but some are in English so it's really nice to see them.

Which metal bands do you admire and dream of playing on stage with?

Tom: That's a very good question, by the way. I think the bands that influenced us the most are some of them. Like sharing the stage with Megadeth, Testament, Anthrax or Annihilator would be a dream come true. But I'm sure we all want to tour with Havok one day. They are huge now in Thrash metal and since we know David the frontman a bit, maybe that will happen not so far in the future. We would love to share the stage with these guys. We had the opportunity to play with Power Trip a year ago and it was one of the best nights of our lives.

What does Thrash Metal mean to you, how do you see it evolving today

Tom: Well, I think Thrash is one of the coolest genres of metal because there are no real rules to it. You can get your influences from pretty much anywhere, without someone saying 'that's not it ok in Thrash” . Listening to our new single 'DEATH IS COMING' I realized that the middle part is quite fun with all these harmonies and stuff. And it's great. Thrash fans seemed to love it. It's a good combination that brings fresh elements to the table when writing music. From a vocal point of view to be honest, nothing is better than shouting your thoughts on different topics that concern me, for an hour and a half with all your energy. This means freedom in many ways to me. When I look at the scene right now it's amazing how many new Thrash bands are growing there. Maybe it won't peak like it did in the 80s, but it's incredible to see and hear all these different people doing the same thing but also in their own way something completely different. I think that means a lot to the audience

Which country's metal scene do you follow because it suits you or because it simply impresses you?

Tom: Like I said before, I love American Thrash the most. While more German bands are all about tempo, American bands are more rhythmic in my opinion and when you listen to EXA you will notice that we like that

Tell us about your subject matter, how you choose your subjects, how you write lyrics & music

Tom: Lyrics are a very strange thing in EXA. Johannes and I are the main lyricists of our tracks. We write as complete tracks as possible within a year and when we're satisfied we share them with the other band members and give a little feedback. After that Johannes and I will rewrite the material together. Our subjects we write very often about ourselves, because it's a very personal thing for both of us. Once one of us has a nice topic to write about, we send the lyrics to our photographer and friend Jeff, who is from the US, to fix everything, because, our English is okay, but we're really looking for perfect English and without mistakes in the pieces

What difficulties did you face starting out, did you have any guidance? Record labels how did you secure collaboration

Tom: I think the biggest problem was finding the right band members. We grew up in a time when mainstream bands ruled the world and it wasn't easy to find fellow travelers for the band that love Thrash a lot. Another thing was how to make a name on the scene, make the right contacts with the right people. So far we have no agreement. We do it all ourselves and to be honest, it's the best we can do these days. Today's social media and distributor capabilities are almost perfect for promoting one's own material. Without much money we reached more than 100.000 streams and many cds sold after a few months. Just see how you can promote yourself and any band can reach a lot of music fans

Do you consider social media to be of great help in presenting and promoting a record?

Tom: As I mentioned before, I think social media is the biggest part of the music industry today. People want to be a part of your story, they want to feel like they really know you, and when you reach that goal they will support you because they have a special relationship with you. You are now the influencers influencing people to listen to your story and your music.

In your own way, how did social media contribute to the development of the band, with the positive and negative elements

Tom: So far we haven't had any bad experiences to be honest. One of thousands of people might write a scathing comment that offends for no reason, but to be honest, we don't give a damn about such things. But positive feedback is really great. Reading a new positive comment everyday after waking up is great. There are a lot of people who will love your music, and it's one of the most beautiful things in life to have that wonderful fortress of things you love.

How have you seen online lives in the last 2 years of the ban

Tom: We played an awesome show in the summer of 2020, at one of the Berlin's biggest scenes and locations. This was a lot of fun. And it was kind of unprecedented because we've seen Exodus Testament and Death Angel play the same stage before. For 2021 there are no plans for more events yet, but let's see what happens.

You have booked dates for upcoming concerts

Tom: Oh yeah we're so ready to hit the stage again and we're confirmed for some awesome festivals. It will be amazing to finally perform all the new material and moshpit season will start again

Describe to us the dominant feelings from your first performances

Tom: I would say pure energy and fun. The first really "professional" show was in 2017 in a small club in Berlin. It was packed and with great luck we got to headline as a band. It was so cool to hear people cheering after we finished the first song and seeing all the frenzied energy! . I will never forget it

Εwe saw your latest videos Fuel for Fire, Death is Coming, Narcotic Wheel, When Flesh Tears Up, Lesson In Arrogance, Loss of Humanity, and some of your live shows, besides your dynamic presence, your energy, tell us how you made them and how they complete the image of the band

Tom: I think it's about the fun of making music and the role it plays in our lives. When you are passionate about what you do there will be a certain energy created and the audience will be able to feel it and be a part of it. And when I think about the videos, since we directed and wrote all the videos ourselves, it was our vision from start to finish for each one, and that's the cool thing, it's raw like our music. No big cinematic effects or anything like that, just four guys getting beat up and a story that needs to be told. But I think we will include a lot more cool stuff in the future videos for the upcoming album. We're working on some great stuff and I think you're going to love it

Which albums stand out over time?

Tom: Metallica – And Justice for All
Megadeth – Rust in Peace
Havok – Time is Up
Pantera – Cowboys from Hell
Alice in Chains - Facelift

Which festivals do you dream of playing at?

Tom: Knotfest, Hellfest, Download and Wacken That would be great!

What musical equipment do you use?

Tom: I am currently using my new jackson pro flying vs after leaving the German MGH shop. The guitars are so awesome. Amazing tone and real working machines. For the amps I use a positiv grid for live and my old tube blackstar in the studio and rehearsal room. I love this fairly heavy but not too thick tone.

Thank you very much Tom for your time, we wish you the best of luck for EXA, in your future plans!

Tom: I also thank metalourgio for your interest and support, it will be our pleasure to come to Greece sometime, until then be well!

The interview was conducted by Metalourgio