When did you decide that a career in music was for you?
All of us played in bands since we were kids. But Eric’s career is probably the most exciting.
Being coached by Kiss’ Paul Stanley back in the 80s in New York he made his way to
Switzerland over two decades ago. There he found his place as the frontman of the band
China which was founded of the members of the renowned Swiss band Gotthard.

Who are your musical inspirations and why?
It’s a mix between classic rock bands from the 70s and 80s like Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Kiss,
Bon Jovi and modern young bands like HEAT, Ghost, Crazy Lixx. This mix defines our sound.
And one can tell we feel Swedish Melodic Rock oriented (not too AOR-ish though)

Can you tell me 3 things about yourself that people might not already know?
1. We chose the name King Zebra just because it sounded cool. There is no story
behind it.
2. King Zebra was originally founded in 2012 with a completely different line-up. But
the serious career began not before 2017 when Eric joined the band. Roman is the
only remaining founding member from 2012.
3. For everybody who mixes up Sweden and Switzerland: We are from SWITZERLAND

What song of yours best describes you and why?

It might be the song “King Zebra”. It was the first song written with Eric before the band and
him ever met in person. He listened to the riffs and thought of the band’s name.
Immediately there was this picture of the Zebra pushing the lion as the king off its throne.

What has been the best gig you have done to date and why?

We had a lot of very cool gigs in our home city Zurich which is always fun as the whole
crowd are friends. Those are the nights which give you headache the next morning. But also
we remember some of the biggest stages as Rock the Ring, Rock the Lakes or Rock of Ages in
Germany and Switzerland which give us shivers everytime we think about it. Thousands of
people and sharing the stage with Def Leppard, Lynyrd Skynyrd and many other legends is
something we never forget.

If you could perform a gig at any venue where would it be and why?
There are definitely some venues on our bucket list: Sweden Rock, Wacken and the
Monsters of Rock Cruise. Just because those are the coolest festivals on the planet.

What has been your best achievement to date and what would you like to achieve in the
future?

It’s perhaps playing the venues on the bucket list we want to achieve. The best thing we
have done to date will be our current album BETWEEN THE SHADOWS. It will be out April
12 th via Frontiers records and we are proud as hell.

Tell me a story from backstage or after a gig?
Rock of Ages July 2019: The festival had to be cancelled after our gig due to a storm. Rose
Tattoo couldn’t even finish their set. After they evacuated the area we spend the night with
the guys from Uriah Heep, Rose Tattoo, Queensryche and more at the hotel bar. Eric went
to sleep and showed up at the bar only in underpants again after a while. He locked himself
out when taking the wrong door out of his room instead to the bathroom.

What do you like best about being a musician and why?
On the one hand you feel satisfied when you create something that makes other people
happy. By writing a song you can touch your listeners emotionally – at least that should be
the goal. On the other hand it’s about playing live. Performing what you have created and
seeing the audience react is something very special.

If you were not in the job you are now what would you be doing?
Well 4/5 of King Zebra still have a day job. Unfortunately making Rock Music in Switzerland
is not as lucrative as it should be…

What has been the best gig you have been too as a fan and can you tell us about it?
Oh there is so many good shows we have seen. I (Roman) like shows where I get
entertained. In this manner I was very impressed of the shows of Ghost and Avatar. Also
Alice Cooper is a classy entertainment everytime I see him.

What would your ideal festival line up be and why?
Iron Maiden, Kiss, AC/DC, Guns’n’Roses, King Zebra, Shiraz Lane, Crash Diet, Cruel
Intentions. Combining the world’s biggest Rock Bands with their descendants.

What would you say is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
Trust your producer! Don’t try to do everything by yourself.

What things make you happy and what things annoy you?
Making music makes us happy. Being around our lovely fans and bringing a smile to our
listeners faces does so too. Unreliable people, impostors and frauds are a pain in the ass.
Unfortunately in music business every band crosses those paths at least once.

What things do you like to do when you are away from music?

All of us have beautiful families which we love very much. We spend a lot of time with our
girlfriends, kids or hang out with friends.

Do you think social media and the internet are a good thing in the music industry?
Yes and No. It is easy for bands to get heard and recognized if they are good. But as there
are so many bands it is hard to stand out of the mass. But in the end one thing haven’t
changed despite the digital revolution: If you make good music, it will be heard!

How important do you think your look and image is when it comes to being in the music
industry?
I wouldn’t say it’s not important. You can either make good music and look shit or make bad
music and look good and both can be successful. In best case you make good music and look
good. Try to avoid the bad look with shit music!

Can you tell us about any tattoos you have and the significance of them to you?
I have a Van Halen Tattoo on my foot. Which means a world to me as Eddie was one of my
heroes.

If you run the country for a day what would you change about it and why?
In Switzerland there is a big drawback in supporting (rock) music by the government. I’d
spend much more money on supporting young rock bands instead of pushing just one genre
(which is mainly pop). We need more and affordable rehearsal spaces, we need more
opportunities for bands to participate in international exposure such as festivals or touring
and we please need better radio stations which don’t play that same stuff over and over
again.

What would your ideal day consist of?
Sleep, eat, playing Wacken, eat, sleep.

If you could say one thing to your fans what would it be and why?
Thank you so much for your endless support and loyalty dear friends. You are the reason we
keep on rocking!

How would you answer the question Who are King Zebra and what are the differences
between you as a music artist and you away from music ?
King Zebra became a huge part of our everyday’s life. We can not separate our lives from
music. It’s a metamorphosis in which King Zebra shapes our lives in almost everything we do
somehow – in a good way of course.

What was the first record or song you purchased and why?

I can just speak for myself: It was a Green Day – Dookie CD which I got from grandma for my
10 th birthday. Cool grandma I’d say…

What would say to someone thinking about becoming a musician and getting into the music
industry?
Do what you love to do, get inspired, keep going even when it seems hard sometimes. Also
be aware of frauds and scamers out there. But never lose the joy of making what you do!

If you could collaborate with any other band/singer or musician who would you choose and
why?
Taylor Swift – Just because it would be awesome (and weird somehow).

If you could have written one song from history which would it have been and why?
Welcome To The jungle by G’n’R – The pure power of a song!

What things make you uncomfortable?
When the battery is low on my bodypack short time before the show starts.

If you wrote a book about yourself what would it have in it?

I think it would have 365 pages and a daily picture of myself with a cute puppy throughout
one year. It’s for all the people not being into reading so much.

What has the rest of the year got in store for you?
We will release our new album BETWEEN THE SHADOWS on April 12 th via Frontiers records.
The album release show will take place in Zurich on May 31 st . Other than that we are filling
the schedule with live shows and we will be on a record release tour in autumn 2024. More
infos will follow on our social media.