Doomed Confessionary: Matthias, Nils & Jonas (Exdirectory)

Photo by Phillip Pecherski

Exdirectory is a young, five-piece rock band from Cologne, Germany. Founded in 2017, they have established themselves as an integral part of the underground scene in Cologne and North Rhine-Westphalia in recent years.

Musically, they oscillate somewhere in the triangle of psychedelic rock, stoner rock & progressive rock, without ever wanting to commit themselves completely. They are always on the lookout for new soundscapes – soundscapes that range from the sounds of the 60s and 70s to modern neo-psychedelia.

Jamming and improvisation also play an important role for Exdirectory, and so the songs are constantly reinterpreted and expanded on stage. Even though the music is constantly fluctuating and has various sources of inspiration, comparisons can be drawn to great genre representatives such as Motorpsycho, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, All Them Witches or Colour Haze.

The musical creative phase of the first three years culminated in the release of two EPs in 2020 and 2021. Inspired by paintings by Max Ernst, André Breton & Yves Tanguy, they created the concept for their debut album »Forgotten Dreams, Forgotten Tales«, which was released digitally on May 27th, 2024.

Can you say a few words about your band?
Five lads from Cologne with limited capabilities on their instruments playing psychedelic rock for dads and people who have spent too much time on rateyourmusic.com.

What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Loading Phil’s 8×10 bass cabinet into a car before a gig.

What can you be most proud of so far?
This year, we were able to release our debut full-length album »Forgotten Dreams, Forgotten Tales«. The writing sessions for that album started out during the pandemic and took us quite a while. It was our first time recording in a proper studio and we’re very pleased with the final result.

What was your biggest regret?
Rejecting an offer to play the Superbowl LVIII halftime show. Congrats to Usher.

What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
Last summer, we played a Costa Rican tour with our friends from Madame Whiskey and Paul On Bridges. Each of those five shows felt totally different and thus unique. ¡Pura Vida!

What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
The familiarity within the psych/stoner scene. We have the feeling that there are fewer airs and graces compared to other music scenes. There is a lot of respect for other people’s music. Completely unrelated but also a big surprise: Modern Talking played ten sold out shows in a row in St. Petersburg and Moscow, 1987!

What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
»The New Sound« by Geordie Greep, »El Jardin de los Presentes« by Invisible (Matthes), »Wall Of Eyes« by The Smile, »Wiedersehen mit Marlene« by Marlene Dietrich (Nils), »Innate Passage« by Elder, »Schwerkraft für Anfänger« by Der Neue Planet (Jonas).

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
“Keep going, Jungs!” – Werner, “turn your mids up” – Josué, “get a Korg CX3 organ” – FOH tech Udo.

What are your guilty pleasures?
»Feel« by Robbie Williams (Matthes), »Mary Poppins OST« by Irwin Kostal (Nils), »Daylight In Your Eyes« by No Angels (Jonas).

Can you say something more about current music scene in Cologne?
The Cologne region boasts a small yet vivid scene of psychedelic and stoner rock bands. Everyone knows each other, so there is a certain sense of familiarity among us. We host concerts with other local bands every once in a while, and attend each other’s shows.

Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
Sound Of Persephone Vol.4, AZ Aachen, 15.11.2024.

What are your plans for the future as a band?
We’re thinking about organizing another tour for 2025. We can’t promise anything with certainty yet but will try to make it work, so keep your eyes peeled! Besides that, we’ll definitely play more shows and festivals and keep writing new music.

How can people best support your band?
Listen to our music, buy our record on Bandcamp if you like it, come to our shows, check out our social media accounts, tell family, friends, enemies and co-workers.

Do you have any message for your listeners?
Stay hydrated, feed the squirrels, prepare your trip to Aachen. Also, go to your local underground concerts and keep the scene alive!

Links:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify | YouTube

Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well