Doomed Confessionary: Maya, Adam, Lawrence & Alex (Cold In Berlin)

Born in East London in 2010, Cold In Berlin quickly graduated from the local scene’s fleeting gothic revival into one of the UK underground’s most revered live acts. Fronted by the commanding and fierce vocal performances of Maya, the band forges dark post-punk, doom, and krautrock into a singular sonic force – equal parts raw power and bleak beauty, as heavy as it is haunting.

With their fifth full-length album, »Wounds«, Cold In Berlin deliver on the promise of all that came before. Their most ambitious work to date features powerful synths from long-time collaborator Bow Church, free-jazz brass sections, and off-beat structures and time signatures. »Wounds« was released on November 7th, 2025 via New Heavy Sounds.

Cold In Berlin consists of Maya Berlin on vocals, Adam Richardson on guitar, Lawrence Wakefield on bass and Alex Howson on drums.

Can you say a few words about your band?
Now in our 16th year, we’ve made five albums, played all over Europe, and reinvented our sound many times over. Consistent themes have been our love of heavy music and a cockroach-level survival instinct.

We recently released »Wounds«, a strange celebration of psychic trauma that brings together elements from all of our favourite dark music genres – doom, post-punk, goth, darkwave and even krautrock.

What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Keeping things going with lineup changes, label changes, and team around us being in a state of flux. More recently learning to do all the extra things most musicians have to do themselves in the new musical context – social media, marketing, booking shows etc.

What can you be most proud of so far?
Our fifth album »Wounds«. We’ve put everything we have into it, and some more.

What was your biggest regret?
It was a million years ago now but the way we recorded and mixed our second album didn’t do the songs justice. It probably set the band back a bit in terms of what we were able to achieve.

What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
Every tour in Poland has been electric, but Castle Party festival 2024 was something else. We hit the Tent Stage just as a massive storm rolled in. The whole thing felt mythic, wild energy, thunder, and a crowd completely locked in. Unforgettable.

What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
Honestly, the biggest surprise has been how kind and positive people are in this scene. It still catches us off guard. For all the darkness in the music, the people making and supporting it are some of the warmest you’ll ever meet.

What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Messa, from Italy, continue to dazzle with their newest record. A recent discovery was Mansion, a really bleak sounding doom cult from Finland. Then there’s Dom Zły, a black metal band from Poland that really get inside your bones.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
It wasn’t direct advice, but Mark E. Smith once said he didn’t care about being popular, only about being good. That stuck with me. As a musician, you have to make music for yourself first. If you start chasing approval, you lose sight of who you are and why you’re doing it in the first place.

What are your guilty pleasures?
Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups will be the death of me.

Can you say something more about the current music scene in London?
We’re lucky to have built a following, but London’s a tough place for new bands right now. Between pay-to-play promoters and the steady closure of small venues, it’s never been harder to actually break through. But respect to the good people who keep pushing – the bands, the DIY promoters, the independents keeping rooms alive. They’re the ones holding the whole thing together.

Where can we see you live soon (concerts/tours)?
UK
27/12/2025 – Fulford Arms, York
24/01/2026 – The Gryphon, Bristol
31/01/2026 – The Lexington, London

Poland
18/02/2026 Wydział Remontowy, Gdańsk
19/02/2026 Pod Minogą, Poznań
20/02/2026 Garage Pub, Kraków
21/02/2026 VooDoo Club, Warsaw

What are your plans for the future as a band?
We’ll be taking our new album »Wounds« on the road. We’re hoping to find ourselves in new countries and cities around the world and play more great shows and festivals.

How can people best support your band?
For those that can, we ask you to come to a show or buy our new album »Wounds« from Bandcamp!

For those that can’t, tell a friend, like a post, write to us and let us know you’re out there.

Do you have any message for your listeners?
Thanks for taking a chance on something a bit different, and hope to meet you on the road soon!

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