Doomed Confessionary: Paul, Nils, Gabbo, Richie & Francesco (Violet Dawn)
Violet Dawn is a five-piece heavy rock band from Trier, Germany. Formed in late 2023, the band defies easy genre classification, blending elements they enjoy. Coming from different musical backgrounds they now create a unique sound. Violet Dawn draws its inspiration from stoner rock, alternative rock, grunge, and more. The atmospheric yet danceable sound that ultimately emerges is hard to categorize.
Starting in May 2025, Violet Dawn will be releasing a series of four singles in the coming weeks and months, which will be re-released on an EP or album at a later date. For now, however, the band wants to focus on getting as much attention as possible for their individual songs and expanding their reach and fan base.
Violet Dawn are Paul Neyses (vocals), Nils Rath (guitar), Gabriele Taurisano (guitar), Richie Jutz (bass) and Francesco Heiderich (drums).
Can you please say a few words about your band?
After connecting and testing the waters, we started Violet Dawn in December 2023, with Paul on vocals, Nils and Gabbo on guitars, and Richie and Francesco on bass and drums. Four months in, we released our debut EP »From Basement To Dawn«, and since then, we’ve been on the road almost non-stop. It started with smaller regional club shows, but pretty quickly we found ourselves playing bigger venues across the country, and even got to play our first international shows in Luxembourg and Czechia, which was a huge milestone for us. Between May and September, we released four new singles and will soon be dropping our first music video for »Graveyard Walk« as well.
Each of us comes from a different musical background, and that mix really shapes our sound. It’s heavy and psychedelic, with a kind of timeless vibe to it. Some people call it stoner rock, but we don’t think it fits neatly into one box and we’re okay with that.
Beyond music, we’re also a pretty diverse bunch in terms of age and life situations. Some of us are studying, others are working full-time, some have kids and we don’t all live around the corner from each other. In the end, this creates a unique dynamic. These contrasts sometimes lead to a bit of “constructive disagreement”, but ultimately, they fuel a lot of our creativity and drive our band dynamic.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Finding the right people was definitely one of the biggest early challenges. It took time and a few lineup changes to build the kind of chemistry we have now, both musically and on a personal level. Searching for the right singer was a key moment too, and when Paul joined, it really felt like things started to click. Another ongoing challenge is simply balancing everything: as mentioned before, we are five people, all at different stages in life. Managing our time and aligning our personal lives with the band’s goals takes effort, but we’ve always found ways to make it work.
A big step was also diving into everything beyond the music like promoting ourselves, handling social media, and building connections. That’s been a learning curve, but it’s part of the journey. Things are constantly evolving for us, and that’s what keeps it exciting.
What can you be most proud of so far?
There’s a lot we’re proud of: our releases, the natural flow we’ve found in writing songs, and how much better we’ve become as a live band. Above all, we’ve really grown together as a group, and that bond feels like the foundation of everything. Another thing we’re especially proud of is how much we’ve evolved on stage. Compared to our first gigs, we now move and interact with a certain flow and ease, which makes our live performances way more enjoyable, both for us and for the crowd.
What was your biggest regret?
As a band, we don’t really have any major regrets. There maybe were times when we pushed ourselves a bit too hard, but in hindsight, that drive probably kept us on track. Even the tough moments felt like part of a process that ultimately helped us improve. Fingers crossed it stays that way!
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
Two shows really stand out for us. The TIER album release party in our hometown was just incredible, a small stage, a small venue, but the crowd was on fire. People were dancing, singing along, and giving us so much energy back. It also kind of brought us back to our very first gig at the same location, but this time with an audience that actually knew us well.
And then there was Prague. Not just a great gig, but an amazing weekend overall. We got to meet our friend and mixer Miki, who produced our first six releases, and spent time exploring the beautiful city together. Well, except for poor Richie, who spent most of it battling a nasty illness but still powered through the gig!
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
As with Violet Dawn, we all more or less had our first experience in the music scene, the first surprise after playing just a handful of gigs was the huge impact that the audience has on you. Playing small venues can be incredible, the crowds can give you everything, and you can really feel the intensity firing back at you on stage. But at the same time, there are moments when the energy just isn’t there for whatever reason, and that’s when you have to adapt on stage and keep performing.
Secondly, it’s how quickly you connect to the scene. Suddenly, you’re meeting so many people, other musicians, new friends, new connections and you realize how much we all share: the same passion, insecurities, hopes, and dreams. Definitely one of the most rewarding parts of doing this.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Nils: We’ll answer that one separately, but just a quick note: We have a shared Spotify playlist that kind of represents our musical coming together, or maybe sometimes, musical estrangement. It’s always playing during our longer drives. For me I am right now listening to a lot of Royal Blood, Himalayas, and Kid Kapachi, along with some metalcore bands like Landmvrks and Paleface. Queens Of The Stone Age is always spinning, too.
Richie: Rosalie Cunningham has been in heavy rotation for a few months now. I still discover new layers and little details in her songs every time I listen and it’s always a fun experience.
Francesco: Always, always Gojira, but also Animals As Leaders, Rage Against The Machine and new addition the last days: Stray From The Path.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Richie: Treat the band like a job. Do something for it every day, whether it’s songwriting, rehearsing, tweaking gear, or just answering emails. Consistency makes a huge difference!
Gabbo: Easy one… keep practicing and never get discouraged even if you are going to play in front of a single person.
Paul: The late Christopher Lee once said “every actor has to make terrible films from time to time, but the trick is never to be terrible in them”. The takeaway here isn’t that our songs are terrible from time to time—haha—but rather this: no matter how insecure you feel about what you’re about to do, just give it your all!
What are your guilty pleasures?
Richie: Definitely a severe case of G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). There’s always some piece of gear I convince myself I absolutely need to own.
Francesco: Sneaking little time modulations in songs we practiced for months just to see Richie’s reaction while rehearsing. Will never not be funny to me!
Paul: Like Francesco, when rehearsing, I like to translate songs into German and bruteforce the melody into the German language, which always feels goofy. So basically, just parodies of my vocals.
Can you say something more about the current music scene in Trier?
The music scene in Trier can be a tough place to get started. There aren’t many venues left nowadays, which makes it even harder for emerging bands to find a local stage. Local shows usually don’t draw huge crowds either, so if you want to play regularly and grow, you basically have to go beyond the region and perform in bigger cities.
But despite all that, there’s a really strong sense of community here. Bands like Tier, Enlightenment, Jorpiter, and others we’ve played with are all super supportive, and we try to help each other out by sharing shows and opportunities. That kind of solidarity really keeps the scene alive. There are also people in the local scene who put a lot of heart and effort into building infrastructure and creating spaces for bands to connect. Trier may not be a big city, but there’s real passion here, and we’re proud to be part of it.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
We’ve got some exciting shows lined up across Germany for the rest of 2025:
At the end of September, we’ll be playing in Hachenburg and at the Live-Club in Bamberg, followed by MK Bar in Luxembourg in October, and HDJ in Konz in November. But we hope to play in many more places, 2025 is far from over! There’s plenty more to come, and we’re really looking forward to hitting the road.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
We’re focused on creating high-quality, meaningful music with the goal of releasing a full-length physical album and recording an LP. Being part of a label and having access to a great studio for writing and recording would also be amazing. A big goal is to play as many shows as possible, especially festivals and larger venues across Europe. Along the way, we want to have fun on the road, write great songs, and share them!
How can people best support your band?
The best way to support us is by coming to our shows and sharing that energy with us on stage. When you’re having a great time, it motivates us to perform even better and keep going. Of course, buying merch or music also helps us keep going financially, but nothing beats the connection with a live crowd.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Supporting small and independent artists truly makes a difference! As mentioned above, the best way to help is by coming to gigs, bringing your friends, and keeping live music alive in these tough times. The more people show up, the better the energy and live shows are a unique experience that deserve all the support they can get!
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well