Ahead of a MASSIVE show on Sunday June 16 which sees them support BLONDIE and STING on Plymouth Hoe as part of the Summer Sessions, we catch up with Clara Germein from Adelaide based trio GERMEIN to chat about the show and dig a little deeper into the band….

It's an exciting time for you as you'll be supporting Sting, an iconic artist who found fame with The Police in the '70s and '80s, and you’ll also be sharing the stage with Blondie, a band that needs no introduction. How does it feel to be part of such a legendary lineup for the Summer Sessions in Plymouth? 

We are so excited to be performing alongside such iconic music legends! We grew up listening to their music so feel so grateful to have been given this amazing opportunity.

Can you tell us about the journey of GERMEIN? Apart from being sisters, how did the three of you come to form the band, and what inspired your musical direction? 

We grew up in a very musical family, our Mum played piano and our Dad played the trumpet in a New Orleans style rhythm and blues band so we would often go and watch and dance along to his shows. Music has always been a part of our lives - we haven’t known any different! We would often jam together for fun and put on performances for our friends and relatives. This developed into playing more shows live to public audiences, and then Georgia wrote an album of songs, and Ella and I (Clara) joined in to record them and ‘Germein Sisters’ officially begun!

Your latest record, ‘GERMEIN’, has been receiving great reviews. What was the creative process behind this album, and how does it differ from your earlier album ‘Because You Breathe’? 

As artists our sound has developed over the years as we’ve grown up and played more shows. ‘Because You Breathe’ was recorded in our early days as a band, and since then we have toured significantly, which has certainly influenced this new record. “GERMEIN” is a mix of fun pop songs to meaningful ballads which captures our live sound, vibe and energy. 

Supporting Sting and Blondie must come with a lot of excitement and perhaps some pressure. How are you preparing for the show, and what can fans expect from your performance? 

It’s such great fun being a support act. There is a bit of pressure as people are there to see the main act - but we love to bring lots of energy and good vibes to our set and warm up the crowd ready for a night of awesome music!

How does playing in the UK differ from Australia, and what unique challenges and rewards have you experienced in both places? 

The UK has a lot more people in a smaller area than Australia, so we definitely clock up more kilometers in the car traveling between shows in Australia! The crowds are both great fun however and we always have a fantastic time. We especially enjoy exploring new places throughout the UK!

GERMEIN's music has a distinct sound that blends various genres. Who are some of your musical influences, and how have they shaped your style/sound over the years? 

We grew up listening to our Dad’s New Orleans style music so some of Georgia’s piano playing definitely reflects that! Our other musical influences include U2, Coldplay, Shania Twain, John Mayer, Haim and The Corrs. Georgia & Ella both learned classical violin & cello growing up too, so we also love strings!

Your track ‘Good for a Girl’ has been a hit with your fans. Can you share the story behind this song and what it means to you? 

We wanted to write a song about some of our experiences as women in the music industry. We have been fortunate to have great support from many people throughout our career, however we have at times definitely been stereotyped in to being perhaps ‘not as good’ or ‘surprising’ because we are girls, but we loved hitting the stage and proving them wrong!

Besides the UK and Australia, you’ve played in other countries as well. How do the audiences and music scenes compare internationally, and do you have a favorite place to perform? 

Every country is unique to play in. We feel very fortunate to have got to travel so much with our music! We recently opened for The Corrs in Indonesia and the Philippines and those crowds had such amazing energy and were great fun! We also have played a lot in Germany over the years which was very cool!

What’s next for GERMEIN after the UK dates in June? Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations that your fans should be excited about? 

We are releasing some new music very soon so stay tuned, and we have a packed out UK & Europe Summer Tour from June – August as well so we hope to see you at a show soon!

We’d like to thank Clara for sparing the time to chat to us and we wish her and the band all the best for the show on Sunday 16 June and for the future. Stay on track with their progress on Instagram

Interview by Steve Muscutt