interviews by fok ‘bs’

“For 25 years I never thought about my music. People told me others were influenced by it, but I had no idea until we stepped back onstage.”

“Music is the only emotional and physical time machine.”

“Some people want authenticity, others want AI-sanitised crap — and too many don’t care about the difference.”

“People forget how much we did before the debut. Those songs were forged on the road long before they were recorded.”

“Technology smooths out the imperfections that push music forward. It kills passion and makes recordings sterile.”

“Perfection used to be about performance. Today it’s about software — and that’s dangerous for music.”

“If a musician can’t improvise, the chemistry dies. A trio needs freedom or it’s not rock’n’roll.”

“Vardis are just a loud, heavy rock’n’roll band.”

Vardis in concert 2026:
aug15th Zeeltje Rock 2026 Deest/NL

Few bands embody the spirit of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal as fiercely as VARDIS.
Formed in the late 1970s in Wakefield, the trio broke with expectations from day one:
high-voltage rock, blues grit, punk urgency and a metallic edge collided to form a sound unlike anything else emerging from the NWOBHM movement.
Their debut ‘100 M.P.H.’ – a live album released as their very first statement – instantly marked them as outliers.
Combined with the wild, unmistakable energy of frontman and guitarist Steve Zodiac, VARDIS quickly earned cult status.
After a long break, the band resurfaced in 2010 with new material, festival appearances and a cross-generational fanbase that had never truly let go.
Today, VARDIS are back in focus once more – thanks in part to newly remastered video clips that transform their adrenaline-charged history into crisp modern quality, reaffirming their legacy in heavy metal, hard rock and the early British underground.
Fok ‘bs‘ spoke with Steve Zodiac about lost footage, creative reinvention, the secret behind their stamina – and what NWOBHM really means in 2025.
When you revisited your old video archives for the recent restorations, what emotion surprised you the most: nostalgia, pride, or sheer disbelief?
“The feeling of being there. Time travel, not nostalgia. Music is the only emotional and physical time machine.”
Many NWOBHM bands only gained recognition later. When did you first realise the lasting impact VARDIS had made?
“For 25 years I never thought at all about my music. I never stopped songwriting and always enjoyed it, but threw myself into other work in sound: theatre, education, production. Sound is music, music is sound, there was always a sense of continuity, forward momentum. I had offers to reform the band down the years, and people would give me tapes of Megadeth and say ‘these guys really dig your stuff’, but I was unaware how many people still liked my music. It was only when we played our reunion shows in 2014 that I understood, the whole experience was very humbling as well as enlightening.”
Your debut was a live record, a bold move even today. How has that shaped your identity as a band over the decades?
“All we had known since the mid 70s was how to play live. We had little studio experience when we signed with Logo so it just felt natural and logical to make a live album our first major release. People don’t realise how much we did as a band before that debut album in 1980. Quo Vardis started gigging in 1973, Vardis became a trio of myself, Tony Boulton and Paul Wadkin in ’76, Alan Selway replaced Tony on bass in ’77 then Phil Medley replaced Paul on drums in ’78. That trio cut the ‘100 M.P.H.’ EP in 1979 and we made the transition from semi-pro to pro. All those years shaped that album, the songs were road tested. When I walked away from Vardis in 1986 without looking back, I guess my identity as Steve Zodiac protected and enabled me to build a new life doing other things in the industry. Since reforming Vardis in 2014 the personnel has changed just as much, but the hard work and rock’n’roll ethos has never really changed from the start, it’s built into the music on some level, even if every lineup has brought a different chemistry to it.”
While restoring old footage, what was the most unexpected detail or forgotten moment you rediscovered?
“How tight and fast the band played, especially at such a young age, and that we had already created a unique sound.”
Your early sound blurred the lines between hard rock, boogie, punk spirit, and metal. How consciously did you shape that hybrid approach then, and how conscious is it now?
“I always listened to a wide range of music. My mum played records and radio and sang rock and roll at home growing up, it was always there in the background for as far back as I can remember, so I suppose it must have been a big influence on me.”
What does authenticity mean to you in an era when music often sounds ‘perfect‘ rather than real?
“We all strive for perfection, but in the old days this was subjective based on the performance, and a good producer was paid to recognise this. Unfortunately today this art of production is being lost because we have so many computer technology options. This does two things: firstly it makes striving for perfection in performance less important because technology can shape the sound later, and secondly it smooths the imperfections in sound that push music forward to conform to the computer’s objective technical perfection. This often ‘corrects’ the very essence in the performance that makes the sound recording unique, destroys the passion and feel of the artist, and makes for a sterile recording in my opinion.”
Some early tracks are incredibly direct and raw. Are there songs you would approach differently today or avoid playing live altogether?
“I write most of my songs as country blues tunes on acoustic guitar. Everything beyond that is a different approach. Every performance is a new interpretation unique to that room, that stage, that moment. I’m always open to playing everything I’ve written live.”
How much room do spontaneity and risk still have in your music compared to the chaotic early NWOBHM years?
“I always want every musician I play with to feel they can express themselves. We only rehearse the structure of most songs, but we play live freeform. There are many accomplished musicians who can’t do this, but finding that chemistry in a trio is part of what I enjoy most. It makes every show we play different, dangerous and more fun.”
NWOBHM produced both legends and overlooked underground gems. Where do you personally see VARDIS in that history?
“Vardis are just a loud, heavy rock n roll band.”
If you could pass on only one creative lesson from your career to young musicians, what would it be?
“The performance is the sound. As a creative musician you strive for great performance, as a creative producer you strive for the instinct to recognise this.”
What was the biggest challenge in bringing your vintage footage into the modern era without losing its original character?
“I transferred the physical tapes myself but my son is in charge of the restoration process. He’s very anti-AI so takes the time to restore the years of degradation while staying true to the medium of recording, whether it’s a VHS camcorder or multi camera pro shot TV footage. Thankfully most of the character is in the music itself. The intimate dark sweaty vibes in the old video footage are genuinely how it was. Some people want authenticity, some want AI sanitised crap, and sadly there’s a lot of people who don’t care about the difference.”
You’ve experienced peaks, breaks, and rebirths. What has consistently driven you to carry on and return to the stage?
“Music is the only phenomenon that puts me in the same place I was age 20. The feeling of playing, of performing, is exactly the same. A true time machine.”
What’s one question no one ever asks about VARDIS but should, because it unlocks something essential about the band?
“Why did you want to escape?”
More than forty years after their first roar, VARDIS stand not as a nostalgia act but as a living force in British heavy rock.
With restored video clips, ongoing creativity and a fiercely loyal following, they shine a new light on their legacy – not as a museum piece, but as a foundation that still shakes the ground.
And that’s exactly how they sound today:
raw, honest, and unmistakably alive…
Fok ‘bs’

The Birch is an up-and-coming German modern-psychedelic rock trio that fuses analog warmth, twanging guitars, progressive structures, and cinematic sound textures into a style all their own.
Founded out of a shared love for psychedelic rock history and raw modernity, the band moves between hypnotic soundscapes, dark atmospheres, and driving rock’n’roll energy.
With their upcoming album ‘Vicious Minds‘, The Birch open a new chapter – more intense, bolder, and more emotional than ever.
On their new record, the German psych-rockers pack dark sonic clouds, Miami impressions, classic Hammond organs, and sweaty rock’n’roll vibes into seven tracks that oscillate between visionary modernity and retro-nostalgic soul.
Fok ‘bs‘ spoke with the band about courage, magical coincidences, inner demons, and the art of crafting a second album that refuses to be a copy of the first.
Your new album feels like a trip through light and shadow. Which inner ‘Vicious Minds‘ did you feel most strongly while writing the songs?
The Birch:
“Mountain Dew and American patriotism.”
You recorded in Miami – not exactly the typical location for German psychedelic rock. Which impressions of the city actually changed your sound?
The Birch:
“America in general is a very technical country, yet still very family-oriented and old-school. Miami in particular has a strong South American flair. All these impressions shaped the album’s sound significantly. And you definitely hear a lot more Aerosmith on the radio than in Germany.”
Many of your songs feel like they take place at night. Is darkness a creative state for you or more of an aesthetic statement?
Lucas Habenreich (guitars, vocals):
“Aesthetically, the night means very little to me. Still, it’s my main time of day, so it shapes the songs a lot. Nights have something ecstatic about them – ideally, everyone is where they want to be and who they want to be.”
How do you decide when a track should remain hypnotic – and when it’s allowed to ‘break out‘?
The Birch:
“There’s not much decision-making involved – it just happens. Our dogma is dynamics, and few things are as dynamic to us as music with sonic variety. Whether that’s psychedelic, noise, or trance doesn’t matter. We’re just unfortunately not yet pros on the synth.”
Your music often has a very cinematic character. Are there directors or film scenes that have influenced your sound?
The Birch:
“The first thing that comes to mind is the Jupiter scene from 2001 – A Space Odyssey. The way Stanley Kubrick creates tension in his films is definitely a big inspiration for us. Also Wes Anderson, who produces ultra-modern films with a vintage aesthetic, is clearly one of our inspirations.”
‘Downpour‘ features that special string arrangement. How does a psychedelic trio come to the decision to suddenly use strings?
The Birch:
“Our top priority is writing good songs, so we don’t restrict ourselves with a rigid concept. Without strings, the song would have felt like a rough draft to us. Just like the ‘naked versions’ of some Beatles songs don’t feel finished, we didn’t want to miss out on that obvious character.”
You sound modern but never artificial. Where do you draw the line between contemporary and timeless?
The Birch:
“Timeless means reflecting on what elements from the past still fit today’s world. We’ll always make loud, hard music as long as the world is loud and hard. But we can’t sing Vietnam flashbacks anymore – our time offers too much else. Being contemporary also means using modern technology because, in some areas, it’s simply better. We’re very glad we don’t have to play with a Woodstock PA.”
Many of your songs feel like dialogues with inner voices. Did you ever feel like you were watching yourselves while writing?
Lucas Habenreich:
“Not really. I write about things I can’t put into words. If I manage to do that somehow, it’s only in the form of lyrics. There’s little strategy behind it. I focus much more on certain craft elements in the writing.”
How has your band dynamic changed from the first to the second album – especially in moments when you didn’t agree?
The Birch:
“Unlike the first album, the second one comes entirely from our sessions. Since Volker became a permanent member, the writing process has become much more organic and everything flows into each other. When we argue, it’s about details – not about someone not standing out enough.”
If your music were a place – what color, what weather, what temperature would it have?
The Birch:
“A red house on La Gomera, 35°C, sunny, with clouds in the distance.”
Is there a musical ‘no-go‘ you’ve imposed on yourselves to keep your sound clear?
The Birch:
“Quantization and autotune… all natural.”
Psychedelic rock is experiencing a kind of renaissance right now. Do you see yourselves as part of that movement or as outsiders who just happen to orbit the same universe?
The Birch:
“We definitely see ourselves as part of it. The process of a young scene forming is slowly beginning, and we’re all very excited for what the future brings.”
What’s one question about THE BIRCH that nobody ever asks, even though it would reveal the most about you?
The Birch:
“No one ever asks: ‘Who’s driving?’ That would answer a lot. 😉 It’s Volker, by the way!”
THE BIRCH remain a band that refuses to be pinned down – neither by nostalgia nor by genre boundaries.
‘Vicious Minds‘ presents them more seasoned, bolder, and with the confidence to evolve their sound without compromise.
If the trio continues on this trajectory, the modern psych-rock world won’t be able to ignore them much longer.
Fok ‘bs’