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Failed Star, from Germany’s Rhein-Main region, "tired of just watching the world burn", share a powerful message by merging melodic metalcore with sustainability. From the lyrics with environmental themes to their fair-trade merch and eco-conscious initiatives, the band challenges the status quo, using music to confront humanity’s role in environmental destruction.
In this interview, shouter and lyricist Moe shares how Failed Star uses their music to inspire change, proving that metal can be a force for ecological awareness and action.
Let’s start by getting to know yourselves and what Failed Star means for you.
First of all, thank you Iuliana for starting this project and inviting us to join in with this interview! We are the mixed fronted, Melodic Metalcore Band Failed Star from the Rhein-Main-Region in Germany. I’m the shouter, Moe. As the main lyricist of the band, it’s a way to express my thoughts, feelings and emotions not only through the raw, extreme vocal style, but also through words and stories.
How does the vocal contrast (clean and scream) between Jessi and Moe help shape your sound and message?
The dynamic change between the two vocal styles keeps the music interesting. The soft interruptions make the screamed parts even more heavy, and the clean lines tend to stick more inside the head as they’re easier to understand. Often, the shouted parts tell a story, and the clean parts channel those feelings conveying a message. That varies from song to song.
Atlantis, from your debut release EP Fire & Fear (April, 2024), explores dramatic environmental themes — what message are you hoping listeners take away?
Climate Change is a topic that’s been around for many years. The importance of a drastic change in worldwide mindsets, economics and politics is a well-known fact. We’re tired of just watching the world burn, so with our first music video we wanted to send a message. We need to wake up, and see that there will be nothing left, no future for our grandchildren, if we don’t change in a fundamental way. One song can only say so much, but the song Atlantis is supposed to underline the presence of the consequences of man-made climate change today, and the video focuses this on recent events as the floods in Europe, the extraordinary forest fires in North America and Australia. The message we want to convey is that the 0.1% of people actually in power are doing very little to change this fact. With money and lobbyism being the main motivators for action, not our rapidly declining chance for an inhabitable environment in the future.
Many metal bands are vocal about issues regarding nature; does Failed Star aim to raise awareness on any specific environmental topic through your music or public image?
A Failed Star is a substellar object that failed to become a sun. Our planet is failing to stay an inhabitable place, and the reason for that is us, humans. Each of our EPs, the existing Fire & Fear and the two upcoming will include at least one song concerning end-of-life scenarios. Scorched Sky, that will be released in the next months, will address the end of the inhabitable world, a step further than Atlantis.
Have you adopted any eco-friendly practices when recording, touring, promoting music, or in daily life?
The charity event for the local animal-shelter that I organized and, with the help of my band, realized, included a vegan-activism group called semper.pro.animali and we provided food from dominion food revolution, a vegan restaurant in Frankfurt that supported the cause. Our new merch piece consists of fair-trade, organic T-shirts. Our music videos are filmed in the area, and we work with local or regional artists, merch-producers and sound engineers. But being a small newcomer band, our footprint is definitely a lot smaller than that of a big touring band.
Do you think metal as a genre has a role to play in raising awareness about sustainability?
As metal, and especially hardcore/metalcore, is a genre that often concerns topics of everyday life, sustainability should definitely play a role. Your project takes an important step in raising awareness in bands themselves as well. Through that, metal projects can work as a multiplier to the audience and many people can be reached.
What role do you believe music festivals or concerts should play in promoting sustainability within the metal scene?
Music Festivals and concerts are the main occasion where fans come together and listen to bands. If Festivals and concerts/tours made sustainability their topic, they would automatically encourage bands to talk about the topic and raise awareness through that. I like that thought, maybe our next tour should run under that theme.
What specific changes you’d like to see in the music industry in terms of environmental responsibility?
Barely any tours talk run under the topic of environment and sustainability, holding on to the idea of the previous question, I think that should change. Also, the share of organic and fair-trade merchandise is already rising but should move into focus a lot more in the future.
What’s next for you — are there any upcoming projects with a specific artistic or thematic direction?
We are in the studio at the moment recording our next EP. Also we’re planning touring right after the summer festival season, so maybe we can run a “Save Earth from becoming a Failed Star” Tour? 😉 Any suggestions for a catchier title?
Is there a message you wish to share with fans on social or environmental issues?
Be mindful. Be aware of the consequences of your actions. Spread love and kindness.