A Pop Rocking Joyride with She Bites

A Pop Rocking Joyride with She Bites

She Bites is a German pop rocking sensation in the grand tradition of Starship, Roxette and even Abba, featuring members of Lioncage and 3 Wishes.  Fronted by the dynamic Melanie Stahlkopf, She Bites is ready to take all music fans on a brilliant auditory drive with their brand new album Joyride – now available from Pride & Joy Music.  Featuring glorious anthem-like tunes that will reverberate throughout your senses long after the disc spins to its spiraling conclusion, Joyride is a captivating journey well worth seeking out.  Highwire Daze recently caught up with Lars König, guitar player and producer of She Bites to find out more about the supremely jubilant Joyride.  Read on…

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in She Bites, and how long the band has been together.
Hi, this is Lars König. I’m the guitar player and producer of She Bites. We have been together since June 2019.

Where is the band based out of and what is the local music scene like there?
We are based in Hamburg, but Melanie, our singer, is from Berlin. Both cities have a good and lively music scene with a lot of clubs.

How did you wind up signing with Pride & Joy Music?
I know Birgitt (Owner of Pride & Joy Music) because of my work with the band Lioncage. I sent her the first songs from She Bites and she liked them, even though her label is more known for metal music.

Is there any overall story or concept behind the Joyride title?
These are not easy times we’re living in right now, so we wanted to produce an album about joy. Just have fun and enjoy yourself. That’s what the music sounds like and the album cover looks like.

Select two songs from Joyride and what inspired the lyrics.
Ok, the first the song is Joyride. I sent Melanie the music and she wrote the melody and the words. As I said, it´s about fun. And also, this song is a tribute to the band Roxette. As Per Gessle, she uses short phrases and words. It’s really sad, that the great Marie Frederiksson passed away so early.

The second song is Heartbreak Hotel. It’s about a secret and hot love affair. Everyone can have their own thoughts about it….smile

Who produced Joyride and what was it like working with them?
I produced Joyride by myself. I have experience with it since I produced the three Lioncage albums. Joe West, who worked with Keith Urban, Warrant, Toby Keith and many more, wrote me, that the album sounds great. And Daniel Pred, the drummer from the band Dan Reed Network wrote, that he really likes the huge drum sound on this album. What more can I ask for?

How did Lars König and Arvid Lucas from Lioncage become involved with She Bites and what is currently going on with Lioncage?
It was my idea to do something new. We made three albums with Lioncage in three years. I felt like I need a creative change.
Arvid is one of the best bass players here, so it was obvious to ask him for She Bites. But Lioncage is still alive.

How did Carsten Kohl from 3 Wishes become involved with She Bites?
I met Carsten last summer and we talked about starting something new together. I have known him for more than 20 years, but we never played together.

What are some of vocalist Melanie Stahlkopf past credits – bands and acting? Has Melanie ever done any musical theater such as Mamma Mia or Phantom Of The Opera?
Melanie is a full professional and well-known singer and actress here in Germany. She did a lot of TV series and theatre jobs. She sang, for example, on the last number one album of the band Mono Inc. And so many more.

How has the pandemic affected your band and live shows in your city as well as the release of your album?
It’s really sad, that we can’t play live at the moment. We planned a big release gig here in Hamburg, but it’s not possible at the moment.

What could one expect from a live She Bites show?
You could expect a really powerful show. Melanie is such a good singer, and we want to present the songs from our album with a huge production.

Would She Bites and Lioncage ever want to do any shows or tours together – or has that already happened?
So far this is not planned, but this is a really good idea.

If She BItes could open for any band either now or from the past, who would it be and why?
We would like to open for Heart. We all love this band. But we wouldn’t say no if Foreigner or Journey would asked.

What’s up next for She Bites?
At the moment, we are working on the promotion of our album. The release will be on June 19. We are hoping that we can bring She Bites on stage soon. We want to play live and we also have some first ideas for a second album.

Any final words of wisdom?
Stay healthy and keep on rockin. Watch out for She Bites. Thanx a lot.

SHE BITES is:
Melanie Stahlkopf – vocals
Lars König – guitar
Arvid Lucas – bass
Carsten Kohl – drums

(Interview by Ken Morton)

She Bites on Facebook