You have a new live album out right now. Tell us about it. When did you record it and why did you choose to release a live album?

In fact we were just recording our second studio album when we were offered to release a live album by the organizers of the festival, where the album was recorded. "The Burg Herzberg Open Air" is a huge Festival dedicated to bands that were big in the 60s and young bands that love their music. This festival had seen bands like The Pretty Things, Iron Butterfly, Ten Years After, Arthur Brown, Big Brother & Holding Company and many many others. But it's not a 60s scene festival. It's more a hippie kind of thing. Our concert there had been great fun and the audience dug our gig a lot as you can hear on the record. As we never say no, we said yes to the release and here it is "Live Ammunition".

There's been a new addition to the Brotherhood. Tell us about the changes in the MB roster.

We have a new drummer. His name is Florian Achatzy but we still refuse to let Lars go completely so we are still playing some gigs with him when Flo is not available. I have the idea of a double drummer set roaming in my head. Just like many old school soul bands had back then. Maybe we could realize this someday for some gigs. We'll see...

Most European bands these days go for a Beat - R&B - Freakbeat sound, but you chose the US Garage Psych sound. What are the MB listening to and how do you mold all those influences into your Magnificent sound?

Yes, thats true. We just don't want to sound like any other garage band out there, you know. For me and Erik writing our songs comes naturally and all our influences are coming along with our musical taste. Personally I think that the psych sound on both sides of the Atlantic around '66, '67 and '68 was just the most interesting, less boring period of music at all. A time where the psychedelic hype drove people into creativity. We like that. We always loved the combination of a combo organ and fuzz guitar together with harmony singing so we love the sound and the songwriting of bands like The Music Machine, Iron Butterfly, The Seeds, The Monks, The Fab. Four of course, The Zombies etc. ...not really garage bands, eh? I could spend a lifetime naming psych and garage bands we love...

What was the audience and critics reaction for your debut album? Last year you talked about a second studio album in 2009. Did you finally go into the studio and when will you release it?

We got very good feedback on our first release. ...well ok, heavy metal fans won't like it but... Most people appreciate the fact that it's not 100% straight garage-nuggets-cover-rock. In the old days many bands had their own sound (at lest the good ones). In my opinion too many bands try to sound like all those garage samplers, that's why they sound all the same in the end. With our first record we tried to catch a wider range of garage psych. Guess that's why the people and critics find it some kind of refreshing. As I mentioned before the recordings to our second studio album were interrupted by the production of the live album. Along with the drummer change, the recording of some tracks for some samplers & tribute albums and stuff like that we are about to finish the studio album just now. I guess it will be out in the first half of 2010. ...The sooner the better.

Which way do you prefer in the studio, the convenience of digital or the purity of analogue?

We are purists when it comes to sound. We are using vintage equipment whenever we can (afford), but on the other hand it's like George Martin once said: "All you need is ears". We don't deny that we're living now, not in the 60s. So in the end a record must sound enjoyable to everyone, even for non-60s-purists. Nevertheless the new album was/will be recorded analog. It's just what sounds best, always, whether you want a dead on 60s sound or not.

Your studio album shows the melodic face of the Magnificent Brotherhood, but when a saw you live, I saw a meaner band going for all out Garage Acid Punk mayhem. Are the stage MB the Mr Hyde of the studio MB's Dr Jekyll?

Yes, the studio thing is more about songwriting, producing etc. Playing live is a whole different thing. We want to have fun on stage and we want the people to dance and have a freakin' good time, not necessarily standing around, watching the band. Many things that you do in the studio are not possible live as a four piece band anyway. The other thing is that we don't want to bore the audience. I mean: Want the LP sound? Play the LP.

The Magnificent Brotherhood are a very determined band, with 2 records and hundreds of gigs in 3 years. Is the band your main occupation? Do you have dayjobs?

We also do other things but somehow everything has got to do with sights & sounds. Jan, our bass player is a voice actor for TV and movies. Florian, the drummer is teaching drums. Erik is studying latin (...don't ask) and I'm designing LP covers, posters etc. for many bands, labels etc. From time to time we also write songs for TV commercials ...haha; that's a whole different world, believe me...

Tell us a about your label Magnificent Music.

We started Magnificent Music to put out our first record. As we only release our stuff on MM it's not really a label in common sense. Magnificent Music is also a booking agency by the same name run by a friend of ours, which over the time developed it's own live. Ironically we have nothing to do with this agency anymore.

Your artwork is amazing! Tell us about Kiryk Rock Design. What's the proccess of coming up and creating all those wonderful designs?

Thanks a lot! Well, music & art; that's where it's at for me since I was a kid.I'm designing everything about music for everyone who's music I like. On my posters & covers you will find names like: The Electric Prunes, The Seeds, Bevis Frond, The Fuzztones, Brian Auger, Baby Woodrose and many, many others. You can see some of the posters here: www.gigposters.com/designer/109219_Kiryk_Drewinski.html . As one could imagine I'm a great lover of poster art of the sixties, especially the style of the posters that are known as the Fillmore Posters. I also love the art around 1900. Not many people know that the typical style of lettering which was used on those 60s posters was invented around 1900. Also many images were directly taken from this period of art, known as l' Art Nouveau. Sometimes I wish I was born in 1870 in Paris or so...

What do you think of the Garage scene these days? Do you have any favourite bands?

Yes, there are many good bands out there. As we get to play with some of them we became friends with many. We like The Higher State, The Movements, The Phantom Keys, The Mokkers, The Fumestones, The Urges just to name very few. To me it seems that some cities have a hardcore straight scene that don't "allow" anybody to join, which is very sad because it prevents the scene from growing. All you see are the same old faces growing older with each party, turning into some kind of 60-squares or boring old farts without knowing for themselves. Then again, in other cities, the garage- or 60s scene is more open minded which we prefer. I like to play in front of "new" and "hungry" people. I think the internet helps building a greater garage scene too, as everything is melting together here. That's great because it opens up eyes ...and ears.

Anything else you'd like to add?

Yes! Come to our gigs, buy our vinyls, have more sex, take a trip!

As a treat, after the interview, The Magnificent Brotherhood gave me these great news: The Magnificent Brotherhood are visiting Greece for these dates:

Greece January 2010:

Thursday 28th - TBA (Athens)

Friday 29th - Stage Performances Venue (Larissa)

Saturday 30th - Block 33 (Thessaloniki)