Artwork by @mystupidsketchbook
WHO is he?
“I’m Rudi, 26 years old. Music’s always been a very important part of my life, I started learning classical guitar at the age of nine, etc. But the real initiation happened when I was about 15 and saw my first DIY hardcore shows. I found that whole scene very inspiring and started to play in bands myself. My main thing for the last couple of years was a noise-rock two-piece called “The Dope”, we released two albums on small indie labels and toured a bunch. By the time we finished touring in support of our latest record, I was in a bit of a dark place personally. I found myself writing these sadsack acoustic songs and after quite a while of self-doubts and hesitation, I decided to go ahead and release these songs – and that’s Burkini Beach.”
WHAT is he singing about?
“I really don’t enjoy explaining the lyrics of certain songs, but I guess in general you could say that I’m trying to deal with quite serious topics like mental health, etc. in a rather casual and often comic way. I hate self-pity and weepiness in songs. If you wanna write songs about how miserable you are, they better be funny.”
WHERE did he grow up?
“I grew up in rural Bavaria and moved to Berlin right after finishing school. Although Berlin obviously has a pretty vibrant music scene, I wouldn’t actually consider myself a real part of it. Right now, I’m spending quite a lot of time in London and there’s a couple of people that I feel very connected to, like Oliver Girdler (Forced Random) or Matt Taylor (Waylor). Hence the Hungover cover I just released.”
“Matt’s old band Dry the River took my band The Dope on tour and this trip has changed a lot of things in my life. Matt and me became close friends and as we were both about to start solo-projects (which would be Waylor and Burkini Beach), we decided to help each other out and collaborate wherever we could.”
“Last November, we released a split-EP on the small London label Famous Friends Records. It features two Burkini Beach songs and two Waylor songs. One of these songs is Hungover. I decided to record a cover version of it, trying to make it my own and give it a Burkini Beach-vibe, but also to turn a missed-opportunity-song into a monument to friendship and collaboration.”
WHY the name Burkini Beach?
“For no real reason except that I like it.”
WHEN can I see him live?
“There’s gonna be some more shows in July, burkinibeach.com is the place to stay updated.”
HOW can I get to know him better?
Listen & Watch: Website // Soundcloud // Youtube
Like & Follow: Facebook // Twitter
The Five Ws of 