Actors having bands is nothing new. And who can blame them? Everyone secretly wants to be a rock star. Prominent German actor Tom Schilling is no different. The popular actor has a band: they are called Tom Schilling & The Jazz Kids. Just last week the group released their debut album Vilnius. And in May they’ll be hitting the road and paying their dues with plenty of live shows. Let’s get to know this new band and practice German language skills with music. This month’s German language music act is Tom Schilling & The Jazz Kids!
About Tom Schilling & The Jazz Kids
Schilling might front the band but he can’t do it alone. He’s joined in the band by Christopher Colaço, Leonhard Eisenach, Lenny Svilar, and Philipp Schaeper. Schilling befriended drummer Schaeper and pianist Colaço while working on the film “A Coffee in Berlin.” The two are members of the group The Major Minors which scored the film. Svilar is known for his guitar playing in The Fuzztones and Lana Loveland while Eisennach, a bassist, is part of music collective Eisenach Jerusalem.
Last week, Embassy of Music released Tom Schilling & The Jazz Kids’ debut Vilnius. The ten-track release was produced by Moses Schneider, who has worked with AnnenMayKantereit, among others. Schilling himself wrote all of the tracks. The lead-off single is “Kein Liebeslied.” It’s a swirling, simmering track with a retro feel that sucks listeners in. You can check out the video, which features actress Martina Gedeck, below! Elsewhere, “Ballade von René” sounds like a German version of Nick Cave, if the Australian was on some light sedatives to control his aggression.
On The Road
If you happen to be in Germany this May, you will have your chance to see Schilling and the Jazz Kids live and in person. They kick off a string of ten dates on May 2nd in Hannover before wrapping up in the German capital on the 12th.
Vilnius is available from Amazon in the US for streaming as well as German Amazon for streaming, on CD and vinyl.
Looking for another Ohrwurm to help you learn German? Check out previously featured musicians and bands!
Photos by Alexandra Kinga Fekete. This post contains affiliate links.
