Getting to Know… Wham Bam! | Interview 🎤

For the 98^th interview on The Musical Hype, we ‘get to know’ the colorfully named, duo (based in two different continents), Wham Bam!

“Our tunes, at their core [are] unpretentious, in your face catchy grooves that get right to the point… no unnecessary fillers and indulgences.” Sounds like a winner to me! For the 98^th interview in the Getting to Know… series on The Musical Hype, we chat it up with – wait for it – Wham Bam! What a cool name, right? The duo with the awesome name is comprised of Gideon Kretschmer (vocals and all instruments) and Nico Tourelle (vocals).  Of course, Wham Bam! are far more than just an awesome name.  In their own words, “We’re just focused on creating authentic rocking tunes that we enjoy playing and getting it out to like-minded people.” Without further ado, time to tune in to Getting to Know… Wham Bam!: Interview #98!

Let’s get this started off right. For those who may not be familiar with you, what would you say makes Wham Bam distinct or unique? How do you rock the audience’s socks off?

The fact that we live on different continents, one on a farm, one in a city. Also, our tunes, at their core [are] unpretentious, in your face catchy grooves that get right to the point… I.e. no unnecessary fillers and indulgences – serving the song, and the listener always
comes first.

Okay, let’s explore some juicy backstories. How did Wham Bam form and what were some of the goals or the visions you had as a band early on?

Wham Bam! is a duo consisting of Gideon Kretschmer (vocals, all instruments) and
Nico Tourelle (vocals). Nico lives on a farm in the quiet Karoo in South Africa, and Gideon Kretschmer lives in the bustling city of Frankfurt, Germany. We collaborate remotely, sharing and writing ideas via WhatsApp, and then recording the songs in our respective home studios. We’re also part of new upstart German label HopePunk Records and as part of this creative collective, we work with musicians across the globe, both for Wham Bam! but also other projects.

We’ve been making music together since 1996, when we started our first band SUNFISH, back in the hey-days of the South African rock music scene. Nico moved to Taiwan where he spent a number of years performing and touring Asia as vocalist for a huge local pop/rock group. Gideon continued his music career in South Africa as songwriter and producer for a number of bands over the years, culminating in a move to his new base in Germany in 2018. Over the years we’ve continued our creative connection – sharing ideas, writing and performing together (Nico wrote and performed on “It’s on Fire” – from Wonderwolf’s debut album, The Long Winter (one of Gideon’s other projects)

Wham Bam! formed in 2019 when Nico shared a new song idea via WhatsApp. Gideon loved the hook and quickly recorded a demo idea. A couple of rounds of remote collaboration later and their debut single, “On Your Own”, was born. Lyrics were written by fellow creative partner Ramon Rabie (an author and wordsmith extraordinaire living in Thailand). This breathed new life and meaning into the track.

Let’s talk more about goals. Have your goals or your perspectives changed since first starting out? What do your aspirations or goals look like now?

Our goals haven’t changed – we’re just focused on creating authentic rocking tunes that we enjoy playing and getting it out to like-minded people. We’ve got some exciting new songs in the pipeline, leading up to a debut EP later this year. We’re also planning some shows in Europe and Asia once this Covid craziness calms down.

Everybody is influenced by somebody else. Who would you consider some of your biggest musical influences and how are they influential?

We love a wide range of genres, but naturally gravitate back to our grunge and rock roots, with Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains, Queens of the Stone Age, AC/DC being influences. We try to mix that energy with more current pop/indie flavors to ensure it rocks but also grooves.

Our music says, ‘Don’t take life and yourself too serious, have some fun.’ Our lyrics go deeper but it also supports this overall theme of optimism and hope. In terms of our process, songwriting is split between Nico and Gideon. Both being guitarists and vocalists, our years of writing together has created a natural rhythm of sharing and shaping. Our dual vocal approach is also our special sauce, so we create songs that works with this sauce.

Ah, the fun stuff. What’s your craziest tour story or the wackiest thing that’s happened during a performance? Feel free to be creative.

Ah so many stories. A few years ago, we were quite raucous party animals, every show was an excuse to party it up, some memories are a bit vague. Nico used to get on stage in just a Speedo and a mic, which was quite a sight. But now we’ve cooled down considerably and focus on the music and having fun with the audience.

Speedo and a mic – wow! Up until this point in your career, what would you describe as your favorite song you’ve recorded or performed live? What makes that song special?

We’ll we’ve just released our first single “On your Own” so it would be this one, its a real fun party jam. But we’re working on a damn cool 2nd song, “Fool’s Gold.” We think this one might be even more epic.

Is there anything else awesome, cool, or left of center the world should know about you? Secret talents or surprising tidbits?

Nico is an expert goat milker and Gideon loves to drink goat milk.

Closing things out, what is Wham Bam! currently working on, promoting that you can share with us or want us to know about? We love secrets, but there’s no pressure.

We’ve just released our debut single “On Your Own” – a catchy rock & roll/grungy track, released with a fun lyric video – check out https://hopepunkrecords.com/wham-bam for all the info and links.  Also, check out the song links, lyric video, and the merch store.

We’re in studio putting the final touches on our second single “Fool’s Gold,” a catchy pop/rock anthem with massive crowd-pleasing potential. This will lead up to the release of our debut EP later in 2020.

Thank you so much for sharing taking the time to answer these questions, and best of luck moving forward.

Photo Credits: Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype, Wham Bam!