We sat down to talk with Peter Henrici Hauptmann before band’s gig in Warsaw in March.
Interviewed by Marta Antosz
MA: You have teased the new album last year with the singel: „Nightclub”. How is it going? Are you already working on a new material?
Hauptmann: Yes, we had a great time with the song last year at the championship in Germany for Best Song, and we were happy to release it. Then we had a great tour where we played “Nightclub,” which has now become something really special for us.
MA: Tell me about your creative process.
Hauptmann : We are always looking for new stories that carry either strong, uplifting energy or deep emotional intensity. We’re inspired by history and fantasy, and we love combining powerful energy with historical or fantastical themes — that’s really our signature style. We work with a team of songwriters and performers, but the creative lead is our singer, Ben. He’s the mastermind behind it all. Over the years, he has written the big, anthemic choruses that define our sound. For us, it often starts with the chorus — something powerful that brings great energy and invites everyone to sing along together.
MA: How did the tour with Lord of the Lost go for you?
Hauptmann : For us, that was the highlight — performing in very large venues. In every venue, it was incredibly exciting to see so many people gathered together, all having a great time. At the end, we performed our shared song as the grand finale.
MA: Musically, is there any band or artist that particularly inspired you personally as a musician, or perhaps influenced the overall style of the band?
Hauptmann : Yes, for me it’s very important. The German medieval bagpipe scene, especially in the former East Germany (GDR), had a strong influence on me. There were artists and musicians who built their own bagpipes, went to markets, and performed — and that felt like a space of freedom. For me, it was a very inspiring idea: a new kind of music scene. I was searching for a combination of history and music, and for a new way for Germans to connect with our history through music — but not in a nationalist or Nazi way. It’s not always easy, especially with German lyrics and the historical context, but for me, this was something very important.
MA: And what do you think is the most difficult thing for you while recording the album?
Hauptmann : We’re a team, and we work with a producer. He’s the drummer of another medieval metal band, Subway to Sally. Managing the workflow between our producer and the songwriters isn’t always easy. We also have a new member in Denmark who handles the mastering and other technical aspects. It’s a fairly large team, so coordinating everything can sometimes be a bit challenging.
MA: Are there any other historical or medieval periods that interest you? For example, something from Slavic or Scandinavian mythology that really excites or inspires you — something you’d love to explore in your music?
Hauptmann : Yes, we are inspired by the Northern gods and the Vikings, by Norse mythology and also by the Celts — the people who lived before the Romans, especially in Ireland and Scotland. The Slavic culture is something new for us, and we really want to connect our energy with Slavic energy. We’re very excited about the upcoming concert in Poland. You asked about our favorite memory connected to Poland, either personally or as a band. Some members of the band actually have old family roots in Poland, particularly in Breslau — or Wrocław, as it’s called in Polish. If you say Wrocław, everyone will know what you mean. It was very interesting to shoot a video near Wrocław. We filmed the “Highlander” video in Poland, and it was a great experience. We really enjoyed being in Poland for the first time. And now we’re looking forward to coming back for a concert in March.
MA: Where did the idea came from to shoot the Highlander exactly in Breslau?
Hauptmann : There is a very successful video production company near Wrocław, and that was the reason we worked there. They are very good at scouting and selecting the perfect places for filming. It was a great experience to shoot videos with them. We filmed Valhalla Calling II in Wrocław as well. We’re really excited to spend more time in Poland in the future.
MA: What music do you like to listen to yourself?
Hauptmann : I like to listen to folk music. In my youth, I was a metal fan, so it’s a combination of folk and metal, and I like the show aspect in rock music. So I like bands like Kiss or Slipknot; they have their own ideas and have their own show.
MA: So tell me because, I feel like the earlier albums and like, you know, going towards the albums, your music became like more serious and serious, so to say. How do you balance this? Because I know some people who see, let’s say, folk metal music and say, hey, I’m not gonna go watch that because it’s not serious enough. How would you like respond to something like that?
Hauptmann : Yes, in the beginning our music was not serious, that’s true, and we know in metal, many people say, oh, I only want a serious band. For us, it’s now, from the our point, it’s more the energy point— high energy but serious, more serious. And our lyrics are more serious now as well.
MA: Is there any particular show or maybe outside show interaction that you had with your fans that especially got stuck with you?
Hauptmann : Yes, there are special parts of the concert. It feels almost like a ritual — in German, we call it “our song.” It’s like a battle, a mix between a dance and a confrontation. Through this, we create shared rituals and build up an intense, high-energy atmosphere together.
MA: And could you also talk about the costume elements and the choreography? You mentioned the ritual aspect — is that something you create and perform on your own, or do you work with a special team member who helps you develop it?
Hauptmann : The idea behind the costumes is that each of us takes on a specific role — it’s a form of role-playing that supports the storytelling aspect of the show. Everything is built around the fantasy world of Feuerschwanz. There’s the “castle of Feuerschwanz,” and different locations within this world. For example, in „Drunken Dragon„, the setting feels like an Irish pub. The nightclub, on the other hand, is more of a gathering place for shieldmaidens, warriors, and knights.
So the costumes help bring this fantasy story to life on stage. And the Hauptmann is the central character — the one who oversees and connects all these elements within the story.
MA: Are there any artists you would like to collaborate with in the future?
Hauptmann : Yes, we really enjoy collaborating with female singers. At the moment, we’re writing new songs and reaching out to new artists for future collaborations. We’re also working on a brand-new party anthem and are planning to collaborate with another band on that track.
MA: What are you passionate about outside music?
Hauptmann : Over the past few years, dancing has become my new hobby. It’s especially exciting because I’m a musician — so stepping into something completely different feels like entering a whole new world. I’m starting from scratch, which makes the experience even more inspiring and refreshing.
Outside the band, some of our female dancers are passionate about fire performance. They love working with flames and creating impressive fire shows.
Our singer is also involved in another project — he has a second band in the folk rock scene, where he explores a completely different musical direction. And our violinist has a second profession as well: he works with horses alongside his work in the band.
MA: What is the most difficult thing and the most fun part about touring for you?
Hauptmann : Yes, we are a big group of people. We have a large crew. But we only have one bus, so every seat on the bus is taken. That can be a challenge.
But what’s the most fun part about it? Well, we’ve been a band for 20 years, so we have a lot of stories. The best moments are when everyone comes together — usually after a concert — and starts sharing them. Once someone opens the “story box,” the memories from past tours just start flowing.
I love those moments. The stories about our tours from years ago are often incredibly funny. There are so many great memories.
MA: What is your biggest dream?
Hauptmann : That’s a very good question. My biggest dream is to play a concert at Wembley Stadium in London. That’s my ultimate vision — after that, I could die happy. I like having big dreams. I don’t know exactly how we’ll get there, but that’s part of it. In the beginning, my biggest goal was simply to have 400 people at one of our concerts. And ten years after I first had that vision, we finally had 400 people in the venue.At that point, I told the band, “Okay, my vision is complete. I’ve achieved my goal.” But the other members said, “Now, we need a new vision.”
So I set a new one: Wembley Stadium. That way, we’ll have something big to work toward for a long time.
MA: Do you have any special message for the Polish fans before the concert?
Hauptmann : Hello, Warriors and Shield Maidens from Poland. We are very excited about our first concert in Warsaw, and we want to connect our energy with a Slavic energy. We are very excited about the ending of this evening, and we want to sing together and have a great time.
MA: Thank you very much. I wish you all the best.
Hauptmann : Thank you. See you in Warsaw.