Templemind - Interview

Let's have a chat with Philipp Schardt, a German artist based in London and the mastermind behind the project Templemind.

- Hi and welcome to this interview. Tell us about your latest release.
Hi Guys, thank you for inviting me! Exciting times we are living in! So yes, this is my first release as TEMPLEMIND and the song is called UNION DIVINE. It is my first time being a Solo-Artist after so many years of being more in the background of countless other artists and productions. I´m very grateful to be now on this final Journey in my life - at least this is how it feels like :)

- How would you describe your sound?
The Sound of TEMPLEMIND is very energetic, bold & epic, with deeply personal lyrics. I love combining big synth and guitar sound walls with orchestral arrangements and contemporary 808 beats and percussion mixed with hard-hitting rock drums. Imagine: David Bowie meets 30 Seconds to Mars and the Scorpions.

- What do you write about?

My inner world. Everything that moves me deeply. Emotionally, Mentally, Spiritually, even physically. I feel it´s the only thing that makes sense to me what I can write about. All the experiences that I had during the years, the ups and downs and bring my own view of life to the table.

- What do you listen to when you are home?
I use music to express my emotions and to uplift and alchemize the situation I am in: so for example when I eat I put classical or jazz music on, for meditation, I will be using meditative or ocean sounds or simply the sound of silence. When I work out I'll be using more energetic, hard-hitting rock-driven sounds. Music is so powerful to assist us in our life when we know how to use it.

- Your favorite live performance so far?
Playing at Rock am Ring, Germany´s biggest Rock and Alternative Festival with all my favorite bands from Papa Roach, to Bring me the Horizon, Korn, Shinedown, Limp Bizkit and so many more.

- Tell us a funny story that happened in the studio or on stage. 

I think when I produce my tracks I tend to over-record. Especially when it comes to vocals. 1 take turns into another, and another, and another… which end up to almost 80 tracks of the same thing just “to get it perfect”. Only to realize the next day that I already had it intake 3 :) One time my co-writing partner Shani found me still in the studio at 4 AM recording a take that we both agreed to be great the night before.

- Your favorite albums?
Peter Gabriel - Scratch my Back
30 Seconds to Mars - A Beautiful Lie
Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory
Thrice - Vheissu & Artist in the Ambulance
The Used - The Used
Michael Jackson - Bad
Bon Jovi - Keep the Faith
Bon Iver - Bon Iver
Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American
Ben Leinbach - Spirit of Yoga

- A musician you would like to meet for a beer?
I doubt he would have a beer but I would say, Jared Leto. He achieved so much as an Artist, Actor, and Business Man and I imagine that could be very interesting and inspiring.

- What would you ask for backstage, if you were the most important band on earth?
Drum & Jam Room for pre-concert warm-up and jamming, Meditation Room for centering prior to the show, a massage parlor for before or after the show so everybody is relaxed, Fresh Pressed Juices, Gourmet Ayurvedic & Vegan Chef, a lot of flowers and plants, aromatherapy. Backstage must be like Wellness Retreat :)

- What are your plans for the near future?
Making the most amazing Music that I can and playing and reaching as many people as possible.