About Painting

Hailed as “the greatest new band in the German pop avant-garde” by Rolling Stone, Painting are Theresa Stroetges (vocals, bass, guitar, synthesiser), Christian Hohenbild (vocals, drums, electronics) and Sophia Trollmann (vocals, saxophone, synthesiser). Stroetges and Hohenbild previously performed together in the band Soft Grid, while Trollmann contributed saxophone to one of Stroetges’s solo albums under her Golden Diskó Ship moniker.

Formed in 2020, they have an unconventional setup which sees all three members share vocals (with Stroetges most often taking the lead) as well as swap instruments frequently. Drawing on a expansive and explosive palette ranging from experimental rock and electronic avant-garde sounds to leftfield pop and jazz, Painting Is Dead is a constantly shifting and refreshing kaleidoscope of sounds that feels like its fighting to escape the rigid confines of conventional songcraft. That struggle is mirrored in the songs’ themes, and lyrics pushing back against the binary forces that shape the lives of women and especially queer bodies in patriarchal society. From ‘Symmetrical Pattern’, with its canon-like opening sequence in which three voices reflect upon how heteronormative structures determinate the relationship between two people (“For reasons of convenience / We have settled into this / Symmetrical pattern”), to the electrifying ‘All My Eggs Go Down the Drain’, which addresses the expectations heaped upon those thought responsible for human reproduction, Painting Is Dead explores systems of subjugation while also making clear demands. “We need a new framework,” they sing, “And for this framework / We need a new skin”.

The band collaborated with artist Paula Reissig to create walk-through 3D Games for each song on the album – all of which can be played for free at paintingin3d.com.

Brand new music from Painting will be released on Sinnbus and Lost Map Records in April 2025.

"The greatest new band you can find in the German pop avant-garde at the moment is the Berlin based trio Painting." Rolling Stone 07/22

"Resistant, colourful, irresistible: a great album under the radar!“ Musikexpress