We spoke with BlueBook about “Running To Stand Still” and more!

Q: “Running To Stand Still” — that’s a pretty evocative title. What does it mean to you personally?

A: Everyone has experienced it at some point. You work hard and feel like you’re not making any progress. 

We have the impression that many people in the so-called Western world are only fighting to maintain the status quo. It’s not about advancement, but simply about not falling behind.

Q: The song kicks off with that lush 80s synth vibe before the guitars come in. How did that sound come together? Was it a nod to anything specific you love from that era?

A: We are too young to have consciously experienced the 80s. We don’t want to limit ourselves to the 80s, but we think the sound is pretty cool. Incidentally, we own some of the original synthesizers, such as the Yamaha DX7 and the Korg M1.

The intro to “Running To Stand Still” is intended to have a signal effect. Of course, this may put off some people who don’t like this synth sound. The sound is then clearly different. In the age of algorithms, this is certainly a disadvantage for us. We accept that.

Q: There’s a lot of emotion in the lyrics. Was there a moment or feeling that sparked the idea for this track?

A: My grandparents belonged to the post-World War II generation. They and their children experienced an enormous economic boom. For them and for most people in America and Europe, personal living conditions improved significantly. 

My generation has a prevailing feeling that the main thing is to preserve what has been achieved.

Bob Dylan said it back in 1964. “The Times They Are A-changin´”

Yes, things are changing, and at an unprecedented speed. Whether the nature of the change is so good is something everyone must decide for themselves.

Q: P. Buckland’s voice adds such a fragile, haunting tone. How did that collaboration come about?

A:We sit together and think about which voice suits which song best. Then we try a few things out. Then, of course, there is the question of vocal range. The singer must feel comfortable with the song.

Peter Buckland is the composer of the songs. He also much prefers to play with the buttons on the synthesizer than to sing the vocals.

“Running To Stand Still” and “What If We Knew” was simply a perfect fit. However, this should remain an exception. Katy and Claas will sing the next songs again.

Q: Your writing always seems to carry real meaning. Is there a particular line in this song that hits home for you?

A: Each of our texts contains more or less autobiographical elements.

Basically, I have to like all of our texts and they have to move me. A text that doesn’t move me can’t move others either. 

We will never have meaningless texts for purely phonetic reasons. That’s why we say: A song without a message is a waste of time. Nevertheless, we don´t want to lecture people. We just want to give them food for thought.

Well, I think the line “I can’t get of presentation mode. On my dating app i’m a consumer and commodity” is very well done.

Q: The track touches on burnout and that pressure to always be “better.” Do you feel that’s something you see around you a lot — or even in yourself?

A:We live in a meritocracy. You have to be able to deal with that. A person’s worth is often measured by their performance. In our environment, there are people who have been broken by this.

Q: You also explore this idea of a self-destructive chase for perfection. Is that something you were consciously trying to unpack through the music?

A: Yes, absolutely. We know this ourselves. We record a song and want everything to be perfect. Okay, that’s harmless. It’s about another compulsion for perfection.

It’s about the compulsion to be perfect in order to please others. We want others to like us. That’s human nature.The whole thing can get completely out of control. 

At some point, you become nothing more than the person others want to see. As the song says:”In the end, you’re fighting against yourself”.

Q: When you were recording this, what was the mood like in the studio? Did it feel heavy, calm, chaotic?

A: First of all, it must be said that composing and recording music are two different things for us.

All this emotional turmoil, which is necessary to write truly great music that touches other people, only happens to us during the composition process.

During recording, there is a relaxed and focused atmosphere. Okay, one exception is the recording of the vocals. There, we need current emotions.

We had read that Cyndi Lauper and Martin Gore (Depeche Mode), for example, sang some of their songs naked to give them more depth.To be honest, we really appreciate it when everyone in the studio wears their clothes.

Q: The video by D.C. Jung drops the same day as the single. What kind of story or feeling were you hoping to get across visually?

A: We really wanted to convey the feeling of movement. It just keeps going.

The journey itself is the destination. That is also one of our principles in life.

Q: Your last track, “What If We Knew,” caught a lot of people off guard — in a good way. Did that response influence how you approached this one?

A: That hasn’t influenced our approach. We’re happy when people like our music. However, we don’t follow trends and we don’t try to please anyone.

We have a certain way of working that has proven itself and that we believe enables us to reach our full potential.

Q: BlueBook’s sound mixes nostalgia with something really present-day. Does that balance happen naturally, or are you deliberate about chasing a certain sound?

A:This balance happens naturally. Like everyone else, we are influenced by the music we have heard in our lives. Whether you intend to or not. As an artist, you are always influenced by other artists. 

Nobody can reinvent music. Even the great Ludwig v.Beethoven did not do that. 

Before we record a song, we naturally have an idea of how we want it to sound. 

We then try to realise this idea.

Q: So what’s next for you? Anything you can share about what the rest of the year looks like — more music, shows, time off, or something totally different?

A:There will be a remix of “Running To Stand Still” in December. We like to experiment with different sounds. A single track is expected to be around 3:30 minutes long. Often, we are left with great and interesting sounds from the session for the song that didn’t make it into the target 3:30 minutes.

We only do a remix if it has real added value for our fans.

The music is then usually released for free on platforms like SoundCloud.

New songs will be released next year. A club tour in Europe is planned for the second half of the year 2026.