In Conversation with Wax Bird: Mood Swings & Middle Fingers and the Weight of a Clear Stance

Wax Bird have never treated clarity as a liability. From Karlsruhe, the trio have spent years building live shows that leave little distance and songs that pair garage drive with a direct reading of the world they move through. They call the sound rage pop. The label fits. There is force, but it arrives shaped rather than scattered.

Their latest EP, Mood Swings & Middle Fingers, was released in September 2025. Three tracks. No excess. Produced by Philipp Wilhelm, the sessions refine the band’s earlier intensity while giving the arrangements space to land. Charlie Brugger sings and plays bass, Rouven Fetsch is on drums, and Markus Gronbach handles guitar. On the final track they are joined by Laci and Gabi on trombone. The result feels familiar in its urgency and sharper in its detail.

Opening track Heroes sets the tone. It questions the pedestals we build for public figures while keeping the chorus immediate enough to sing along to before the implications settle. Worldwide Mental Health Issues follows with a title that refuses evasion. Closer Misery’s Valet turns the lens both inward and outward, the brass adding a mournful weight that deepens the unease already present in the writing.

What gives the EP its presence is the refusal to choose between the personal and the political. Wax Bird have always worked in that overlap. As a trans-fronted band in the German independent scene they have made visibility part of the work without allowing it to become the only story. The music remains the point.

We spoke with Wax Bird about how the new material came together, the role of the brass elements, and what it means to write songs that carry both emotional charge and critical intention.

In Conversation with Wax Bird

1. The EP title Mood Swings & Middle Fingers mixes exposure and pushback. What does that combination represent for the band right now?

For us, Mood Swings & Middle Fingers represents exactly that mix of vulnerability and resistance. We’re showing a lot of ourselves on this EP, but at the same time we’re not trying to become softer or more digestible for anyone. We’re just sharing what’s going on in our and especially my head.

2. Heroes questions the construction of idols and public figures. How did the song develop, and why did that theme feel necessary at this moment?

Heroes came from me getting sucked into a sect-like environment where one famous person was so idolized that it became toxic. She had a whole cult around her, and it took me a while to realize what was going on and step out of it. That experience made the song feel necessary, because people like that often lure in vulnerable people and build power through that kind of manipulation. Also it’s about idolizing people and then realising that they do disgusting things, like Gaiman, so you better not even start falling for their facade. Just… don’t put people in general on a pedestal. 

3. The trombone contributions from Laci and Gabi on Misery’s Valet add a distinct texture. How did the collaboration come about, and what did it open up in the arrangement and emotional tone?

That was Rouven’s idea, our drummer. I know Laci and Gabi from the Bretten Stadtkappelle, our town’s orchestra, so the collaboration came together pretty naturally. Their trombone parts gave Misery’s Valet a very distinct texture and opened up a broader emotional range in the arrangement. It hits harder than just the usual band instruments and metaphorically paints the misery as neverending background noise.

4. Mental health and critiques of capitalism sit side by side in the lyrics. How do you keep those threads connected without one flattening the other or turning the songs into statements rather than music that moves?

I put a lot of thought into my lyrics, maybe even too much sometimes, especially because people usually hear the music first and the text only later. So I try to make sure the lyrics carry real meaning, but still stay inside the song and don’t overpower the music. For me, the challenge is to keep both sides alive at the same time. Everything I write is something I feel or feel connected to. We put only true emotions or ideas into our songs. It’s important to be authentic. People can feel if your music is just play-pretend. 

5. As a trans-fronted band, visibility has always been part of the work. How has that perspective shaped the way you write, record, and present what you do?

Visibility is a big part of what we do, so it naturally shapes how I write, record and present the music. We want to be honest about who we are, and that means making music that feels direct, personal and unafraid to stand out. Also, I know how it feels to be discriminated or hated. I can put that authentically into songs so others can connect. 

6. Philipp Wilhelm produced this EP as he did earlier material. What shifted in the process this time, and how did his input help the songs find their final shape?

We’re good friends with Philipp and really appreciate both his work and his character. He’s someone who brings not just skill, but also a really good atmosphere to the process, and that made a big difference in shaping the EP. He creates a safe space for emotions and innovation, always with a smile and a good word. I honestly don’t think you can find someone nicer or better for creating music with. He’s the sweetest, most decent person we know! And very professional. 

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Mood Swings & Middle Fingers is out now.

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