The BossHoss are back – with a new single, a club tour and a very special guest

“I’ll be back.” Who has not heard the most famous words of The Terminator? The German rock and country band The BossHoss have made it the title of their newest single, and for the band’s 20th anniversary, they have collaborated with the Terminator himself – Arnold Schwarzenegger. The result of a long friendship and a joint goal: the revenues from the single will be donated to Schwarzenegger’s climate initiative.

“I’ll be back” stands out in the song, spoken in the all too familiar voice of the Terminator. “You don’t want to force the man to sing,” jokes the band’s co-founder Sascha Vollmer. “But this is his killer line, the iconic words he most stands for.” For the interview, Sascha Vollmer and Alec Völkel have gathered in a garden in Berlin, chilled, relaxed and a bit rebellious, just like their music. The BossHoss have been one of the most successful German bands of the last 20 years, with over 2 million albums sold, and Alec Völkel and Sascha Vollmer have both been coaches on The Voice of Germany.

A cooperation with Arnold Schwarzenegger still does not come out of the blue, even for a successful band like The BossHoss. He is far too busy to just jump on the opportunity to make a song, say the band members. For The BossHoss, the cooperation – and friendship – has grown over many years and is based on a joint goal: the fight against climate change.

A joint goal brings German country & rock music and the Terminator together

“To sit in Berlin and have the idea to work with Arnold Schwarzenegger and just call him, that wouldn’t work. We’ve known him for three years, which all started through his climate change work,” says Alec Völkel. Every year, Arnold hosts his climate dinner and charity event during the legendary Weißwurst-Party at the ski races in Kitzbühel, Austria. The name is based on a white sausage typical for Austria and Southern Germany that has been served during the gala. It is a big event and often closely monitored by the press, since it attracts a lot of famous names. Three years ago, Schwarzenegger asked The BossHoss to play as entertainment. “He liked what we did and invited us back,” says Alec Völkel.

But The BossHoss wanted to do more. They offered to auction off a living room concert at one of Schwarzenegger’s fundraising events to raise money for The Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative. The foundation builds awareness of the climate crisis and encourages small every day actions. The concert was auctioned off for €100,000. A trip to California and Schwarzenegger’s exclusive charity poker night with 150 selected guests followed. So, when The BossHoss suggested making a song together last year and presented a first song idea, the Terminator was all ears.

Approaching climate change awareness with the joy of music

In the end, the first song draft was not entirely what The BossHoss guys were looking for and they wrote a second song, with a bit more drive. I’ll be back was born, as was a new album, which will come out on 19 September. The single is the band’s contribution to the fight against climate change, but while they want to bring the topic to people’s attention, they do not want to do so with a raised finger.

Even if it is to raise funds for climate awareness, fun and the joy of music should still be the centre point, music moves people after all. And this fits Arnold Schwarzenegger’s own approach and personality. “Arnie is a motivator and his core message is: when you need me, I will be there,” says Alec Völkel. And how to better say that than with his iconic line “I’ll be back.”

Rattlesnakes and cowboys: a music video straight from the California desert

The video for the new single was filmed close to Schwarzenegger’s home in LA, California, and embodies the wildness and freedom of a road trip, but not without dangers. The BossHoss are being chased by a cowboy and discover snakes under the bonnet and on the backseat. Real-life snakes caused an extra thrill during filming. “You can see a lady in the video, pushing us away from the bonnet. She’s a professional snake wrangler, someone you would call if you suddenly found a rattlesnake in the garden,” says Alec Völkel. “We trusted her work.”

It is less scary to spot Arnold Schwarzenegger in the rear view mirror – cigar in the corner of his mouth – just for him to disappear on a second glance, right? That is exactly what happens in the music video.

From the very first idea, The BossHoss of course wanted to somehow include Arnold Schwarzenegger in the video, but keep the effort as low as possible. “We had the video planned before we actually knew if he would participate. The message was always: he doesn’t want to do the filming,” says Sascha Vollmer. Still, they hoped he would come around, stand in front of the green screen and say “I’ll be back” three times. A slight risk, because on the day when the filming started, he still had not given in to the idea. “It was by a hair’s breadth. Sitting together at the breakfast table, he spontaneously said ‘let’s do it’.”

Back to the Boots is back to the roots: 20 Years of The BossHoss

For The BossHoss, the new album is also a way back to the roots. 20 years ago, they published their first album, and with Back to the Boots they rediscover their original sound: country and rock n’ roll. It is a big album with 17 songs, ranging from the classic country waltz From Country to Country to rock beats in One More Time. The album also features cover songs like the iconic Ring of Fire. “That cover was long overdue,” says Sascha Vollmer.

A highlight is another collaboration, this time with iconic singer Dionne Warwick, which will also be released as a single. With so many great choices, it is no surprise that Sascha Vollmer and Alec Völkel cannot pick a favourite.

Closer to the fans with a tour through the clubs where it all started

A club tour will follow the album in September and early October, with stops in Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne, Münster, Hanover, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Leipzig, Dresden and Munich. “It’s a very special tour for us,” says Alec Völkel. “Into the small clubs where it started 20 years ago.” A daunting prospect: a small stage, no big show, nothing to distract from the music. Alec Völkel and Sascha Vollmer are both excited. “Fans often tell us that they used to be much closer to us,” says Sascha Vollmer. This is the feeling they want to recreate with the new tour. “It’s a trip to the past.”

In addition to brand new songs, fans can of course also look forward to a bunch of classics and all-time favourites. What a better way to celebrate the last 20 years of outstanding German music than with the people that matter the most: the fans! Look out because The BossHoss are back.

Web: www.thebosshoss.com

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