INTERVIEW Mother’s Cake: We come up with our best ideas during soundcheck

Energetic, electrifying, masterful – Mother’s Cake is the Austrian trio that skillfully blends progressive rock, psychedelia, funk and other whimsical influences into their own sound that’s been pushing the boundaries of the EU scene since 2008. They have traveled the world to showcase their music, and along the way, they’ve shared the stage with many legends such as Iggy Pop, Deftones, Limp Bizkit, Wolfmother and others. Ahead of their upcoming show at the DC Rojc Open Air festival in Pula, we caught up with the band to talk about their new album, their inspiration and – a recipe for their own cake.

Hello and thank you for the opportunity to do this interview in the midst of your busy schedule! Mother’s Cake is *serving* right now (April to May) in Mexico. So, how’s Mexico?

Mexico is an amazing and wild place. The people here are full of energy and emotion, and their love for music comes straight from the heart. At every show we perform, we feel a powerful connection with the crowd. For me, it’s a truly special place that leaves a lasting impression. We’ll definitely be coming back to play many more shows and create even more unforgettable moments with our incredible fans. And we will drink alot more Mezcal. 😉

Where did you like the crowd the most? Can you maybe share the most prominent memory with your fans so far?

If the question is about Mexico, I wouldn’t pick just one, because they were all special and unique to me. Over the last 17 years of making music, we’ve had so many unforgettable shows. But this year, I’d say the shows in my hometown Innsbruck and in Vienna really stood out—both were absolutely crazy, and we had a lot of fun playing them. It’s always a great feeling to perform in front of your home crowd.

In July 2025 you are going to headline DC Rojc Open Air festival in Pula, Croatia. What do you know or want to learn about Croatia? Have you maybe heard any of the Croatian or regional bands that you liked?

I don’t really know a lot about Croatia—just that people here eat a lot of meat, like Ćevapčići, and that the nature is really beautiful. But I definitely want to learn much more about the country, especially about your stunning seaside. I love the sea, and I’m curious to discover how you prepare your seafood—mmmhh! We played some shows with Them Moose Rush, I guess they are from Croatia – great band, great guys – funny story, we met them in UK for the first time.

You are going to present your recent album “Ultrabliss,” which came out in October 2024. It’s groovy deliciousness with some prominent pop-culture references, like the one from Stanley Kubrick’s movie “A Clockwork Orange.” What usually inspires you the most or gives you that “AHA!” moment—an idea for a song?

Yeah, inspiration for a song can come from anything—walking through the city, having a really bad hangover, a tough relationship, or a good one. For me, there isn’t just one thing that always works. Often, we come up with our best ideas during soundcheck, when we’re not thinking too much—just playing and letting things happen in the moment. On our last record Ultrabliss, Yves had already done a lot of work at home during pre-production, and I think that’s what makes this album different from the previous ones. In the end, it’s always a bit different anyway.

The word “Ultrabliss” sounds almost like some kind of elevated state of mind and consciousness. Why did you choose this name for the album, exactly?

We kind of wanted to have a conection to our previous album, because almost the same crew worked on it. The aestetics of the sound is a continuance of the previous album, so we had to find a name wich is as catchy as “Cyberfunk!”. “Ultrabliss” just came out because I’m such a great fan of “Clockwork Orange”and Stanley Kubrick’s aestetics. Don’t know why, but in the previous album and this one, I got very inspired by his work.

If you would have to describe your band’s music in the form of a taste of a cake, what it would taste like? Which cake would you be, to be more precise?

A chocolate cake!

If you had to write down an exact recipe for Mother’s Cake, what would it look like?

47% fun

22% work

17% shizzel the wizzle

11% shizzel the wizzle

3% goat meat

Interviewer: Sara Jerman

Photo credit: Benjamin Thomes

The concert is held with the support of the Austrian Cultural Forum Zagreb. Tickets for DC Rojc Open Air are available HERE.