Heute erscheint das herrlich verspacete Psych-Rock-Biest Bad Bunch, das neue Album von JENNIFER HERREMA (der einen oder dem anderen sicher noch von ROYAL TRUX ein Begriff) und KURT MIDNESS – und weil schon das Artwork ein Trip für sich ist, haben wir hier exklusive Kommentare von Midness und Designer DARREN BECK. Midness legt vor:
Darren Beck did the cover art for Bad Bunch. We discovered his art online at a time when we were putting the finishing touches on the album and immediately saw something that could work for us. Prior to that we didn’t really have a fully formed art direction. Jennifer hit him up via dm, he was into it. His first drafts had these cool muscular warrior dudes. I asked if he could draw us in that manner instead which was a crucial turning point. This art comes from a place of pure imagination that is uninhibited by any notion of what it should be. You can see it in the composition but also in the hand-drawn lettering. Darren’s use of mixed-media and phantasmagoric imagery is a fitting analogy for where we are as a band and how we put the new album together. I should also say that he was great to work with. We went back and forth quite a bit, so there are some sick outtakes that I hope will be seen eventually.
I would be remiss to talk about Black Bananas art without also mentioning Andreas Jenne from Berlin. He created art for us going back to when we went by RTX. He had such an amazing vision for our visual identity and all his art was so inspiring to us. Sadly, Andreas died in 2020 which has left a hole in our hearts. I’m very grateful to get to work with Darren Beck for a new look for Bad Bunch. His art has helped a lot to fill that hole.
Beck ergänzt:
When Jennifer reached out to me I was really down to work with a band that I not only listen to but feel like meshes with my artwork and how I make artwork. The final cover drew inspiration from an old photoshoot from my best friend’s super rough blues band in high school. It was in a graveyard where they posed in leather jackets, shredded light blue jeans, and white high tops. That photoshoot kinda felt „Bad Bunch“ in my head so subbing in muscular Black Bananas band members and a long hair skull warrior kinda made sense to me. There’s a few album cover drafts – so many nights I zoned out and listened to stuff like Black Bananas/RTX & Parliament, to classic rock like Blue Oyster Cult to 80s German thrash making various drafts. I usually don’t hide any imperfections in my drawings/paintings and like to make things that are authentic and free spirit. I feel Black Bananas does the same with music. It was a pleasure to make this cover
BLACK BANANAS
Bad Bunch
(Fire Records / Cargo)
VÖ: 04.09.2026
