EQUATE Meets 4B2M
"We were too busy with ourselves. When we finally got over ourselves we decided to team up."
Despite having known each other ever since they were young kids, it took a little while for Jimmi, Cas, Teun and Rocco, now known as 4B2M - short for Four Brothers Two Mothers - to finally join forces and start a band. Previously, they have had notable journeys of their own, with each member having performed in different bands such as De Staat and Go Back To The Zoo, to name but a few. With their cheerful, tongue-in-cheek music they’ve been able to grow their fanbase rapidly, not in the Netherlands but internationally as well. Not too long ago they have unveiled a brand new track ‘Money For Sale’, an unapologetic release which humorously picks on capitalism.
Read the full interview below…
EQ: Hey guys, nice to connect with you. How did you all meet?
4B2M: Teun en Rocco got to know Jimmi and Cas when they were born. Cas met Rocco on a football field. Teun didn’t know about Jimmi until he joined the band.
EQ: Being friends since childhood, how did you get the idea to eventually form 4B2M, and why did you only start making music together in 2018?
4B2M: We were too busy with ourselves. When we finally got over ourselves we decided to team up.
EQ: Prior, you’ve been in established bands separately, what have those experiences taught you for 4B2M, any major lessons you have learnt from then?
4B2M: Professionalism, amateurism, friendship, infighting.
EQ: Coming from the Netherlands, the country obviously boasts a huge musical heritage. How did growing up there shape you as artists?
4B2M: We’re from Nijmegen where there was a lively music scene.
EQ: Who do you draw the most inspiration from music - and creativity wise?
4B2M: Recently that has to be Yellow Magic Orchestra. Outlandish synth pop jazz rock space funk.
EQ: Your new single Money For Sale, alongside an EP - what’s your recording process like? Being a group of 4, does it ever get hectic?
4B2M: We jam, we mix it up, take an element, write a song from there, change the lyrics, start over, play live, change again, finish the song, mix it 203 times, master it, play live, change it again.
EQ: I’d love to know - what’s each one’s strength in the band, i.e. what do you each contribute to the band?
4B2M: Finding out what someone’s strength is, might be one of the best reasons to start a band. Rocco brings professionalism and chaos, Jimmi harmony and synth knowledge, Teun groove funkiness and money, and Cas does the interviews.
EQ: What are each of your guilty pleasure songs, and also, what are you currently listening to on your playlists?
4B2M: The last couple of years I’ve been listening to a lot of German music. It’s not really guilty but pretty cool. There’s a lot of pretty cool early ‘Neue Deutsche Welle’ where the bands mix great pop melodies with weird sounds & lyrics. Bands like Malaria, Foyer des arts, Der Plan - check out a playlist we made HERE.
EQ: Last but not least, what else can we expect from you this year?
4B2M: Lots of new music and hopefully some exciting live shows!
Listen to latest single ‘Money For Sale’ below.