Meet the team

Sandra "Sändlä" Schorer joined the Zoder band in February 2019. During the recording of "WeatherTales" it turned out that this Agostini Drum School graduate is not only a fantastic drummer, but also a creative and gifted percussionist.
She loves passing on her knowledge to others in her own drum school “GrooveART”.

Interview

Dear Sändlä, what did you have for breakfast today?
Bread with butter, fruit juice and coffee. Just like a cozy “Zmorge”* should be. ;-)
* Swiss term for breakfast

What was your inspiration to start playing drums?
I can't recall a specific "trigger" for the fascination with drums/rhythm. However, already at the age of 6 I was wildly banging the dining table and thus started leaving "musical traces". Still, I had to be patient and first learn a brass instrument before I was allowed to take drum lessons at the age of 11. The change from the brass instrument to the drums probably was a relief for everyone involved. ;-)

What does music mean to you?
On one hand, music is my job, on the other hand it is a means of expression that can be transmitted without words. Music can make you dance, laugh, cry, think and much more.
Music can bring two completely different persons together because they share the same passion. All of this makes music something incredibly beautiful to me!

What do you like most about the new Zoder Album “WeatherTales”?
The goosebump moment during the guitar solo in "Step by Step". Can you feel it too?!

2020 was a very strange year. What are your wishes for 2021?
I wish for us all that we can widen our focus: I wish for more joy in life despite the virus and current restrictions! I would also like to hear different things from the media than the same old negative theme over and over again. And of course I would like to get back to "normality" as soon as possible with concerts, movies and having a cozy drink with friends.

“Spring Sickness”, one of the very first Zoder-Songs, was written a long time ago by Börni and Zoder at the shore of lake Biel. Since then, Börni has been musically active in various other formations and also written his own songs (Like for example “I Can’t Forget It”). Since the work on the album "WeatherTales" he is on a musical journey with Zoder as a fixed band member.

Interview

Dear Börni, what did you have for breakfast today?
An open sandwich with tuna and one with chicken curry, which I bought at nine o'clock at the bakery nearby. I rarely have breakfast before that time of day.

What was your inspiration to start playing guitars?
It all started with the soundtrack of the movie "La Bamba", which tells the life story of Ritchie Valens. So, Rock'n'roll was the first spark. After that I was inspired by Angus Young and Jimi Hendrix in particular. At Christmas 1991 I got the first electric guitar, after rather unsucessful attempts on the classical guitar. It went on with the school band and first concerts.

Since then I have played in many bands and still find things that inspire me to continue.

What does music mean to you?
Music accompanies me through life in its different stages. Certain songs are firmly linked to a place or a feeling. Music belongs to one's own history like people, deeds and magic.

What do you like most about the new Zoder Album “WeatherTales”?
I especially like the stylistic range of the album and the guitar interplay between me and Sitä.

2020 was a very strange year. What are your wishes for 2021?
I wish that everyone stays healthy and that you can eat in a restaurant again without worries.

Rumor has it that the first photos showing the keyboard king Martin Häberli (affectionately known as "Häbi") with Zoder date back to 2002. Since then, they have been fighting side by side against underhopping (the state of having a too low hop level due to missing beer supply) by firing the world standing (rather Häbi than Zoder), sitting and even lying (rather Häbi than Zoder) with long and short sounds.

Interview

Dear Häbi, what did you have for breakfast today?
I had a latte with nice fluffy foamed milk. This way I get enough calories for me to start into the day. I rarely like to eat anything before 10 o'clock.

What was your inspiration to start playing the piano?
I often heard my mother play the piano in my childhood, she loved to play classical music pieces. At some point, I also wanted to coax a few notes out of the instrument. Before I started piano lessons at the age of about 10, I tried to play something by ear with varying success. By the way, my approach to music hasn't changed: To this day, I find it much easier to play something by ear than by notes. 

At the age of about 16 I discovered the fascination of electronic keyboard instruments. At school, in music class we had a "Music Workstation" from Korg, thousands of sounds. I was fascinated by the possibilities, so I needed something in that style, too. After confirmation, i had what i needed.

What does music mean to you?
To me, music is very strongly coupled with emotions and memories. I can often transport myself back to a certain point of time in my past, a certain moment of my memory, when I hear a song that I associate with it.

What do you like most about the new Zoder Album “WeatherTales”?
I like that it sounds very organic and earthy and has a certain "live" character, which fits very well with the songs. And I find the artwork very successful.

2020 was a very strange year. What are your wishes for 2021?
I'm really looking forward to being able to go to concerts again - or play them. And generally a little more of standing together instead of fighting each other.

Dominik Marty, known as “Sitä” is Zoder’s man for rhythm guitars. Sitä and Zoder share a long story starting with a rock cover band in 2001. Since then they spent holidays together, done lots of road trips together and recorded some of the first Zoder demo tapes.

Interview

Dear Sitä, what did you have for breakfast today?
Today, I just had a coffee for breakfast. Most of the time I don’t like eating too much for breakfast. When I do it’s usually a small yogurt or a nice croissant.

What was your inspiration to start playing guitars?
My first guitar was a gift from my godmother when I was about the age of 9. At that time, I didn’t really know what to do with it. Furthermore, classical guitar picking never really thrilled me. After 4 years of music class given by nuns, we got a young cool teacher at fifth grade with whom we sang a lot and who was outstanding in accompanying the class with the guitar. That was very impressive to me and inspired me. He was the reason I started listening to rock music. That was when I really wanted to learn how to play the guitar.

What does music mean to you?For me, music is one of the most beautiful ways to interact or communicate in the world. It is capable of expressing any kind of emotions. In addition, making music is a great way for me to balance out the rather top-heavy work in the office.

What do you like most about the new Zoder Album “WeatherTales”?
What I like most is that it is varied but still has a common thread. The album is peppered with beautiful songs and I like the sound very much.

2020 was a very strange year. What are your wishes for 2021?
I hope that in 2021 concerts with an audience will be possible again and I wish that especially the young people can look more positively into the future.