Daniel Graves Of Aesthetic Perfection Discusses Upcoming Tour with Till Lindemann + New EP in Exclusive Interview

Daniel Graves, the Austrian-American industrial pop trailblazer, returns with his most ambitious project yet: The Bad Vibes EP. This 3-song sensory assault delivers a disorienting punch of 90s nostalgia, where dial-up modems hum alongside samples of televangelists and infomercial hosts, all set against a backdrop of blistering guitars, guttural screams, and relentless mechanical rhythms. Anchored by Graves’ signature melodies and sharp pop sensibilities, The Bad Vibes EP is both a reflection on American culture during the Satanic Panic and a commentary on our present moment.

Wearing its influences proudly, The Bad Vibes EP evokes the raw energy of The Downward Spiral-era Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson’s Portrait of an American Family while remaining undeniably Aesthetic Perfection. Mixed by the legendary Sean Beavan (Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Guns N’ Roses) and featuring the searing guitars of Sebastian Svalland (PAIN, Lindemann, Letters from the Colony) with live drums by Mike Schopf (Cil City), this EP bridges the gap between past and future with unparalleled intensity.

The Bad Vibes EP will be released as a series of singles, starting with “Into the Void” on September 13th, followed by “Self Inflicted” on October 4th, and concluding with “Bad Vibes” on October 11th.

We were able to do a quick interview with Daniel just before going on tour.

Friday you’ll be starting your “Fall Goth” tour, what are you looking forward to the most with this run?

To be honest, it’s been two years since we’ve played on U.S. soil, so it’s a bit nerve-wracking. Our last tour didn’t go as well as we hoped, and we weren’t sure if we’d ever be able to return for headlining shows. However, we now have this unique opportunity to support Till on his tour, which gives us a good excuse to dip our toes back in the water and see what happens. I’m approaching this with equal parts excitement and fear, but it doesn’t make sense to spend too much time worrying about things I can’t control. More than anything, I’m just excited to get back on the road here in the U.S. and see what unfolds.

So would you say supporting Till Lindemann AP’s biggest adventure touring wise?

Absolutely! Especially here in the US. We’ve supported till twice in Europe and those were honestly the biggest tours of my career… and then now to be able to repeat that here at home is truly awesome because we’ve just never had the opportunity to play to these size crowds here… So it’s absolutely an honor to have Till continue to offer us these amazing opportunities.

And do you think that since Till has a huge level of fans, do you think that that’s going to help bring more of a level to yours?

I think if Europe is any indication, then absolutely. It’s funny because, despite how rock and metal audiences like to think of themselves as open-minded, they can often be very closed off. With Rammstein and especially Lindemann fans, if they’re not connecting with the support bands, they’re going to let you know. I was quite nervous on those first couple of tours, unsure if they would accept us. Thankfully, the entire Rammstein community has been incredibly supportive. I’m also trying to engage as much as I can through platforms like Discord and Facebook groups to interact with their community, and they have been welcoming and open. I’m really honored that they’ve embraced Aesthetic Perfection as much as they have. So, if Europe is any indication, then absolutely.

Since AP’s Drummer Joe & Guitarists/Keyboardist Constance are also performing with Till, how is that going to work? Are they going to be playing for both bands for the tour?

No. So, that would have just been completely biting off like way more than either Joe or Constance could chew so it was discussed at the very beginning, like whether or not something like that would be possible… So, the three of us came to a consensus that it just didn’t make sense. The last European run, I was playing with this amazing French guitarist and keyboardist named Lore Jarocinski and my drummer was Mike Schopf from Vienna. Unfortunately, due to the really, really expensive and complicated visa regulations, I wasn’t able to bring them to the US. So I was basically scrambling trying to find the right musicians for this…and was really blessed that I was able to find a guitarist & keyboardist who goes by the name Noizith who is a close friend of Constance…so she was essentially hand selected by her. Then we found this fantastic drummer from New York – Brooke Colucci, and we’ve been rehearsing here in L A for the last week to prepare and they are just both absolutely on point. So yeah, I am really excited to show the world this current line up. Obviously, it’s a little sad that Joe and Constance can’t perform with me because they’re still on paper the official live members of Aesthetic Perfection…But, you know, we still get to be on tour together. So, it’s still sort of a familial vibe, which couldn’t go any better.

So, other than having to rearrange your lineup, were there any other challenges you’ve had to face with organizing this tour?

Well, I don’t think it’s possible to start a tour without having a million different things go wrong and just like every day asking yourself “are we going to make this happen?” But I think I’ve reached this point where I’ve become very zen about the entire experience. When I was younger I would let it really get to me where I would lose sleep thinking nothing is going to work out… But now I’m, just like that meme where the dog is sitting drinking coffee inside a burning house and he says “this is fine.” That’s sort of my approach these days. That’s the Zen approach that I’ve found uh in the meantime at least..

You’ve always been one with artistic risks and you stay true to your art, do you think that brings in a lot of backlash and hate?

It’s a double-edged sword, right? As we discussed earlier, rock, metal, goth, and all these scenes come with preconceived notions about what the music should sound like. When a band strays too far from their “defining” sound, people often have trouble following that. I understand that this attachment to a sound is as much about cultural affiliation as it is about the music itself. It’s important to remember that people don’t just listen to music…the underground genres we choose serve as a banner that reflects the type of person we are. So when an artist changes too much, listeners may wonder if that artist still represents who they are. I completely understand that perspective, but I also believe it’s our job as artists to push the envelope and broaden people’s horizons. There’s always a fine line to walk between playing it safe or “doing it for the fans” and staying true to our artistic intentions. The most impactful artists and bands we remember made their mark by doing something different that shook things up. You must always move forward with the attitude of being a trailblazer, regardless of whether it works or if your audience cares. That’s a whole other can of worms. But you have to carry that spirit forward… if you’re just ticking boxes and punching a time card, you’re not truly being an artist…you’re just performing a task.

Last summer AP released the coolest video of “Summer Goth” – what was it like filming with the iconic Zoran?

Working with Zoran was an incredible honor. It’s rare to find someone who’s completely on your wavelength creatively. There are so many different types of creatives out there, and often I meet people I admire or who have been major influences on me, but I quickly realize that, while I respect their work, we just don’t connect on a personal or creative level. That wasn’t the case with Zoran. We immediately clicked, and now we text like old friends. The process of making the video with him was fantastic. There was no tension, no disagreement…every idea we brought to the table just flowed naturally. We built off each other’s creativity, and it was such a rewarding experience. The only downside was the actual shoot, because even though it was supposed to be summer, it was freezing that day. April in Berlin is miserably cold, and we genuinely thought we might lose a few toes or fingers from the cold!

If you had to explain your sound to someone who has never listened to AP, how would you describe it?

I think my biggest challenge has been defining my brand. Every branding expert will tell you that you need to deliver your elevator pitch in less than a sentence. If you have to give a long-winded explanation about how you’re unique and what you do, you’ve already lost the person’s attention. This has definitely been one of my biggest hurdles. That’s why I adopted the term “industrial pop” . It serves as the best umbrella for everything I do. Industrial and pop are two genres that couldn’t be more different, and I like to think of my music as existing on a sliding scale between the two. How much industrial is in a song? How much pop? I think this gives people at least a clear starting point to understand my sound.

Do you think your overall sound has evolved over the years?

Oh, yeah. I don’t even recognize half the songs I made 20 years ago as being mine. I listen to some of them and think, “Who is this person?” But I like it, you know? The best way I can describe engaging with my own music is that I don’t necessarily like it in the sense that I want to listen to it repeatedly. For me, the process of creating is about just that…the process. Once the work is done, it feels like it’s out of me, and I don’t need to revisit it. When I do go back to certain songs, I sometimes feel self-conscious, wondering if I overshared or questioning whether I got things right or wrong. But ultimately, I look at everything I’ve created with a sense of reverence, knowing that I always did my best at the time. Even if I don’t recognize that person anymore, I know that version of me gave their all. The music is a reflection of that effort, and I’m proud of it. So even if I find myself asking, “What was I thinking with this arrangement, or these lyrics, or this sound?” I remind myself that it’s a time capsule…a snapshot of who I was back then…and I’m proud of that. I think the other thing is, if you don’t look back at the music you made when you were 21 and wonder, “Who was that guy, and what was he thinking?” then I’m not sure you’ve grown enough as a person. I’m 41 now, and who I am at this age absolutely shouldn’t be who I was at 22. That’s just part of being human…growing, evolving, and changing over time. We should allow ourselves that space to grow. We’re often immature when we’re young, and probably still a bit immature when we’re older, but hopefully less.

What influences your lyrical standpoints?

A couple of years ago, I wouldn’t have known how to answer that question, but now that I’m in the process of re-recording my first album…which I lost in a hard drive crash and haven’t been able to play for years…I’ve been revisiting those songs more deeply. Next year is the 20th anniversary, and as I look back, I realize that my lyrics back then came from this perspective of, “I’m perfect, and everything wrong in my life is someone else’s fault.” There was this blind aggression toward the world. When I read those lyrics now, I think, “Dude, you had no idea what you were doing or thinking.” As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become much more introspective. Now, instead of just pointing out how messed up the world is or blaming others, I reflect on how I respond to those challenges—whether they come from the world, other people, or even my own mind. There’s a much more reflective quality to my recent music compared to the past, where I was just angry and screaming about how pissed off I was. And if anyone disagreed, well, to hell with them, right?

There’s a reason why this kind of hyper-aggression is associated with youth. When we’re young, we don’t really understand how to have a conversation with ourselves and ask, “What am *I* doing to make my life as complicated as it is?” So much of our suffering comes from our mindset and how we respond to life’s challenges. It’s a natural reflection of youth, and that’s okay. But I don’t want to be 40 years old, still pretending I’m perfect and that the world’s problems are all someone else’s fault.

Do you have any pre-show rituals or routines?

I do my vocal warm-ups and stretches, and I actually listen to the poppiest music possible…stuff like Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, and similar artists. That kind of music feels calming to me, and what I’m looking for is a calm before the storm. I want to feel as relaxed as possible before I go on stage, because once I’m out there, it’s all loud music and chaos. I know a lot of people prefer to listen to the most aggressive, intense music to hype themselves up, but for me, I need to find my center before I can step out and perform.

What city are you excited about the most on this tour?

I don’t think there’s any city on this tour that we haven’t played before. It feels like we’ve been to all of these places already. I’m especially excited about playing at the Forum in L.A., though. That’s where I went to shows as a teenager, so getting the chance to perform there is like checking a major box on my bucket list. It’s going to be really special.

That said, I’m just here for the whole experience. I feel incredibly lucky to have this opportunity, and I want to make the most of it. San Antonio will definitely be awesome, and I’m looking forward to it since it’s the first show.

What would you say is most important to you, visual creativity or sound creativity?

I think for the outside world, visuals are often what people respond to first. It’s like judging a book by its cover. But for me, as a creator and a listener, it’s 100% about the sound. That’s everything to me. It’s hard for me to switch gears and think about the visual aspect because I’m so deeply immersed in the audio. The visual side doesn’t come naturally to me… it takes more effort. In contrast, the auditory side feels like second nature.

With the good and bads of social media, how do you prefer to stay connected in the best way with fans?

I think social media, in general, is a good thing, but we, as a collective, need to mature in how we use and approach it. When I’m engaging with my fans…whether it’s on Discord, Instagram, or elsewhere…there’s very little toxicity or aggression. I love my online spaces, they’re great. But the moment you step outside of those spaces and dive into the comment sections of political posts or even other music-related content, it’s shocking. The things people feel emboldened to say on social media are unreal, especially since these are things they would never say to someone’s face. People hide behind anonymity, and I hope this is just part of humanity’s growing pains as we adapt to the digital age. We weren’t evolved for this kind of global society or the ability to connect with so many people at once. When you consider that early human tribes were made up of maybe 20 to 50 people, it’s clear we’re not fully equipped to handle having the entire world at our fingertips. I believe there’s an equilibrium we can reach, but this might just be part of the adjustment process.

That said, there’s also a darker side, like a kid finding their parent’s gun…nothing good can come from that. I try to stay optimistic and focus on the positivity within my own channels and spaces, hoping that can be possible on a global scale. But, honestly, I’m not sure. Maybe I’m too optimistic or positive.

Positivity brings positivity, right?

I think if we’re going to find our way out of this negativity, it will take people choosing not to feed into it or give trolls the attention they crave. What these people want is acknowledgment—they get a kind of thrill from stirring up negativity. But if we can stay measured and positive, we might be able to show others a different way to respond. I know I won’t change the mind of the troll on Reddit or make them think twice about what they say in the future, but maybe the people reading those exchanges will notice. Maybe they’ll see how I respond and realize there’s a better way to handle these situations. My hope for the future of social media is that more people carry that forward in their interactions.

I believe the world is what you make it. If we can remain positive in the face of negativity… my own channels serve as a testament to that… I’ve managed to filter out negativity not by blocking people, but simply by not giving it any attention. Those negative voices eventually fade away when they don’t get what they’re looking for. As a result, we’ve created an amazing community of positive, engaged people, which feels like a breath of fresh air. If other creators can do the same, we might be able to establish larger pockets of positivity throughout the internet. This could eventually spread and push negativity into the corners, leading to a majority of positive spaces online rather than negative ones.

The Bad Vibes EP will be released as a series of singles, starting with Friday. Can you tell us more about that?

So we’re going to do three songs peppered throughout the tour. So, “into the Void” is the first song that drops on Friday the 13th and then October 4th, we’re going to release “self inflicted” and then October 11th will be “Bad Vibes” . We are all super excited about it and can’t wait for the release and the tour.

Catch Aesthetic Perfection on tour: