International superstars Tokio Hotel are taking the music world by storm. After scoring four number one singles, two number one albums, and selling nearly 3 million CDs and DVDs in their homeland, they've become the biggest act to come out of Germany in 20 years. And to think their first CD was recorded when the members were only 13 to 15-years-old. Breaking down cultural walls, the Tokio Hotel phenomenon has crossed language barriers, causing a tornado-like frenzy in France, Spain, Italy, Scandinavia, Russia and Israel. In Austria and Switzerland, Tokio Hotel have gone four times Platinum and in France, they've had a crowd of 500,000 chanting along to their songs in front of the Eiffel Tower. One by one, European territories have seen the band graduating from theaters to arenas in a matter of months. . They sold out 43 venues with more than 400,000 fans in their home country, having the most successful debut tour ever in Germany.
With their US debut Scream in stores now, Tokio Hotel's melodic brand of rock easily navigates between headbanging guitars and power-packed anthems to mid-tempo pop tracks and more introspective ballads. The one thing their diverse songs all have in common? There's always a message. "Don't Jump" is an anti-suicide song, telling the listener not to give up on himself, while the guitar-heavy album-opener, "Scream," is about "saying what you want-or better yet, shouting it-to get your point across," explains Bill. The quiet but powerful "Rescue Me" is about the helplessness you feel when a relationship crumbles before your eyes, while the sweetly, slowed-down "Monsoon" is about going through hardships with a best friend or soul-mate - withstanding anything life can throw at you - and by facing adversity, overcoming it to find a positive end.
When the band formed in Magdeburg, Germany, in 2001 (originally under the name Devilish), they say they had no idea they'd go on to win every prestigious German music award. "But there was never a plan B," explains Bill, "music is all we know." Guitarist Tom added, "playing live means everything to us. That's how we started three years ago...performing our songs in small clubs and bars - sometimes with only five people in the audience. These days have changed completely. We have sold out stadiums and the biggest venues you can get. This unbelievable success is hard to grasp and every single day we are grateful for it."
