Giant Rooks

Giant Rooks emerged as an indie rock outfit whose atmospheric textures and pop leanings propelled them to prominence across Germany before they cultivated listeners farther afield. The quintet frequently sings in English while merging acoustic instrumentation with synthesized layers. Their 2017 EP New Estate first showcased the group’s streamlined approach, after which a 2019 collaboration with AnnenMayKantereit—a cover of “Tom’s Diner”—achieved widespread European traction. A more refined studio sheen on the band’s debut full-length, 2020’s Rookery, rendered the material still more accessible, and their 2024 album How Have You Been? infused several tracks with a romantic atmosphere.

The ensemble originated in Hamm, Germany, during 2014 when vocalist Frederik Rabe joined forces with his cousin, guitarist Finn Schwieters. Keyboardist Jonathan Wischniowski, bassist Luca Göttner, and drummer Finn Thomas completed the lineup, after which the members began performing in their local circuit. By 2015 they had recorded and independently issued their opening EP, The Times Are Bursting the Lines. Two years later Giant Rooks partnered with Haldern Pop Recordings for the follow-up EP New Estate, whose title cut and “Bright Lies” both gained traction as singles and secured the band a contract with Irrsinn Tonträger, the German imprint linked to Universal Music and Vertigo. Their inaugural project for the label arrived as the four-track EP Wild Stare, whose title song topped charts inside Germany and registered strongly in Italy. Building on that momentum, the group delivered Rookery in 2020; the set featured “Wild Stare” alongside the additional singles “Watershed” and “Heat Up.” Positive critical response led to expanded international touring, during which the musicians prepared stripped-down versions of their material for smaller venues; a selection of those performances surfaced on the 2021 EP Rookery Live Tapes.

Also in 2019, Giant Rooks joined AnnenMayKantereit to reinterpret Suzanne Vega’s hit “Tom’s Diner.” The recording dominated airwaves throughout Europe, later entered the British charts, and, after gaining renewed attention on TikTok, reached the American singles chart in 2022. That same year marked the band’s inaugural United States tour, which they repeated in 2023—first supporting Louis Tomlinson and subsequently headlining their own dates. In 2024 Giant Rooks issued the Pink Skies EP as an advance glimpse of How Have You Been?, marking their first major-label release stateside via Mercury/Republic Records.