The Train Rockers – Munich ( Pop / Rock )

The Train Rockers  – New Release – Munich

The Train Rockers… what a strange name?! That’s a question we’ve heard a lot — and one we got used to. Here’s the short story.

On the streets of Munich

We’re an alternative-rock band from Munich. The Train Rockers started in 2015 playing on the streets and in subway wagons. Those early years — busking on platforms, in trains and on corners — are where the band was actually “born.” A friend gave us the name back then, and it stuck.

Playing in public had a uniting effect. Each of us brings very different cultural and musical roots, which fused into the sound we have today:

• Frank — vocals and guitar, Germany; rooted in rock/alternative.
• Chrissie — drums, Germany; rock/alternative background.
• Sam — bass, Germany; rock/alternative background.
• Suleyman — lead guitar, Turkey; blends rock with Turkish traditional music influences.
• Richard — piano, England; moves between rock and classical themes.

The Shape of our Music

The street and its people didn’t just give us a name — they shaped our songwriting and lyrics. We met people with incredible stories: generous, funny, inspiring — sometimes terrifying. We played everywhere: drug hubs in Berlin, Grafton Street in Dublin, beneath the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and even in jails across Munich, Bavaria and Austria. Those encounters and places became the secret ingredient in our sound.

You can hear those stories and atmospheres on our new THE BLACK SHEEP EP. The EP blends Alternative-Rock, Pop, Folk and Country and carries depth, spice and a hard-won reality. The songs tell our stories and the stories of others — about crisis and hope, saints and sinners, outsiders and misfits — which is how the name The Black Sheepfits the record.

Our influences

One of our biggest influences is Johnny Cash. Beyond his timeless songs, Cash had a huge heart for outcasts. His live albums At Folsom Prison and At San Quentin had a profound effect on us — not just musically but ethically. The way he treated inmates with dignity, brought music into bleak places and shared hope through his faith inspired us to play in jails for people who often feel forgotten.

Other artists that shaped our sound include:

• U2 — for soaring, anthemic rock and emotional scope.
• Kings of Leon — for raw, broken-beauty rock songs.
• Bob Dylan — for epic, narrative songwriting.
• The Cure — for morbid, atmospheric texture.

We once opened a Christmas concert inside a prison. After the first song, a sarcastic applause broke into loud, malicious laughter. One inmate muttered, “Yeah, thanks!” — not the most promising start. We then announced: “We are The Train Rockers from Munich.” Confused faces. “Yes, sure… our name — we started as a street band in Munich and often played in subway trains. There, the audience had no chance to escape.” That line got a laugh and then a shift. We explained we’d gotten better — otherwise they wouldn’t have let us in. The mood changed. The inmates began to listen, laugh, join in and respond to the street stories in our songs. It was honest, human, and powerful.

Our music is a map of where we’ve been and who we’ve met. The grit of the street, the small mercies and absurdities of travel, and the strange intimacy of playing for people with nowhere else to go — all of that lives in our songs. If you listen to THE BLACK SHEEP EP, you’ll hear those places, atmospheres and voices woven through the arrangements.

Thanks for reading. If you’re curious, give the EP a spin and follow our journey — from the trains of Munich to whatever comes next.