Jennifer Rostock

** Vocals: Jennifer Weist

** Keyboard: Johannes „Joe“ Walter

** Guitar: Elmar Weylandt (since 2026)

** Bass: Josi Hille (since 2026)

** Drums: Christopher „Baku“/„Chriz“ Kohl

Ex members:

** Guitar: Alex Voigt (until 2018)

** Bass: Christoph Deckert (until 2018)

History:

Jennifer Rostock is a German-language rock band originally from the island of Usedom and based in Berlin. Formed in 2007, the band first gained national attention after competing for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the 2008 Bundesvision Song Contest.

Jennifer Weist, who grew up in Zinnowitz on the island of Usedom, and Johannes "Joe" Walter first met in kindergarten. Walter began music lessons at the age of five, initially learning the violin before later taking up the piano. At the age of 13, Walter met Weist again at a karaoke competition and invited her to join his school band, No Fame. The group experimented with rock, pop, and swing, initially performing in English before switching to German and eventually writing their own songs. In 2004, Weist and Walter founded the band aerials.

After graduating from school in Rostock, Weist and Walter attended a songwriting workshop where they met future producer Werner Krumme. Following their high school graduation in 2006, they moved to Berlin to pursue music professionally. There they met future band members Alex Voigt, Christoph Deckert, and Baku. Jennifer Rostock brought together musicians from diverse backgrounds, including hardcore, emocore, punk rock, and pop rock, despite none of them having previously played the New German Wave-inspired style the band would become known for.

Band Name

Several stories exist about the origin of the band's name. According to one version, employees at Berlin's Planet Roc recording studio repeatedly addressed notes to "Jennifer Rostock," mistakenly combining Jennifer's first name with the city of Rostock because they knew the musicians came from Germany's Baltic coast. The temporary label eventually became the official band name.

Another version claims the name originated after a friend saved Jennifer Weist's contact in his phone as "Jennifer Rostock" because they had met in Rostock. Weist later explained that the band often varied the story in interviews. In 2020, she clarified that their first producer had actually saved her contact as "Jennifer Rostock" simply because he already knew several people named Jennifer.

Ins offene Messer (2008)

Jennifer Rostock played their first concerts in 2007 and signed with Warner Music. They performed mainly in Berlin clubs and opened for the British bands Chikinki and Gallows. In November, they released their debut EP Ich will hier raus, which received airplay on regional Berlin radio stations.

Their debut single Kopf oder Zahl entered MTV rotation in early 2008. Representing Mecklenburg-Vorpommern at the Bundesvision Song Contest, they finished fifth. Their debut album Ins offene Messer was released the following day and reached number 31 on the German Albums Chart.

Throughout 2008, the band released the singles Feuer and Himalaya, performed at MTV Campus Invasion in Jena, appeared at festivals across Germany, and toured Austria and Switzerland. In October, they performed Himalaya at the opening concert of Udo Lindenberg's Germany tour in Rostock.

Der Film (2009–2010)

Filmmaker Hannes Rossacher accompanied the band for several months, producing a 90-minute documentary released in autumn 2009.

Jennifer Rostock's second studio album, Der Film, was released in July 2009 and debuted in the Top 20 of both the German and Austrian album charts. The lead single, Du willst mir an die Wäsche, reached number 34 on the German Singles Chart.

In October 2009, the band toured five Brazilian cities on behalf of the Goethe-Institut.

That same year, the song Du willst mir an die Wäsche was featured in the German soap opera Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten.

In November 2009, the band released Es tut wieder weh, written specifically for the film The Twilight Saga: New Moon. The song appeared as a bonus track on the German soundtrack and later as a standalone single, reaching number 48 on the German Singles Chart.

In January 2010, Jennifer Weist participated in the celebrity edition of Das perfekte Dinner.

The second single from Der Film, Irgendwo anders, was released in June 2010 with elaborate 3D packaging but failed to enter the German singles chart.

Mit Haut und Haar (2011–2013)

The band's third studio album, Mit Haut und Haar, was recorded in New Jersey and released in July 2011. The lead single, Mein Mikrofon, reached number 49 on the German Singles Chart.

Although only two official singles were released from the album, the band produced five music videos, including Es war nicht alles schlecht, Der Kapitän, Ich kann nicht mehr, and Hier werd ich nicht alt.

Jennifer Rostock returned to the Bundesvision Song Contest in September 2011 with Ich kann nicht mehr, finishing eighth.

In August 2012, they released the live album and DVD Live in Berlin. Guest musicians included Sido, Jupiter Jones, Felix from Frau Potz, and Nico Webers of War from a Harlots Mouth. The album reached number three in Germany and number 13 in Austria.

During a German tour in January 2013, the band sparked controversy after stating on Facebook that they did not want to see T-shirts featuring the bands Böhse Onkelz or Frei.Wild at their concerts. Following criticism, they clarified that they were not accusing all fans of those bands of being Nazis. Böhse Onkelz bassist Stephan Weidner publicly criticized Jennifer Rostock in response.

Schlaflos and Kaleidoskop (2013–2015)

In 2013, Jennifer Rostock announced their fourth studio album, Schlaflos, which was released in January 2014 after being recorded partly in the United States.

The album was preceded by the singles Ein Schmerz und eine Kehle, Phantombild, and K.B.A.G. (Kein Bock aber Gästeliste).

Beginning in January 2014, the band toured Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, supported by the Munich post-hardcore band Marathonmann.

In October 2014, Jennifer Rostock announced the EP Kaleidoskop, featuring four new songs. Initially available only during the accompanying tour, the EP reached number 66 on the German Singles Chart. The title track featured Nico Webers of War from a Harlots Mouth.

The band also participated in the German version of Band Aid's charity single Do They Know It's Christmas? in November 2014.

Wähl die AfD and Genau in diesem Ton (2016–2017)

In August 2016, shortly before the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state election, Jennifer Rostock released the politically charged music video Wähl die AfD, criticizing the right-wing populist Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). The video received millions of views within days, and Jennifer Weist subsequently received a threatening letter from an AfD supporter.

The band's fifth studio album, Genau in diesem Ton, was released in September 2016 and reached number two on the German Albums Chart.

Particular attention was given to the song Hengstin, which addressed feminism and gender equality while differing stylistically from much of the band's earlier work. Its music video, featuring Jennifer Weist nude in several scenes, generated significant media attention. Rapper Bass Sultan Hengzt responded with a diss track, to which Jennifer Rostock replied in a revised version of Neider machen Leute. The album was supported by an extensive tour.

Tenth Anniversary, Worst Of Jennifer Rostock, and Hiatus (2017–2018)

To celebrate their tenth anniversary, Jennifer Rostock released Worst Of Jennifer Rostock in 2017. Rather than a traditional greatest-hits collection, the album consisted of previously unreleased songs that were quickly recorded for the project. It also included a collaboration with the band Grossstadtgeflüster.

After releasing videos for Alles Cool, Haarspray, and Die guten alten Zeiten, the band announced an indefinite hiatus in November 2017.

Following a farewell tour in spring 2018, the members pursued separate projects. Their final concert before the break took place on 13 May 2018 at Columbiahalle in Berlin. The band emphasized that the hiatus did not mean they had disbanded, but rather that they needed time apart before eventually returning.

Comeback (2026)

On 26 June 2026, Jennifer Rostock released the new single Wir schon wieder, marking their return after an eight-year hiatus. The comeback lineup appears to include long-time live guitarist Elmar Weylandt and bassist Josi Hille, replacing original members Christoph Deckert and Alex Voigt.

Music

Jennifer Weist and Johannes Walter write the band's lyrics together and are also responsible for composing and arranging the music.

In 2009, they were nominated for the German Music Authors' Prize (Deutscher Musikautorenpreis) in the Newcomer category.

Jennifer Rostock has frequently been associated with the Neue Deutsche Welle (New German Wave) movement, particularly because of their debut single and comparisons with the 1980s band Ideal. However, critics have generally considered the band's style difficult to classify, describing it as a blend of glam punk, electro-pop, and modern German rock.

Side Projects

From December 2014 to September 2020, Jennifer Weist hosted the weekly music television program Update Deluxe on Deluxe Music. Since 2021, she has pursued a solo career under the name Yaenniver.

Keyboardist Johannes Walter has written songs for other artists, including Bonfire for Felix Jaehn and Alma.

Guitarist Alex Voigt also performs as vocalist and guitarist in the band This Is Law.

Drummer Baku has remained active in several additional bands. He previously performed as vocalist and screamer in the electro-screamo project Bionic Ghost Kids and has played drums for the punk bands Kotzreiz and Berlin Blackouts, as well as the indie band BLOODHYPE. He also serves as the live drummer for Jennifer Weist's solo project, Yaenniver.

Discography:

Albums

2008.02.15 - Ins offene Messer

2009.07.10 - Der Film

2011.07.29 - Mit Haut und Haar

2014.01.17 - Schlaflos

2016.09.09 - Genau in diesem Ton

2017.09.29 - Worst of Jennifer Rostock

Live Albums

2012.08.10 - Live in Berlin (also on DVD)

2018.09.21 - Jennifer Rostock bleibt. (Live 2018)

EPs

2008.05.20 - iTunes Live: Berlin

2011.07.29 - Live bei den Telekom Street Gigs

2014.08.01 - Im Remix

2014.12.05 - Kaleidoskop

Singles

2007.09.09 - Ich will hier raus

2008.02.01 - Kopf oder Zahl

2008.06.13 - Feuer

2008.11.21 - Himalaya

2009.06.26 - Du willst mir an die Wäsche

2009.12.18 - Es tut wieder weh

2010.06.11 - Irgendwo anders

2011.07.08 - Ich kann nicht mehr

2011.07.15 - Mein Mikrofon

2011.07.22 - Lügen haben schöne Beine

2013.09.16 - Ein Schmerz und eine Kehle

2013.12.06 - Phantombild

2014.12.05 - Kaleidoskop

2017.09.01 - Alles cool

2017.09.22 - Haarspray

2017.11.15 - Die guten alten Zeiten

2026.06.26 - Wir schon wieder

Other

2009.10.16 - Es tut wieder weh (New Moon – Bis(s) zur Mittagsstunde Original Soundtrack)

2014.11.21 - Do They Know It's Christmas? (Deutsche Version) (with Band Aid 30 Germany)