Roofman

Wistful folk songs, which always have a certain indie fragility. Thijs van der Meulen alias Roofman has this special charisma that makes people listen to him. His melancholic songs, which he sometimes breaks with humorous announcements, have great melodies and are, in the best sense, intense. "The joy of sadness," as he calls it, seems to touch people. He succeeds just as well in an intimate setting as in a larger club when he's on the road with his band - the effect is the same, only the musical variety and volume are different.

"Writing the songs is a spiritual act for me," Thijs says, alluding to the fact that the melodies basically come naturally. His lyrics are about everyday life, mixed with the bigger dilemmas a man in his early 30’s needs to deal with. He’s not one to wallow though, but has the strong will to make something creative out of melancholy. "I like the warm pain, the good sad mood," he says. In tranquility, that's where the power lies.

Roofman is not one to isolate himself, but rather chooses a collaborative approach both on the road and in the studio. Over the past few years, he has shared the stage with a.o. Walter Martin (The Walkmen), Noah Guthrie, Cari Cari, Eric Steckel and Matt Perriment and performed shows in the UK, Germany, France, Hungary and Spain next to his home country The Netherlands. Roofman released his debut album ‘Still The Mess I Was’ – recorded at the analogue heaven that is the Clouds Hill recording studio in Hamburg with his American friends Rhett Shull (guitar), Philip Conrad (bass) and his brother Pim van der Meulen (drums) – in February 2023. Next up is ‘The ATL EP’ – recorded at Rhett Shull’s basement studio in Atlanta on an old Tascam 388 8-track tape machine with Rhett Shull (guitar/production), Philip Conrad (bass) and Chad Collins (drums/keys) – to be released in October 2023. More releases are planned throughout 2023 & 2024.