Ever since their foundation in the year 2000 the guys around singer and guitarist Marcus Smaller have acted with a, for Austria completely untypical, determination and unaffectedness. They didn't care about the stiff boundaries of over- and underground music.
They didn't even waste the time of the shortest 3 Feet Smaller song on the question ‘Are they allowed to do this?', which is creating their own vision of a not only in the US and Sweden popular punk-genre in the pop-cultural no man's land of Austria. They preferred to keep on developing themselves and their music, which is exactly what makes a real band.
Instead of working themselves off on the ridiculous ambition of being ‘world famous in Austria', 3 Feet Smaller started touring the neighbouring and not so neighbouring countries. With a huge bang. With passion. On their way they gained a devoted yes! on stages of all sizes, a fanatic audience and as the support act they took the butter of audience reception off the headliners breads with all their youthful immodesty.
Three albums - "Damn, we need a title for this album" (2001), "Insert Album Title Here" (2002) and "3rd Strike" (2004) – added all that was needed to make 3 Feet Smaller a term – a term for high class punk-entertainment, that, whether live or on sound storage media, guarantees an explosive mixture of spirit, attitude, pop appeal and inspired musical craft.
The concert on the occasion of the band's 5-year-anniversary in April 2005 in the completely sold out Wuk in Vienna became a triumph. Even on the 2006 released DVD-document of this memorable evening – "5 Years Of Bowling Punk" – you can feel the euphoria that Marcus, Drummer Roberto Franko & Co were able to kick off.
With the speed and intensity 3 Feet Smaller did their thing up until then, it was only a matter of time until something had to give. This is less relating to the changing line-ups of the band (today they are strong as a trio with Marcus Smaller, Roberto Franko and bassist El Howdy), but rather referring to the fact that Marcus, the personified energy and vitality on stage, had suffered from a severe burn out. Even though before the burnout Marcus had treated himself time and energy for an artistic self-discovery with "Alone & Acoustic" and his 2006 released album "Into The Unknown", on which he brought perfection to his song writing and gave room to his voice without electric guitars and propulsive drums.
Maybe you can say not only the frontman and musician, but also the man behind demanded his room, and because 3 Feet Smaller are not only a band but also friends he fortunately became the time and space he needed. The trio started spending time with each other away from the studio or the road, which was good for the band. Marcus found his way out of the tunnel and 3 Feet Smaller have grown through the experience.
Regarding the new songs one can only make limited use of words like "matured" or "grown-up", because the trio has managed to keep their anarchic esprit (it's not without a reason Roberto Franko designed a shirt with the question ‘Emo Anyone?'). They come along with recharged energy provided with a new focus and an amazing song like 'Tonight' (may we call it a ballad without pulling out the lighters?) shows the bands sovereign potential for development.
