Wir sind Helden

Wir sind Helden
Wir sind Helden, from left to right: Mark Tavassol, Jean-Michel Tourette, Pola Roy, and Judith Holofernes.
Background information
Origin	Berlin, Germany
Genres	Pop, pop rock, alternative rock
Years active	2000–2012
Labels	Labels (EMI), Columbia (Sony)
Website	www.wirsindhelden.com (German)
Past members	Judith Holofernes Pola Roy Mark Tavassol Jean-Michel Tourette

Wir sind Helden (German pronunciation: [viːɐ̯ zɪnt ˈhɛldn̩], German for "We are heroes") was a German pop rock band that was established in 2000 in Hamburg and based in Berlin. The band was composed of lead singer and guitarist Judith Holofernes, drummer Pola Roy, bassist Mark Tavassol and keyboardist/guitarist Jean-Michel Tourette.

Wir sind Helden's breakthrough came in 2002 with the release of the song "Guten Tag", even though the band did not yet have a recording contract. The ensuing debut album, Die Reklamation, reached No. 2 in the German charts and sold over half a million copies. Over the rest of the decade, the band released the albums Von hier an blind, Soundso and Bring mich nach Hause, all of which peaked at No. 1 or No. 2 in the German and Austrian charts.

Wir sind Helden's music shows influences from the Neue Deutsche Welle, especially in the debut album Die Reklamation. The band's music is also characterized by social commentary in songs such as "Guten Tag" and "Müssen nur wollen". On 4 April 2012, the band informed its fans that it was going on indefinite hiatus.

Prior to the formation of Wir sind Helden, singer-songwriter and guitarist Judith Holofernes was performing in Berlin clubs as a solo artist and had self-released the EP Kamikazefliege (1999). The band was founded in 2000 after she met drummer Pola Roy and keyboardist/guitarist Jean-Michel Tourette at a pop music workshop in Hamburg. Soon thereafter, Mark Tavassol joined the band as bassist.

The idea behind using the word "Helden" (which means "heroes") in the band name was to reclaim the word for the antiheroes ("Der Begriff 'Helden' wird jetzt so inflationär benutzt. Wir wollten ihn zurückhaben für die Antihelden."). In addition, the band name was also inspired by German band Die Helden, which was the first band Holofernes saw performing live, and by the song "Heroes" by English singer David Bowie, whom Holofernes has cited as a role model for the band.