If you’re like us here at Firestone Walker, then you’ve certainly been enjoying Electric Eagle, our West Coast IPA brewed in collaboration with our friends at Ernie Ball, recently.
It’s no secret that flavor, crispiness, and smoothness are certainly worth admiring. But when it comes to appreciating this beer, the look is certainly a close second to taste. I mean, just take a glance at this can.
We’re sure you’ve been turning each can of Electric Eagle over a few times in your hand before cracking it open, getting a closer look at all the details. And if you haven’t picked up a four-pack yet, we recommend you get on that before they’re all gone.
But, back to the art. When we were dialling in the initial fine details onto Electric Eagle, we knew we wanted it to feature some artwork that was as loud and bold as the beer itself.
The goal? Riff off obvious music motifs, honor two Central Coast legends, and make something that’ll catch your eye. The artist? Florian Schommer, the award-winning art director based in Berlin, pictured above, is famous for a compendium of impressive global clients including Phish, the Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, and so much more.
We recently had a chat with Florian to learn more about their process, inspirations, and story behind creating a can as epic as Electric Eagle. Crack into a can of hop-loaded but clean-as-can-be Electric Eagle, make yourself comfortable and read on.
How long have you been an artist? Tell us a little bit about your background.
I’ve always enjoyed crafting and drawing as a child, though I never really pursued it much during my youth. At some point, I started skating and formed my first punk band, and my passion for drawing began to surface again. I started designing album covers and flyers for concerts. As the band I played in began touring more and releasing records regularly, I gained more practice in design. I then decided to study design in Düsseldorf to professionalize my work. I’ve been making a living from it for about 10 years now. These days, I work for many bands, such as the Foo Fighters, Blink-182, Pearl Jam, and Queens of the Stone Age, and also take on jobs for companies like Pepsi, Nike, UFC, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Swatch, etc.
What inspires your art?
I’m primarily inspired by the people around me. I currently live in Berlin, a city full of light and shadow, which serves as a major source of inspiration in my daily life. Another thing that inspires me is frequent travel. Through my band, I’ve learned to regularly dive into different worlds and travel often while on tour. We’ve been to Southeast Asia, China, Russia, Kenya, and all corners of Europe. I’ve learned a lot and absorbed so much from these experiences, and I try to keep this up by going on exciting trips with friends. You can often see glimpses of these impressions reflected in my work.
What was your favorite part of working on this project?
My favorite part of this project was the collaboration between Firestone Walker Brewing and Ernie Ball. I still remember sitting in our rehearsal space back in the day, drinking beer while the others were restringing their guitars—always with Ernie Ball strings. I was fascinated by the iconic packaging and thought to myself that one day I wanted to design something like that. We’d go through the list of bands that used those strings—bands that were a huge influence on us at the time, like Pennywise. Now, I had the honor of designing another product for Ernie Ball, in collaboration with Firestone Walker Brewing. It was such an amazing collaboration.
Any music you listened to in particular while working on this piece? Maybe a playlist we can share?
That’s definitely a tough question, and I find it hard to answer because music is such an integral part of my daily work process. I listen to a wide variety of music, depending on the situation. The kind of music I listen to while working is completely different from what I might listen to while walking through the streets of Berlin. So, let’s narrow it down a bit. Ernie Ball always features a huge list of bands on their packaging, so I’ll take a look at that list and pick five bands that I like for various reasons.
Let’s start with The Descendents– they’ve been with me for many years. I started listening to their music when I was quite young. Their earlier albums have a rawer sound, while the later ones get a bit poppier, but honestly, they’re all great. If I had to pick one album, it would probably be ‘Milo Goes to College.’
Next up is Turnstile. In my opinion, they’re the best hardcore band right now. They bring traditional hardcore elements together in such a fresh and unique way that it feels new again. Their live shows are a lot of fun, and all the members have been active in the hardcore scene for a long time, having played in other great bands like Trapped Under Ice and Angel Dust. My favorite album from them is ‘Glow On.’
Then there’s Bad Religion, which, what can I say? ‘How Could Hell Be Any Worse’ is one of the best early ’80s hardcore punk releases, and their other records have had a massive influence as well.
To mix things up a bit, I’ll throw in Smashing Pumpkins. I recently saw them live in Berlin. While I’m not a fan of all their albums, ‘Siamese Dream’ is an incredible record. And my final pick is Alice in Chains’ ‘Dirt.