It is a windy afternoon in Rüsselsheim as the three musicians unpack their instruments on the roof of the K40 building. The wind sends clouds racing across the sky, the Opel Blitz can be seen on the horizon, behind it the Taunus mountain range. For their current music video, the ‘Roof Rabbits’ have chosen a special place, a reminiscence of their band.
Rico ‘Rock’ Bozenhard on bass and vocals, Jonas ‘Jones’ Eisenbraun on guitar, Andreas ‘Andy’ Weis on drums – three men, three life paths, one passion. Jonas develops car seats at Opel. Rico, an electrician for an external electrical engineering company, has known the factory premises for 30 years. Andy is an IT specialist from Bauschheim. All three came to music quite late.
“We wanted to create something special with the video, something we can still be proud of in twenty years.”
– Guitarist Jonas Eisenbraun –
In the summer of 2011, at a barbecue evening, the idea arose to make a childhood dream come true and to form a band. Fifteen years later, the ‘Roof Rabbits’ are an integral part of the regional rock scene. The first performance in March 2012: four songs, a birthday, a lot of euphoria. First cover versions, then their own pieces. In 2014, the first CD followed in the Offenbach studio ‘Kummune2010’. The sound: somewhere between German rock, alternative and blues – with the riffs of the 70s and the grunge spirit of the 90s.
With the 2020 EP Shadows, the Roof Rabbits showed that their songs are more than just loud. Songs like ‘SUV’, ‘Say’, ‘Im Regen’ and ‘Tauch ein’ are honest, clear, powerful. And Hey, their latest track, is another highlight. “We wanted to create something that we can still be proud of in twenty years,” says Jonas Eisenbraun. The music video for it: a milestone in the band’s history. The musicians developed scenes, wrote a storybook and landed Rüsselsheim artist Sam Khayari as the director. Under his guidance, the roof of the K40 building became a stage. As a second location, they chose the so-called ‘Hochbunker’ – the place they used as a rehearsal room until 2015.
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The bunker was once used as a location for the cult film Iron Sky – a 2012 science fiction satire in which Nazis hide on the moon and plan world domination from there. “Some props from back then,” says Jonas Eisenbraun, “were left behind by the film crew.” One of them, a futuristic control panel, plays a central role in the video. Hey tells the story of a relationship that begins to falter: A couple – played by former Opel employee Tobias Treber and actress Christin Wehner – who love, argue, fall silent. Three scientists, portrayed by the musicians, observe the events and control the atmosphere of the dispute. A metaphor for patterns that characterize long relationships: silence instead of talking, reproaches instead of understanding.
Hey… so many hours hereHey… you don’t say a word to meHey… tell me, what’s going onHey… maybe for the last time
– Lyrics from “Hey” –
A chalk cart draws the band’s logo. The gray coat is worn by Hans-Peter Gimbel, once an Opel employee himself.
Director Sam Khayari in the bunker: The control panel in the foreground is a remnant of a film shoot for the science fiction satire Iron Sky.
A rabbit above the rooftops: the band logo, drawn in chalk on the factory roof.
Scene from the bunker with Tobias Treber and Christin Wehner.
Volker Dziemballa sends the drone into the sky for aerial photography.
The video is finished – edited and produced. Above the roofs of the factory and in the rough charm of the high-rise bunker, the musicians found two locations with a special atmosphere. “The result is fascinating pictures and scenes full of atmosphere,” says Jonas Eisenbraun. “Our special thanks go to Frank Schiwy and Okay Kocak,” emphasizes the guitarist. The Real Estate Manager and the Chief of the Plant Fire Department made access to the roof of K40 possible.
The Roof Rabbits can regularly be seen live at Opel events – most recently at the Rüsselsheim factory festival in May, next year they will play in Kaiserslautern. Music also plays an important role when they are not rehearsing, writing songs or appearing live: Rico Bozenhard and Jonas Eisenbraun have their own show “Roof Rabbit Radio” on Radio Rüsselsheim – with stories and guests from the regional and sometimes also worldwide rock scene. Among others they recently welcomed The Melvins, a US alternative metal band and pioneers of grunge from New York City. The show is broadcast live every first Friday of the month from 8 to 10 p.m.
Atmospheric backdrop: Director Sam Khayari (left) together with the protagonists who stood in front of the camera for the music video.
In December, the official release party for Hey will take place at the Rüsselsheim club ‘Das Rind’. An evening for friends, fans and the many supporters who made the video possible. An evening with rock from the heart of the Motorcity Rüsselsheim – honest, handmade, uncompromising and with a lot of passion.
At the same time, the song Anyway, also recorded in 2025, can already be heard on the usual streaming platforms, and seen here.
November 2025
Photos: Opel/Andreas Liebschner, Roof Rabbits