Steve Witzlsperger, better known as STVW, is redefining the boundaries between electronic music and pop-punk with his rapidly growing PUNKRAVE movement. Blending the raw emotion of emo and rock with the high energy of dance music, his sound has already earned recognition from bands like Simple Plan and blink-182, who have officially approved his electrifying reinterpretations of their iconic tracks. As he prepares to take his PUNKRAVE LIVE show across major festivals and clubs worldwide, it’s clear that this is more than just a genre — it’s a movement built on authenticity and community. Dive into the interview now.
Hi Steve, great to have you with us. How have you been? Thanks for
taking the time to talk to LoudLife..
Hey guys, thanks for having me! I’m doing well, super excited for this year
and can’t wait to be back on the road again!
PUNKRAVE isn’t just a sound, it feels like an attitude. When did you realize this was more than a genre and actually a movement?
At the beginning it was just a vision in my head and it was quite a challenge for me to make it come to life. Whenever you wanna do something that’s not there yet it seems to be overwhelming because you don’t know how to approach things and it took a lot of failed attempts to get to the first „PUNK RAVE“ song back then. But with every song I made I knew I was onto something and this is authentic and truly me as a person. As TikTok and Instagram Reels got more and more popular I also started posting videos of remixes I made from my favorite bands like Sum 41, blink-182, Simple Plan etc. and I immediately got a couple millions views within the first view days. From there I just kept going and posted constantly, made more music and I’m so blessed that an amazing community formed out of this. Whenever I get messages that my music brings so much joy to peoples lives or when I see tattoos with the PUNK RAVE or STVW logo, that’s when I realize we have built something really beautiful here and it’s definitely more than just a genre and that’s something I’ll never take for granted.
Your officially approved PUNK RAVE versions of blink-182 and Simple Plan tracks were major milestones. What did it mean to you personally to receive recognition from bands that influenced an entire generation?
Is there a rock or emo artist you’d love to pull into a full PUNKRAVE collaboration next?
It’s still unreal to me! Seeing the bands I grew up on and had (and still have) such a big influence on my own music, comment on or share my videos where I remixed their songs felt unreal. Getting their official approval to release my own cover versions of their iconic tracks was even crazier! The fact that these legendary bands actually enjoy something that started out as just a vision in my bedroom studio gave me so much motivation to continue what I’m doing. I think there are too many on my bucket list like Simple Plan, blink-182, Avril Lavigne, All Time Low etc. but also the new generation like Nothing Nowhere, RØRY, Magnolia Park, Sueco or The Paradox.
Would be an absolute honor to work some of those amazing artists and I think we could create something really unique together!
What’s the wildest reaction you’ve seen from a crowd during a PUNKRAVE set?
At so many shows during the last tour we had the entire room just singing from the top of their lungs, do mosh pits, crowd surf or even shed a couple tears and seeing all this is just priceless. Usually at normal EDM shows you don’t experience things like that and that’s why I love bringing the both worlds together, it’s just so much fun and seeing people enjoy this so much is absolutely beautiful!
In an era dominated by algorithms and short attention spans, how do you balance artistic authenticity with the realities of social media and streaming platforms?
I personally think it super important as an artist to stay true to yourself and what you stand for. Of course, it also makes sense to keep an eye on where the scene is heading, but you shouldn’t completely change your sound just to chase a trend. Instead, it’s better to take certain elements from current trends and incorporate them into your own sound. That way, you stay creatively inspired and keep pushing your music forward without losing its core essence. But I’m fully convinced that this only works if you truly believe in what you’re doing and personally stand behind it. I grew up on emo and pop-punk and have been part of that scene since I was a teenager, but at the same time I’ve been involved in the EDM scene for over a decade now. If you merge styles just because you think it could be a quick trend without having real interest in it, it might work short-term—but you can’t build a sustainable career that way. People feel when something is forced versus when it comes from genuine passion. My advice would be to look at the things you genuinely enjoy in your personal life and see how you can combine them in a way that creates something new. If it’s built on passion and authenticity, it has a much better chance of lasting.
Do you think club culture is becoming too polished and PUNKRAVE is a response to that?
Unfortunately yes. I think a big problem we had the last couple years is that a lot of clubs just booked artists that used to work well in the past and were too afraid to try new things. Also musically everything was going in the same direction and I feel like for people the excitement of going to a club we had like 10 years ago disappears more and more. That’s why I also wanted to bring something new to the table and attract the people that love EDM and Rock so they can get both at the same time. A lot of people from the Pop-Punk/Emo scene coming to my shows tell me they’ve never been to a Rave or EDM event even though they really love electronic music but they’ve never felt comfortable going to a typical EDM club. So for me it really beautiful to see that we created a safe space and something that hasn’t been there before in that form.
You are currently working on a new PUNK RAVE EP What can listeners expect?
I’m super excited for this project and can’t reveal too much yet but people can definitely expect a lot of new original tunes, collaborations with bands and singers. I also always try to push the boundaries and develop the PUNK RAVE sound even further so I hope people will enjoy it and I’m super excited to play the first songs at my 2026 PUNK RAVE Tour. So definitely keep an eye on my tour dates and can’t wait to party together!
Finish the sentence: “The future of dance music is…”
…in the hands of artists who think outside the box, push creative boundaries, and aren’t afraid to be different in a scene that often plays it safe.
