Leftovers
"IT MAY BE THAT EVERYTHING ENDS" is the title of the new and third album from the Viennese overtaking madness band Leftovers. A good title that certainly does not apply to the band itself, which has matured in the best possible way with this album – while simultaneously still burning brightly.
The author Eric Pfeil recently wrote an ode in a column for "Rolling Stone" to the romantic idea of the band as a gang of friends. A rock band, according to Pfeil, is a "breeding ground for nonsense" with "flickering ambitions," and founding such a band is "one of the most meaningful endeavors for young people."
Perhaps Eric Pfeil thought of the Viennese band Leftovers when he wrote this passionate appeal. What it means to shake the world with friends is something Leftovers has been celebrating in a joltingly invigorating way for three albums now. The new album, "IT MAY BE THAT EVERYTHING ENDS," released on October 11, 2024, is now more than ever the 'Everyone-does-everything album' of this band – and thus the most collaborative Leftovers music to date. All four have written lyrics, sung, everything blends together and amplifies each other. Often you don't know who is singing or doing whatever, but that's not important: Everything on this shockingly stunning album is Leftovers.
The possibly not so surprising, by no means taken for granted aspect of this is: Anna Grob, Leon Eder, Leonid Sushonund, Alex Waismayer, whose names we will exceptionally write out just this once before referring to them again as Anna, Leon, Leonid, and Alex, are indeed four highly different individuals. Naturally, they feel, perceive, dream, and yes: are different. But that's exactly the point! Their differences make Leftovers not only greater than the sum of its parts but unbeatable. "We worked for the songs, not for our egos," says Alex.
On "TIRED," Leftovers sang in 2023 about chronic overwhelm, panic attacks, toxic relationships, and other adolescent disasters; now they have already taken a step further. "IT MAY BE THAT EVERYTHING ENDS" is about the power of community, about uplifting one another in dark times, about the longing for love and its absence. During the production, separations occurred, new bonds formed, others stabilized – all of this, of course, against the backdrop of the major global crises.
Initially, the band did not even want to record a new album this year. Not again! After countless concerts and two albums in as many years, they wanted to approach things a bit more relaxed. Release one or two EPs, maybe a song here and there, just put out whatever is finished. But then it turned out quite differently: "We talked to colleagues, and they said: 'Real bands make albums, not EPs,'" says drummer Leon, "we adopted this mindset.
This music still feels like a catharsis, is chronically overdriven, and can be noisy to the pain threshold. The lyrics fluctuate between functional poetry, DADA, punk, and are as immediate as the music. So far, so Leftovers. But you can also hear that the band has worked on these rich, deep pieces more thoroughly than ever before. "The demands on our own music have grown," confirms Leon. It fits that Leftovers engaged in a truly collaborative effort with two producers (Georg Gabler, Sven Regener) for the first time so far.
Leftovers have matured. In the best and most mature way possible.
"It may be that everything ends"? Sure, at any time. But now, the group Leftovers from Vienna is really getting started.
Hallo, ich bin Maya.
