2023-07-24 05:13:20
They caused a sensation with their debut “Krach”, which was released last year, they were recently allowed to enter the stage twice at Nova Rock and now the Vienna Popfest on Friday is also experiencing the energy of the leftovers: the young Viennese rock band is on the way up and feels quite comfortable with it. “We’re very happy in the position we’re in and we’re looking forward to everything that’s to come,” says drummer Leon Eder.
And that’s actually quite a lot: The successor to the energetically charged debut album, which oscillates between punk, rock and alternative, is almost in the can, with “Risse” a first appetizer was recently presented and at the end of November the first own headliner tour will start. So it’s no wonder that the mood in the Leftovers house is right, although singer Leonid Sushon remarked mischievously in the APA interview: “That’s really positive – but we’re actually a negative band.” Judging by the laughter that follows that statement, not everything is taken as seriously here as it might first seem.
In any case, for the quartet, consisting of bassist Anna Grobauer and guitarist Alex Waismayer, alongside Eder and Sushon, there is a lot of chatter and people like to tease each other. “The good friendship is also what defines us,” Eder nods. But that doesn’t mean that the creative area is always completely conflict-free. “In the beginning it was more like Alex and I as songwriters, but now there’s an awareness that other people have something to say as well and we want to find a middle ground,” says Sushon.
The necessary coordination processes are quite difficult to digest. “Sometimes it’s hard when opinions meet – which is difficult to distinguish from a personal attack.” Bassist Grobauer, who, like drummer Eder, only learned her instrument as part of the group, summarizes it briefly: “Honestly folks, I love you – but sometimes you really make the wrong decisions!” What follows? Loud laughter, of course. Because no matter how fiercely structures, riffs or lyrics are wrestled with, in the end it’s all about what we have in common – and the well-being of the song.
The fans had to wait longer for the numbers themselves at Nova Rock in mid-June: On the day of their performance, the stage technology gave in, which is why the Leftovers had to extend their stay in Burgenland without further ado and were allowed to play again the following day as the closing band. But even without lights and amplifiers, the loyal fan community was impressed by their band. “We were on stage the whole time,” Grobauer remembers the moment. “Then just two steps forward – and we’ve already started communicating with them.”
The live exchange is extremely important to the young group – all members are in their early 20s. Dealing with your own stage persona is challenging. “Sometimes I look at artists and I think, ‘You play a much bigger person than you really are,'” Sushon muses. “As a lead singer, I sometimes get into this conflict too. Is it authentic now, or am I just doing it because I’ve seen it somewhere else?” For Eder, it’s a “line between being an artist and being an entertainer” on which to balance. The ideal case is “when you can just let go”.
In this regard, a joint tour with Wanda was helpful. “It was cool to see how they worked with the audience,” emphasizes Grobauer. “Of course you can learn something from it, but we can’t just copy it.” The group raves about singer Marco Wanda. “He’s authentic as fuck,” laughs Sushon. “And they don’t follow the manual. He’s in the moment. It’s ultimately give and take. Nothing happens without an audience, nothing happens without us.” It doesn’t seem to matter whether there’s electricity or not – the Leftovers seem to have come to stay and can also be seen live this year at the Saalfelden Jazz Festival (August 18).
(The interview was conducted by Christoph Griessner/APA)
(SERVICE – Leftovers live on July 28th at the Vienna Popfest, tour start on November 30th in the Vienna Arena, www.instagram.com/leftovers_unofficial)
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