Leftovers

"IT MAY BE THAT EVERYTHING ENDS" is the title of the new and third album by the Vienna-based band Leftovers, known for their high-speed madness. It's a fitting title that certainly does not apply to the band itself, which has matured in the best possible way with this album—while still burning brightly. Author Eric Pfeil recently wrote a glowing tribute to the romantic idea of a band as a gang of friends in a column for "Rolling Stone." According to Pfeil, a rock band is a "breeding ground for nonsense" with "flickering ambitions," and starting one counts "among the most meaningful endeavors for young people."

Perhaps Eric Pfeil had the Vienna-based band Leftovers in mind when he penned this passionate appeal. For three albums now, Leftovers have been celebrating what it means to shake the world with friends in an electrifying manner. 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 members have written lyrics, sung, and everything blends together and amplifies each other. Often, you can't tell who is singing or doing whatever, but that’s not important: Everything on this astonishingly powerful album is Leftovers.

What may not be so surprising, and certainly not a given, is that Anna Grob, Leon Eder, Leonid Sushonund, and Alex Waismayer—whose names we will write out just this once before we refer to them as Anna, Leon, Leonid, and Alex—are indeed four very different individuals. They feel, perceive, dream, and yes, are different. But that’s exactly the point! Their diversity makes 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 taken another step forward. "IT MAY BE THAT EVERYTHING ENDS" is about the power of community, about lifting each other up in dark times, about the longing for love and the absence of it. During the production, separations occurred, new bonds were formed, and others stabilized, all against the backdrop of major global crises.

Initially, the band did not want to record a new album this year at all. Not again! After countless concerts and two albums in as many years, they wanted to take things a bit easier. They planned to release one or two EPs, maybe throw out a song here and there—just release what was ready. But things turned out quite differently: "We talked to colleagues, and they said, 'Real bands make albums, not EPs,'" says drummer Leon, "we embraced that attitude."

This music still feels like a catharsis, is chronically over-the-top, and sometimes noisy to the point of pain. The lyrics oscillate between functional poetry, DADA, and punk, making them as immediate as the music. So far, so Leftovers. However, you can also hear that the band has worked on these rich, profound pieces like never before. "The demands on our own music have grown," confirms Leon. It fits that Leftovers engaged in a truly collaborative effort for the first time with not one but two producers (Georg Gabler, Sven Regener).

Leftovers have grown up. In the best and most mature way possible. "It may be that everything ends"? Sure, at any time. But for the group Leftovers from Vienna, it's just getting started.