Seiler und Speer with new album "Hödn" back: Thousands of fans expected at Vienna concert

After three consecutive top positions in the album charts, Seiler and Bernhard Speer did not put pressure on themselves to follow up. "We don't think about it at all," assured Seiler. "You could say that's unprofessional. No, it's not at all. It has always been our trait that we don't care about many things. And by many things, I mean things that should actually be irrelevant. A number-one album doesn't necessarily have to be better than number two or number three. More people just bought it that week, period. Many people can also buy nonsense."

Seiler and Speer: "The Real Test Is at Concerts"

The duo will probably still be measured by their past achievements. "Sure," nodded Seiler. "But the best test is always at a concert or on tour. When people come and, above all, when they leave happy, that's what it's all about." 3,000 visitors at a performance in Berlin is quite impressive for an Austrian dialect act. But a full Ernst-Happel-Stadion "is a different statement," said the singer. "Sure, it could have gone wrong, but we're close to sold out. That's crazy. It makes you humble and reverent."

"Hödn" cannot be confined to one style: "They called us Austropop. But I don't like that term at all because it's not a genre," said Seiler. "We make music that actually has no genre - in dialect, the only common thread. We've somehow created our own thing. But it's also kind of logical that after ten years, you've found yourself and a sound has developed."

The current single is called "Mama Leone". A hit with the same title was written by Drafi Deutscher and, after two unsuccessful performers, sung to success by Bino in 1978 - a homage? "Definitely," answered Seiler. "I also admit that I really like listening to Schlager from that time. Those were great songs. The Schlager of back then has nothing to do with today's. In our song, it's remotely about my grandmother. The song is called 'Mama Leone' because she always listened to that song."

Secrecy in the Announcement of the Vienna Concert

"Tot sei wär mir lieber" is again in the tradition of the Wienerlied. Seiler: "It's a tradition for us to have such a song on the album. I see many parallels between 'Hödn' and the first album. After ten years, it was important to us that it's a bit of a homage to the debut. Of course, the whole thing sounds more mature. The first album is more slapstick. The percentage distribution of slapstick to seriousness was 70 to 30, and now it's exactly reversed."

Edgy lyrics are also a must. "Red mit an Aundan" is a good example of this. "It's about this bad habit that has spread in our society. That supposedly politically well-informed people don't accept your opinion, only theirs." "Bis uns daschlogn" is again a self-description: "We are the brats, we are the books, but we are not ashamed," it says. Even if it's sung with a wink, Seiler insists: "If we are many things, we were never vain. Certainly not arrogant. I feel more comfortable where the brats run around than somewhere with the asparagus eaters. I don't see myself there at all, you'll never see me there."

At the press conference announcing their stadium concert, Seiler was secretive: "Not only will a new album be released, but it could also be three." A joke? "Not really. I've written so many songs in these six years. There will definitely be a kind of living room session with completely new stuff, recorded with a live band, but rather restrained. And it could be that a new proper studio album will follow next year."

(APA/Red.)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.