Endless Wellness

Wild newcomers who sound like old hands

Endless Wellness at the concert in Graz

(Bild: Christoph Hartner)

No other Austrian indie band has created as much hype in recent years as Endless Wellness. In Graz, the quartet presented their debut album "Was für ein Glück" (What Happiness), which was released a few weeks ago, to an audience that could already sing along to every song.

There are bands who, when presenting their debut album live, sound as if they have been on stage together for decades and are currently marketing their "Greatest Hits" album. Wanda was one such band, for example, as was Granada.

Hype band of the hour
And Endless Wellness, the new Austrian hype band of the moment, also falls into this category. The quartet from Salzburg and Vienna (with the addition of a drummer live) proved this impressively on Thursday at a sold-out indie apartment concert at the Orpheum eXtra in Graz.

(Bild: Christoph Hartner)

The reason for this lies on the one hand in the band itself: The musicians around charismatic singer Philipp Auer throw themselves unrestrainedly into the really big emotions, the really big melodies, the really big pop. At the same time, however, they always find moments of pause, mindfulness and reflection. Their songs are excessive and cheeky, but also melancholy and comforting. They are the musical recognition of a social exhaustion, but at the same time also a rebellion against the parents' generation - not least because the band repeatedly quotes and alienates their musical heroes.

"What happiness"
The second reason why Endless Wellness sound as if they've been in the business for decades right from the start of the tour for their debut album "Was für ein Glück" is their impact on the audience. Songs such as "Danke für alles", "Hand im Gesicht" and "Donnerwetterblitz" have become instant hits, and the majority of the audience in Graz can sing along to every one of them.

And so this concert never feels like you're just getting to know something new here. Critics would say: because Endless Wellness aren't doing anything revolutionary new either. But ultimately that doesn't matter, because what the band does on stage is so good and the approach so fresh that the quartet really has what it takes to become the voice of a generation.