June: A month of celebrations and tribute, from Pride Month to Juneteenth, to Father’s Day and a stunningly rare Strawberry Moon. Simultaneously, with tragedies surrounding us, from the horrific school shooting in Graz on June 10 to the devastating wars raging in the Middle East, we look to music and art to lift us up and keep us going, time and time again. On that note, be safe, be well, and be kind to yourselves and each other. From us to you, AUSTRIAN MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS to rev you up, quiet you down and get you through your day, whatever it may be or bring.
to everything tour, tour, tour
Vienna’s own BIBIZA is back on the road, this time with full band in tow for his “bis einer weint” (“until somebody cries”) tour. Since launching in early 2025, the tour has already swept through major cities across Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and beyond, turning venues from Freiburg’s E‑Werk to Vienna’s Gasometer into seething cauldrons of pop‑rock energy.
Following the release of his sixth album, “bis einer weint” (November 2024), Bibiza has crafted a live show defined by unchecked enthusiasm, boundary‑pushing attitude, and raw stage presence. His core lineup – Enzo Gaier (guitar), Moritz Meixner (drums), Xaver Nahler (keys), Markus Windisch (bass) – ensures the shows pack both punch and polish. With tour stops rapidly selling out, expect Bibiza to bring a blend of Wiener Schmäh, reckless energy, and honest vulnerability to a live experience that challenges both artist and audience -“until somebody cries.” Upcoming shows include festival appearances and standalone gigs and can be found here.
Austrian artist UCHE YARA is touring Europe from June to September 2025, performing at major festivals such as Lido Sounds in Linz, Gurtenfestival and Paléo Festival in Switzerland, and Watt en Schlick Festival in Germany. Known for blending R&B, rock, and experimental pop, she’s gained attention for her dynamic live shows and unique sound. This tour follows the success of her debut single “www she hot,” which received airplay on BBC Radio 6 and FM4. UCHE YARA continues to build her reputation with engaging performances across the continent. For more info on the artist and tour dates, go here.
Sophia Blenda’s summer tour kicks off: Fresh from the release of her introspective album Die Summe der Vereinzelung in May, Vienna-based singer-songwriter SOPHIA BLENDA embarks on a tour through Germany at the end of June. Each stop promises an intimate encounter with her emotive songwriting and raw vocal presence. The tour includes the following dates: Ausland in Berlin on June 26, at the Lonesome Lake Festival in Zittau on June 27, and at Trafo in Jena on June 28.
Austrian band WANDA, known for their bold, emotionally charged blend of rock and pop, will be touring Germany from late June through July 2025. Their distinctive style—infused with Viennese charm, rock energy, and a heartfelt, sometimes ironic take on life—has broad appeal while remaining rooted in local character. The tour will include multiple stops across the country, with performances featuring a mix of songs from their current album and earlier releases. Wanda will appear in a range of venues, continuing their reputation for a strong and consistent live presence. For info on the band and tour dates, go here.
DROP ZONE
LIZKI celebrates all her facets and nuances in “In Between” (SEAYOU RECORDS: June 13, 2025). A refreshing groove meets lightness, thoughtful lyrics meet determined instrumentation, while Lizki sings about self-acceptance. She addresses an attitude to life that is an achievement: “Only in the heavily distorted finale do you realize that perhaps it wasn’t so easy to get to this point after all,” the label writes about the single. “In Between” can be seen as a plea: with self-love in your luggage, everything can be taken to the next level. The single is from the forthcoming album “Losing Grip In A Chaotic World”. Lizki began her solo career in 2019 under the name Rey Lenon before releasing her debut album “Forward” under her current stage name in 2021. In 2024, she was nominated for the Austrian Music Video Award – and this year also promises great things: the release of her second album, as well as planned appearances in Ljubljana (8/6), Berlin (10/9) and Vienna (11/25), among others. Until then, “In Between” will sweeten the waiting time and is also the perfect song for Pride Month. (Translated from the German original.)
A special kind of (Viennese) collaboration comes about when DIE STROTTERN and JAZZWERKSTATT WIEN join forces. This can be heard on their current album “Sieben Zwetschken” (Jazzwerkstatt Records // Release: June 13, 2025). On it, they combine lyrical finesse with the radiance of various instruments. Read the full review here (in German).
With “Autobahn”, Linz-based musician ANDA MORTS releases an ironic take on the most popular form of human transportation. The song also conveys the less glamorous side of rock’n’roll life on tour – including hours of traffic jams and the odd wrong turn. The song was written on the wide-open highways of Germany during Anda Morts’ last tour. The feeling was all the better when the navigation system became superfluous, the route became familiar and finally the overhead signs on the A1 read “LINZ”. Because then it becomes clear that the ordeal of the car journey finally ends at home – but don’t worry, the next tour is sure to come. In terms of sound, the song presents itself as a catchy punk song with fast rhythms and dynamic guitar riffs. Anda Mort’s voice is central and tells the story with a wink directly from the back seat into the microphone. “Autobahn” is the second single from his debut album “ANS”, which will be released on September 19, 2025. (Translated from the German original.)
HARRY DEAN LEWIS’s latest output culminates in his fresh May 2025 single “Glide,” continuing a creative streak that began with his 2024 album and earlier singles like “Crispy.”
“Harry Dean Lewis is above all a very good musician. One who has soul, can properly properly, and does something that nobody in Vienna has done for a long time. That may be because he comes a few thousand kilometers from the place he lives.” (Translated from the original by Christoph Benkeser.)
“I SEE THE SUBCONSCIOUS AS AN OLYMPIC ATHLETE.” – Harry Dean Lewis
Read more from our full interview with Harry Dean Lewis here.
ROMANTIC SLIVO is known as the frontman of the band 5/8erl in Ehr’n. Now he has released his solo single “Holiday”. A song that combines Austropop, retro soul and summer flair. Thematically, it is about the longing for sun, love and lightness. Musically, dynamic brass sections and groovy beats, as well as lively guitar melodies, convey the basic mood. The song is situated somewhere between Danube Island and Palermo and sweetens even the grayest working day with a little vacation flair. In the accompanying music video, Romantic Slivo also shows how much of a vacation mood can arise in Vienna – without the sea. (Translated from our RELEASE RADAR series, in German.)
ELETTROTAPE are releasing a double single with “SPACE” and “NOW”, offering an insight into their debut album, which will be released in November. The Italian-Austrian trio comes from different musical backgrounds and creates electronic sounds together, focusing on (self-)reflection and space for individual development in their creative process. This aspiration is expressed in intimate soundscapes that sound as if a new world is opening up. “NOW” conveys a calm mood and interweaves electronic shimmering with touching vocals, “SPACE” is a gentle tune with floating melodies. The double release aims to counter the hectic pace of everyday life and invites you to simply be – and do nothing. If you want to see Elettrotape live, you can do so on June 13 in Bolzano. (Translated from our RELEASE RADAR series, in German.)
Austrian singer-songwriter RUHMER is a creative multi-talent. He used to be active as a drummer in various bands, but decided to launch a solo project a few years ago. His second album “The Masterplan” was released at the end of May (RecordJet: May 30, 2025) . In an interview with Ylva Hintersteiner, he talks about the new album, the creation of his music videos on Fuerteventura and explains how dreams become a source of inspiration for his song lyrics.
“I NEED TO FEEL A BIT LIKE AN ALIEN, THEN I CAN BE MORE CREATIVE.” – RUHMER
Read the full interview here (in German).
Salzburg singer-songwriter AVA FINA is back with her new single “no money”. Her music combines pop, soul and indie elements to create an exciting mix. This is also clearly audible in her new song. A direct guitar melody and light key elements form the catchy basis of the song. AVA FINA’s voice is central, sounding approachable and telling the story of the song with a wink. The content of “no money” revolves around the attitude to life of a generation caught between idealism, existential angst and inner exhaustion. It is an ode to fighting through life, even on those days when it is particularly difficult, and to creative survival strategies. The single is part of the planned EP “Simultaneously Stimulating”, which will be released in fall 2025. (Translated from our RELEASE RADAR series, in German.)
In addition to music, the talented artist CHRISTL is also at home in the visual arts and in poetry. In her new single “Kopf verdreht” (Ink Music: May 23, 2025), she has once again created a musical painting with clear imagery. It depicts the search for a response, which ends in vain. At the same time, it is also a liberation and an invitation to let lightness back into one’s life after traumatic experiences, violence and heaviness. The song shows the fragile side of CHRISTL, which at the same time functions as strength, as the fragility is communicated so openly. Musically, the song presents itself as a pop ballad. It is based on acoustic guitar playing accompanied by wide synth pads. A pulsating beat kicks in in the middle, which only exists in the background at the beginning and then briefly comes to the fore in the last third. CHRISTL’s voice is direct and clear. It vividly conveys the story of the song. With “Kopf verdreht”, CHRISTL shows a new side, but one that fits perfectly into her overall creative cosmos. (Translated from our RELEASE RADAR series, in German.)
Special Specials
From July 11 to 27, 2025, the renowned Glatt & Verkehrt festival returns to the Wachau region around Krems for its 29th edition, celebrating a vibrant “linguistic diversity” theme. Set against historic venues like Schloss Spitz, Stift Göttweig, Winzer Krems, and more, the event offers a rich mix of world music—from Irish‑Gaelic and Catalan to Viennese dialect—as well as traditions from the USA, Mexico, Afghanistan, and Eastern Europe. With concerts, workshops, Tafelmusik, children’s programs, and live Ö1 broadcasts, the festival creates a lively cultural meeting ground in a beautiful wine-country setting. Besides international highlights (like John Scofield & Dave Holland), Austrian acts will grace the festival stages with a vibrant mix of genre, including — 5/8erl in Ehr’n, Lylit, Attwenger, Ernst Molden, Die Strottern, Martin Grubinger and more —exemplifying the home-grown creativity at the heart of Glatt & Verkehrt.
As part of Wiener Festwochen 2025, Klangforum Wien presents the world premiere of Voice Killer, a new opera by Czech composer Miroslav Srnka with a libretto by Tom Holloway. Commissioned by MusikTheater an der Wien, the work is based on a disturbing real-life criminal case from the Second World War. At its center is a young American soldier stationed in Australia, whose obsessive search for his deceased mother’s voice among women around him ultimately drives him to murder. Conducted by Finnegan Downie Dear, Voice Killer will premiere at Theater an der Wien on 13 June 2025, with further performances on June 18, 20, and 23. The opera is performed in English with German and English subtitles.
Happy Birthday
oenm – 50 years
June 1975 was memorable in Salzburg not only for the visit of U.S. President Gerald Ford—who famously slipped on the airplane stairs—but also for a key moment in Austrian music history: the founding of the œnm – oesterreichisches ensemble fuer neue musik. On June 14, 1975, Klaus Ager and fellow musicians gathered at the ORF Studio in Salzburg to dedicate themselves to contemporary music. Fifty years later, in 2025, œnm celebrates its remarkable anniversary as one of Europe’s most established ensembles for 20th- and 21st-century music—with a special revival concert on June 14 at the œnm Atelier in Salzburg’s Künstlerhaus.
Klangforum Wien – 40 years
“June 13, 1985, Palais Liechtenstein, Vienna. That day, the first cornerstone of a success story with particular focus on the New in music was laid, which has continued to the present day. Initially named Société de l’Art Acoustique, the composer and conductor Beat Furrer was able to gather a group of kindred spirits and to initiate an inaugural concert, which marked the “big bang” of today’s Klangforum Wien. The programme included works by Ligeti, Szymanski, Liberda, Furrer and Ablinger (who passed away much too early last April).
We will take these first 40 years of joint ensemble culture as an opportunity to tell the story of our 41st year in the form of a public diary. Instead of reminiscing, we‘re always eager to look towards the future. Ensemble member Paul Beckett will kick off these weekly calendar notes.” – Press Release Klangforum Wien
Arianna Alfreds