Sonic Sundays | AnnenMayKantereit
AnnenMayKantereit in Stuttgart
Image | X-tof Christoph Hoyer
German Indie pop band AnnenMayKantereit takes its name from the surnames of the three founding members: guitarist Christopher Annen, vocalist and pianist Henning May, and drummer Severin Kantereit (bassist Malte Huck is the fourth member, who joined later). The band formed in Köln (Cologne) and after busking for a few years they took Germany by storm in early 2016 with their release of “Pocahontas” and has since performed to crowds around Europe. In 2020, Huck left the band and the trio released their fourth album, called 12.
Henning May’s deep, raspy voice makes the emotional lyrics of AnnenMayKantereit’s songs all the more poignant. Often they are about deeply personal feelings and sometimes carry a political message. The band also prides itself on using only true instruments on their albums (without help from electronic sounds), all of which they play themselves.
Most of the band’s songs are about love and loss. According to May, “Pocahontas” is about growing apart not for a lack of love, but for a lack of communication. “Vielleicht, Vielleicht” is about the bliss of a new relationship, and “Oft Gefragt” is about the stability of a parent. In “Ozean,” May sings about wanting to run away from his past.
“Pocahontas”
”Vielleicht Vielleicht” (Maybe, Maybe)
“Oft Gefragt” (Often asked)
“Ozean” (Ocean)
