Under Byen arrived early at Szene, the venue of their Vienna show, and have already made themselves comfortable by noon. It almost looks like they live there. Their white vintage tourbus with the “Under Byen” sign on the windshield is parked at the front door, the members of the eight-piece-band from Denmark are hanging out in the numerous rooms of the Szene backstage area and some of them sit in the garden on this mild October day. The scene is too idyllic to resist, so we quickly convert the backyard of the Szene club from a chill out place into the location for the videos of “Hjertebarn” from their first album “Kyst” and the 2002-song “Mission”. Under Byen put a lot of effort in the session, laying cables and carrying out much of their gear from the stage – amongst them a big trash can – before lining up in a semi circle, surrounded by all kinds of litter in the backyard. Under Byen’s approach to rock music is a very unconventional one. Rarely using a guitar, they create complex and atmospheric soundscapes which often include a jazzy touch but still don’t lack the pop appeal.

underbyen.dk