Silbermond

German rock outfit Silbermond formed in 2002 around the talents of Stefanie Kloß (vocals), brothers Johannes (bass) and Thomas Stolle (guitar, piano), and Andreas Nowak (drums). After a high-profile January 2004 opening gig for singer Jeanette Biedermann, outsized expectations awaited the group’s debut LP, Verschwende Deine Zeit, and sales did not disappoint. The album went quintuple platinum on the strength of the Top Five single “Symphonie,” and on July 2, 2005, Silbermond performed on the Berlin stage of the international Live8 concert event. Their sophomore effort, Laut Gedacht, hit retail in the spring of 2006, debuting atop the German and Austrian charts. The album also launched Silbermond’s first number one single, “Das Beste.” 2009 saw the release of Silbermond’s third album, Nichts Passiert (Nothing Happens), following in the footsteps of their sophomore effort, it too debuted at number 1 in the German, Austrian and Swiss album charts. That same year the band picked up Best German Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards. Silbermond’s fourth album, Himmel Auf, came at the beginning of 2012 and was preceded by the single of the same name. 2014 saw the group issue their first compilation album, Alles auf Anfang 2014-2004, and the following year they issued their much anticipated fifth studio long player, Leichtes Gepäck (Light Baggage). ~ Jason Ankeny