The Pop-Up Stage was back on the road in Munich this summer, bringing free concerts to the city’s outlying neighborhoods. The mobile stage has been in our city since 2021, not only making culture accessible to everyone but also providing a platform for up-and-coming artists. We had the chance to meet one of these up-and-coming bands in person at the last Pop-Up Stage. We spoke with Erleuchtung and Rufo, and they not only told us what inspires them but also when you can expect new music from them.
United by a love of music
Erleuchtung und Rufo has five members, and their musical roles are diversely distributed within the band. Nico plays guitar, while Spüli mainly sings but also occasionally plays the drums. Dodo handles vocals and guitar, Lars combines drumming with his own vocal parts, and Liv plays bass. The two founders, Dodo and Spüli, have known each other since kindergarten and launched the music project together in 2018. The rest of the lineup found each other through the dating app Tinder.
When asked about their musical role models, the members give very different answers, citing indie greats like Tocotronic, Element Of Crime, Blond, and Die Moulinettes as key influences. At the same time, they’re also inspired by acts and up-and-coming artists like Jadu Heart, Bakar, King Princess, Ikkimel, and Chappell Roan. This wide range of inspiration is reflected in their own music. With their unconventional style, the five are currently making a name for themselves in the local music scene and turning their gigs into diverse shows featuring custom-made outfits and a good dose of humor.
New album from Erleuchtung und Rufo
The group is currently working intensively on new music, which, with any luck, you’ll get to hear in 2026. Their second album is set for release by the end of this year or, at the latest, early next year. To mark the occasion, the musicians announced their plans to celebrate the new album with a big release show.
The band also takes a pragmatic approach to communicating with its audience. To avoid relying exclusively on platforms like Instagram or TikTok, Erleuchtung und Rufo has set up its own WhatsApp chat. This way, even fans without social media accounts can stay up to date as soon as the next live shows in town are coming up. Speaking of their next show: If you missed them on the Pop-Up Stage, you’ll have another chance to see the band live and let their energy sweep you away at Sparda-Bank’s Zamanand Festival on September 12.
