After almost 12 years of band history,MARATHONMANN turn the steering wheel of their DeLorean, accelerate to 88 miles per hour and look into their very personal future by taking a trip into the past. ...For non-film buffs: From “Auryn ” and the band’s new synth-rock sound, the love for the 80s and for bands like THE CURE, ALPHAVILLE and MÖTLEY CRÜE flows from every opening. (Post)punk was already an inadequate categorization in the recent past, but now it has had its day. And yet: MARATHON MAN have never been more themselves than in this moment.
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A heart for synths and the 80s
“This time we wanted to take new paths and incorporate everything that has shaped us in recent years. As people, we have changed fundamentally since the beginning of MARATHONMANN and at some point it became clear that this had to be reflected in the band. We were particularly inspired by the music that we love and that accompanies us every day.” Frontman Michael “Michi” Lettner would never think of putting his band’s past into perspective, but alongside his love for punk rock, he suggested it He always has a heart in his chest for the synth-driven rock of the 80s and also for the aesthetics that bands and films embodied back then.
To ensure that the result sounds authentic but also contemporary and not like a punk band experimenting with synths, MARATHONMANN supported Beray Habip in the production of their new material, who has also worked with artists such as KETTCAR, ADAM ANGST, FJØRT, GIANT ROOKS worked. KOCHKRAFT DURCH KMA keyboardist Nicki Frenking was also brought in as a specialist for electronic instruments. But they didn't just work on the instrumentation, they also wanted to show maturity when it came to songwriting: "'Auryn' is more reduced and tidier than our old stuff," explains Michi. “The song has all the elements of the new MARATHONMANN sound: synths, chorus guitars, electronic basses. And there’s a saxophone solo – that says it all.”
“'Auryn' is about negative influences, i.e. drugs, alcohol and people who don't mean you well. In certain situations you get into a dead end and try to find a way out with the help of such things or people, but exactly the opposite is the case." Michi reveals that the topics around which MARATHONMANN revolves have changed little compared to the music have: “It's about false friends and things that destroy you.” Nevertheless, the lyrics also gain a new effect through the performance, because it's less about hopelessness than about a clear view.
MARATHONMANN have so far released two EPs, four studio albums and one live album, four of which have entered the official German album charts. Most recently, the Munich-based band celebrated their greatest successes to date with “The Fear Sits Next to You” (chart position #41, 2019) and the unplugged album “Alles auf Null” (chart position #26, 2021), both of which were released by Redfield Records and they will be with the new album (more details coming soon) and the new sound will undoubtedly build on this.
Shortly before it starts, Michi is excited: “We have the goal of opening a few new doors and experiencing something new. We want to perform with new bands, play new festivals and just reach out further. Of course we also want to take the old fans with us on the new MARATHONMANN adventure and show them our version of the 80s.”