In the mid-2010s, the German ensemble AnnenMayKantereit gained prominence by merging gritty indie folk with propulsive rock grooves while weaving in instruments such as the melodica, harmonica, and accordion. Primarily delivering lyrics in German and occasionally incorporating English or Spanish lines, the group’s early self-directed momentum secured a Universal contract that yielded their chart-topping second album, Alles Nix Konkretes, in 2016. Later releases Schlagschatten (2018) and 12 (2020) both reached the domestic top five, and a 2022 cover of Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner” brought them onto the U.K. singles chart. Their fifth album, Es Ist Abend und Wir Sitzen bei Mir, returned them to number one in Germany in 2023.
Guitarist Christopher Annen, singer/pianist Henning May, and percussionist Severin Kantereit formed the band in 2011 under a name drawn from their surnames and began by busking on Cologne streets. Their self-released debut, AMK, arrived in 2013, followed by a wave of guerrilla-style YouTube videos filmed in forests, on boats, and other nontraditional sites. Rising demand led to German club tours and major festival appearances. Universal Records signed them in 2015 and issued the live EP Wird Schon Irgendwie Gehen; the next year Alles Nix Konkretes topped charts in both Germany and Austria. Tracked in a small Spanish village, Schlagschatten introduced darker textures and peaked at number two in Germany in 2018. After signing a worldwide publishing deal with BMG, the group toured extensively through 2019 and early 2020 until the pandemic curtailed live work.
Studio sessions then took precedence, resulting in the November 2020 album 12, which addressed isolation, social awareness, and relationships. In March 2022 they teamed with Giant Rooks for a version of Suzanne Vega’s 1987 song “Tom’s Diner,” which became an unexpected hit and their first chart entry in the U.K. and Ireland. The following March, Es Ist Abend und Wir Sitzen bei Mir debuted at the summit of the German albums chart.
