Nordwand

Hailing from Styria, Austria, Nordwand operates as a German pop ensemble delivering boy band–styled schlager material. The lineup consists of Wolfi Birnstingl (vocals; born 1979), Thomas Strizek (guitar; 1976), Chris Kreiner (bass; 1979), Wolfgang Nadrag (drums, guitar; 1980), and Chry Dietrich (keyboards; 1976). The group issued its first album, Es Macht Boom, on the Watts Music label in 2005. Later that same year came the follow-up Nichts Haut Mich Um. Breakthrough arrived with the third release, Frauen Sind Wie Sterne (2007), which climbed to number 43 on the Austrian albums chart and yielded the singles “Jenny Wird Erst 16” and “Frauen Sind Wie Sterne.” Nordwand then shifted to Sony Music for So Nah (2009), a Top Ten entry on the Austrian albums chart that included the single “Was Wenn Nicht Liebe (I Want It That Way).” Concurrently, Watts Music issued the compilation Best of Nordwand (2009), drawing together earlier highlights from the group’s catalog.