Single reviewsThe Other Side Reviews

Da Podbies – Leuchtfeuer (2021)

If you need a single that helps you stay in control and not go off searching for the wrong things in life, you are in the right place. Da Podbies touch on this with their single ‘Leuchtfeuer’ which hits you with some cinematic folk-pop sounds. With a unique soundscape, the band helps settle something in your soul that you had no idea was out of place.

This soothing comes from Patrick Wolters (vocals, guitar), Cindy Patalas (vocals, piano) and Christian Schüer (drums). Since coming together as a band, they have been melding influences from the Beatles to Blur and Grönemeyer into their sound. While they haven’t been able to play more than a few local gigs, they are steadily building a fanbase.



‘Leuchtfeuer’ grabs your attention with a deep cinematic sound. There is a wonderful expansiveness to the melody that makes you think of epic movies. The strings swell with a haunting beauty before urging you ever forward into an endless adventure. You can easily imagine the music being part of a movie soundtrack. As the single progresses, the darkness in the strings comes through as it builds tension. As this tension rests on your shoulders, you are filled with a sense that everything is going to come to a head.

As you get drawn into the adventure of the melody, the lyrics pull you into the story. While the lyrics are in German, you don’t need to know the language to get the feeling of the story. Wolters’ vocals have this beautiful storytelling vibe that lets you know you are journeying toward something epic. Patalas’ backing vocals are like the ocean spray against your skin. When the tension comes through in the melody, the humming vocals fill you with a sense of dread before the lyrics let you know that the adventure is coming to a crescendo.



If you feel you can’t get the full majesty of the story through the single alone, the official music video is there to help. Through the use of sand drawings, the story of the lyrics is brought to visual life. As the single moves through the story, it is shown through the sand drawings which are utterly beautiful. There is something about seeing the imagery that allows the cinematic power of the single to hit a little harder.

Da Podbies pull you into their cinematic flows with swelling strings and building tension in ‘Leuchtfeuer’. The single has an epic adventure spirit that makes you long for the open seas and the feeling of ocean spray hitting your skin. While the lyrics are in German, you don’t need to understand the language to be swept up in the adventurous flows.

Find out more about Da Podbies on their website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.