Vienna is not the first city that comes to mind when you think of Heavy Psych Rock — but Lazer are here to change that. The Austrian five-piece have just dropped their debut full-length, “Far Away,” via StoneFree Records, and it hits like a transmission from deep space: pulsating synths, modulated guitars, colossal riffs, and a cinematic sense of atmosphere that refuses to let go long after the needle lifts. Recorded in their own studio and shaped with painstaking care, “Far Away” is more than a first album — it’s a statement of intent. We caught up with the band to talk about their origins, the making of the record, and what it means to build something heavy and beautiful from scratch.
Lazer formed in Vienna — a city with a rich Classical and Electronic Music tradition but not exactly known as a Heavy Psych hub. How did the band come together, and what was the initial spark that pushed you toward this sound?
Although the band formed in Vienna, the founding members Lukas Klingseisen & Lukas Schmidt grew up together in the countryside of Austria with a deep love for Rock, Metal and Heavy Music in general. Experimenting with their love for music and playing live always pushed them towards the stage where they found out what worked best for them. Their
Heavy Psych Rock sound developed over time blending all the genres they feel particularly passionate about.
The lineup — two guitars, bass, drums, keys, and vocals — gives you a lot of sonic territory to work with. Was the band always conceived with this instrumentation in mind, or did the lineup evolve over time?
The lineup was always conceived like this, especially because it was the founding member’s dream to have a band where Lukas K. played guitar – He’s actually a sick drummer with a deep love for strings!
Your sound sits at a crossroads between Heavy Psych, Stoner, and Progressive Rock. Which artists or albums would you say were the real touchstones when you were defining what Lazer should sound like?
There are so many great artists we drew inspiration from, but to name the most important
ones: Elder, Weedpecker, Mastodon, Pink Floyd.
The press material mentions a balance between raw power and atmospheric depth — thunderous grooves alongside introspective, calm passages. Is that contrast something you consciously pursue, or does it emerge naturally in the writing process?
Music is always a play with contrasts – There’s no good without bad! To make the fat passages even fatter you have to have some sort of relaxed passages. If you don’t play with tension and release the music loses the meaning and intention.
Before “Far Away,” you released a live EP from Beardy Mountain Studios in 2025. How much did that experience — recording and releasing live material — shape your approach to making a proper studio album?
The making of our live EP was a beautiful collaboration with the Beardy Mountain Studios – We have been friends for years and the recording felt like a breeze with them. It was right there when the band decided that Thomas “Wasti” Pröschl should record Tanja’s vocals and mix/master the album because the sound of the live EP was so outstanding considering it was all recorded live with no overdubs etc.
“Far Away” is a cohesive journey, with a strong narrative thread running through it. Was this a concept you had in mind from the beginning, or did the album’s identity take shape as the songs came together?
It was always important for the band that the album felt like one concept with nothing standing out as if it didn’t belong there. Although the songs were not written with that in mind, the running order of the album achieved a very smooth play through and the feeling of a narrative thread!
The tracklist opens with “Underwater” and closes with “Master Pretender” — those feel like deliberate bookends. How did you approach the sequencing of the album, and what kind of arc were you going for?
Underwater was the first ever single to be released and is always the opening song of the band’s live shows, so it felt very natural to have it as the first song of the album. Master pretender is our homage to pure Heavy Rock and conceived more as a “hidden track” more than a full song. The sequencing of the album itself was a very easygoing process because the tracks made it very clear for the band where they belong. It’s a bit of a vague answer, but the sequencing was done in a few minutes and has never been questioned again, haha
Is there a track on “Far Away” that surprised you — one that evolved in a completely unexpected direction from its original idea?
The whole album surprised us – The pre-production was already very well done but our producer and guitarist Lukas K. really outdid himself with the final production. Adding all the extras (Acoustic guitars, keys, synths etc.) really added another dimension we couldn’t have imagined!
“Sheeps In Clothes” was chosen as the first single with a lyric video. Why that track? What does it represent as a gateway into the album for a new listener?
The track felt perfect to be released as a single because of the strong chorus and the dreamy verse. It showed aspects of the band that define us in a way we felt the audience would recognize immediately.
The title “Far Away” — and track titles like “Run Away” & ”Getting Colder” and “Can’t Resist” — suggest themes of distance, tension, and longing. What’s the emotional or narrative territory you’re exploring lyrically across the album?
Unfortunately I can’t properly address this question as our singer Tanja is the one who wrote all the lyrics and she’s currently recovering from a serious illness and can’t be part of the interview.
How does the lyric writing work within the band — is it a collective process or does it fall mainly on one person? And how closely are the lyrics tied to the music’s mood and dynamics?
It’s all in the hands of our singer Tanja! She’s very particular about the moods and emotions she feels when hearing the songs. Accordingly the lyrics have a strong tie with the songs.
The album was recorded in your own studio in Vienna, with Lukas Klingseisen at the helm. What does having your own space give you that a commercial studio wouldn’t? And what were the challenges of being producer and musician at the same time?
The main thing it gave us was the freedom to experiment and take all the time we needed. Lukas is a professional studio engineer, so all the microphone placements, amp choices etc. were already thought through. There have not been challenges with being producer and musician at the same time – It was even a blessing because he knew exactly what the song needed and could deliver it.
The mix and mastering was handled by Thomas Pröschl, described as a long-time friend and collaborator. How did that relationship influence the final sound? Was there a specific element of the record that really came alive in the mix?
Working with Thomas is always a blessing because we speak the same language musically. He understands us and what we want instantly and through him, our album came alive in a way we could have not imagined!
Any memorable studio moment — a happy accident, a late-night breakthrough, or something that almost didn’t make it onto the record?
We recorded guitars for almost 2 weeks everyday and on one day one of our Marshall cabinets went up in flames because it couldn’t handle the stress anymore, haha. So be aware – Not everything is built to last forever!
The album is out on vinyl and digital via StoneFree Records. How important is the vinyl format to you as a band — does the physical object change how you think about the album as a whole?
Totally. Holding the vinyl in your hands for the first time is a moment I can’t describe in words. All the work we poured in this accumulates into this round object and is a sign of your devotion and passion. Also the artwork made by our trusted Graphic Designer and friend “Mirkow Gastow” really resonates with the music and the mood of the album. I’m so happy that he agreed to working with us again.
How does the Lazer live experience translate the record’s layered, studio-crafted sound? Is there a different energy you go for on stage?
It’s definitely more raw and straight forward, although in my experience the record’s essence is caught very well in the live context. For me personally, the live experience is what it always was about, because every gig is a different interpretation of the album and no gigs are the same.
Any particularly memorable live moment from your time on stage so far — a show, a venue, or a crowd reaction that stuck with you?
Perhaps the first leg of our Album Release Tour through Germany. The turnout was very good and the audience loved the concerts. It was really surreal for me that people from a different country would show up and love our music. But as I said every gig is something special and I have a place in my heart for every single one of them.
The Heavy Psych and stoner scene in Austria isn’t exactly overexposed internationally. Who are the bands or artists from your local scene that deserve more attention? And what does it feel like to be flying the flag for Vienna in this genre?
We’re proud to be a part of the “StoneFree Records” family which is a label with the purpose of supporting the heavy underground. I’d say every band of their roster deserves more attention but if I had to pick some it would be Savanah, Spiral Drive and Hypnotic Floor!
What’s next for Lazer? Any plans for touring, new material, or anything else in the pipeline you can share with us?
Our plan is to tour as much as we can in Europe with the album and meanwhile finish the pre-production for the next album. There’s no particular date for the release but it’s gonna be a great record and an evolution compared to our debut. We already have some sick shows lined up and our goal is to explore as many countries as possible.
“Far Away” is one of those debut albums that doesn’t feel like a beginning — it feels like a band that has already figured out who they are and exactly where they want to take you. Lazer have built something with real weight and real soul, and if this is only the start, the road ahead looks very promising. We’ll be watching closely — and keeping the needle on the record. Many thanks to Lazer for their time and to StoneFree Records for making this happen.
“Far Away” is out now on vinyl and digital — grab your copy and turn it up.
Purchase “Far Away” here: https://shop.stonefree.co.at/products/lazer-packages
Read our Review of “Far Away” here: [Review] Lazer – Far Way