Lebanon Hanover: An Ice-Cold Reply to the Alienated World. William delivers the scoop on this killer act's upcoming tour. Coldwave..Darkwave; Lebanon Hanover absolutely delivers in every aspect.

Lebanon Hanover: An Ice-Cold Reply to the Alienated World.

William delivers the scoop on this killer act's upcoming tour. Coldwave..Darkwave; Lebanon Hanover absolutely delivers in every aspect.

Formed in Berlin in 2010 after Swiss artist Larissa Iceglass and British musician William Maybelline met in Sunderland, Lebanon Hanover is a multinational darkwave duo that has spent a decade and a half building one of the more uncompromising catalogues in coldwave. Tagged early on as "the most stylishly miserable band on earth," the pair have never bothered fighting the label — Iceglass has said outright that the project's purpose was to make minimal, sombre music in the spirit of the early '80s, arguing it fits this "dark age" better than anything glossier. That refusal to soften is the whole engine of the band: their sound blends icy minimalism, post-punk melancholy and gothic romanticism, built on drum machines, jangly bass and vocal interplay between Iceglass's detached lament and Maybelline's flatter baritone.

Live, the reputation is just as deliberate. Shows lean on stripped-back visuals, shadowy lighting and restraint, aiming for something intimate and otherworldly rather than a spectacle — a hypnotic, almost ritualistic set rather than a rock show.

Discography Highlights

- The World Is Getting Colder(2012) — the debut, laying down the template: minimal synths, deadpan vocal delivery, no interest in hooks for their own sake.

- Why Not Just Be Solo (2012) — released the same year, doubling down on the isolationist streak that's stayed a lyrical throughline ever since.

- Tomb for Two(2013) — arguably the record that built their cult following. Opener "Sadness Is Rebellion" sets the tone with windswept synth and jangly bass under Iceglass's lyrical lament, framing grief as something worth sitting inside rather than fixing. "Stahlwerk" is Maybelline's ode to Berlin's industrial winter landscapes, all steel-drum intro and Kraftwerk-precise percussion, while "Hall of Ice" calls back to the first album with Iceglass's vocal floating over bass, drum machine and xylophone.

- Besides the Abyss (2015) — the follow-through record, keeping the palette narrow and the tone bleak.

- Let Them Be Alien(2018) — still one of the most cited entry points for new fans; leans harder into alienation as a stated theme rather than just a mood.

- Sci-Fi Sky(2020) — a shift toward a slightly colder, more electronic edge, dropped mid-pandemic and read by a lot of listeners as eerily well-timed.

- Asylum Lullabies (2025) — the most recent album, the one they're touring behind now. And it's heavier, cathartic and immense.

They've also kept a steady stream of standalone singles and remixes between albums (Gallowdance, Digital Ocean, Hard Drug — Qual Remix, Better Than Going Under b/w Kyiv, Abracadabra), helping keep them visible in the scene between full-length cycles rather than disappearing for years at a time.

Q&A: William Maybelline on the 2026 Australian Tour

You sold out your 2024 Australian debut. What emotional imprint did that first visit leave on you, and what compelled you to return for these exclusive shows?

Australia and the people are beautiful, and coming for the first time was a genuinely amazing experience. We felt welcomed, accepted, and completely comfortable from the moment we arrived — and that feeling alone is enough to make us want to return.

Lebanon Hanover have been called "the most stylishly miserable band on earth." How do you interpret that description, and does misery still feel like the right lens for the world in 2026?

Certain parts of life are always going to be miserable. That feeling doesn't vanish just because the world changes, it is always present in one form or another. Misery is part of the human condition, and whether people label us that way or not, it's simply a reality we all carry.

You've spent more than a decade shaping the sound and aesthetic of modern goth culture. What part of that legacy feels most important to protect as you enter this new era?

Anyone is free to be inspired, and that's a beautiful thing. But if someone copies something as a perfect replica, that's just sad — it's a waste of natural human potential. What matters most to protect is individuality: people taking influences and transforming them into something of their own.

Your music is often described as an antidote to a world in constant rush. What do you hope Australian audiences slow down long enough to feel during these shows?

The very moment they're in, that's what matters. I hope they slow down enough to feel that space, maybe disappear with us for a while, or at least vibe with us. If the rush fades, the atmosphere becomes something real.

The coldwave and post-punk revival has exploded globally. How do you stay connected to your roots while still evolving within a scene you helped define?

Roots are roots, they don't change. They're the foundation, and they stay with you no matter how much the world around you shifts. But with a foot in the past, we walk backwards into the future. That's how we evolve: by carrying what formed us while still moving into new territory.

Your live performances are hypnotic, almost ritualistic. What internal shift happens for you when you step onstage, and how does that intensity manifest during these Australian dates?

I disappear, another part of me enters the show, like something inside wakes up. It feels euphoric, almost like stepping into a different state of being. That intensity grows even more when the crowd is moving with us, jumping around and feeding that energy back.

Lebanon Hanover's sound is bleakly beautiful, yet deeply human. What role does vulnerability play in your songwriting, especially in an age where emotional honesty feels increasingly rare?

I don't see what's to hide. Usually when you share a deeper part of yourself, another human connects with it, and sometimes that connection can transform or even help someone else. That's a beautiful thing. Vulnerability isn't a weakness — it's what makes the music feel real, especially in a time when emotional honesty is becoming rare.

Australia has a passionate underground community. What do you sense in Australian audiences that differs from Europe or South America, and how does that shape your setlist or performance?

It's hard to say, but from the last time we were there, the audiences seemed super up for it, really present, really energetic. That kind of enthusiasm pumps us too. When a crowd gives that much, it naturally shapes the performance and the atmosphere, and we lean into that energy.

If you could describe the 2026 Australian tour in one sentence — the mood, the message, the promise — what would that sentence be?

It just had an overall great feel, the place, the atmosphere, everything. We felt comfortable there, completely at ease, and we genuinely love the fans… it made the whole tour feel alive.