New Album: Julian le Play Wants to Return to the Origin

Julian le Play wanted "to return to quiet tones, tell stories, and perform in old K&K theaters." Said and done: The Viennese pop singer and songwriter rearranged his songs, embarked on an unplugged concert tour with a band and strings, and initially had no plans for a new album. "During the tour, I said: This is so good, can we please record it," the 34-year-old said in an APA interview. On Friday, "le Play Unplugged" will be released on CD and vinyl.

Back to the Roots with a New Album

The motivation behind it is quickly explained: "I had released five albums so far. From album to album, my music became poppier, louder, more expressive. Because, starting from singer-songwriter roots, I increasingly felt the urge to try something a bit bigger." At some point, specifically after the last studio album, le Play felt he had exhausted that. So, it was back to the roots and into some of the most beautiful concert halls. "le Play Unplugged" was recorded at the Graz Orpheum, the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Cologne Kulturkirche, and the Stadttheater Berndorf.

Julian le Play Doesn't Want to Do "One of Those Boring Unplugged Concerts"

The songs on the double album (with vinyl bonus tracks) or on the triple CD are divided into the chapters "Searching," "Finding," and "Letting Go," just as it was the case with the shows. "I didn't want to do one of those boring unplugged concerts - with two acoustic guitars and well -, but offer something dramaturgical and work with an emotionalizing theme," said the singer. "I thought about what phases exist in every person's life. There are three: Searching, Finding, and Letting Go. They constantly repeat. This ranges from love to home to the car. We are always confronted with going through these three emotional states."

Choosing songs was not difficult for him: "I realized that I can put every song I've ever written into one of these categories. The categories filled themselves as if by magic. Of course, I made sure to include songs that people know." For the artist, engaging with his previous work led to new insights: "I now have completely different stories for some older songs. I was surprised at how much more sense they make to me now."

Christmas Show at the Vienna Konzerthaus

In 2026, le Play will continue the unplugged tour, which will even take him to the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. "However, still in the small hall," he chuckled. Viennese fans will get their money's worth this year, as a "le Play Unplugged Christmas Show" is scheduled for December 7 in the Great Hall of the Konzerthaus. "I will sing my songs, maybe one or two Christmas carols. I will probably try out new songs on stage that I am currently working on."

Has the project influenced his current songwriting? Le Play nods: "Yes, focusing on the essentials! With the unplugged album, I realized that the more space a song has, the more gaps there are, the better it is. You can evoke more if you don't cover things up, instead of thinking you have to emphasize the vocals with ten synthesizers."

(The conversation was conducted by Wolfgang Hauptmann/APA)

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