Interview with High on the Sound (2026)
Last year, I did a live interview with Mario Scialdone about High on the Sound the magazine which he founded with Lena Eberhard. The publication of each magazine, which explores bands from all corners of Switzerland, coincides with a release concert at Südpol in Lucerne.
After I posted the first part of the interview, which focused on the history and the making of the magazine, I was at the concert for the ninth edition which featured oze and STRUKTURSTRUKTUR on the bill. It was great to see first hand what the magazine has built up over the past few years.
The second part appeared in August and explored the release concerts as well as finding out more about Mario’s thoughts about the music scene in Switzerland. I had hoped to time the article with an upcoming show but since the Review Show in May 2025, there were no further concerts for the rest of the year.
Around the same time, I was informed by Mario that the High on the Sound had some new plans and ideas for the magazine and concerts in 2026. With the first show taking place at the end of the month, I thought it was the perfect occasion to see what High on the Sound has in store for the near future.
How does it feel to be back with the Doom! Noo Yelbek and As In Plastic concert at Südpol on 27th February?
It feels great to be back. We had a pause during autumn and winter, so we’re super excited for what’s coming next. The upcoming Doom! Noo Yelbek and As In Plastic concert at Südpol on 27 February feels like a perfect restart. Four releases at Südpol are already confirmed, and we can’t wait to share all the acts and dates with you over the next months. For 2026, our motto stays the same: interregional acts from different parts of Switzerland, paired with even more contrasting sounds and sonic diversity. That last point is especially high on our list.
What else do you have planned for 2026?
As mentioned, we’re planning four releases at Südpol until December 2026 for sure. We’re also really excited to be part of other great formats, such as Alles Post- MusikFest! on 30th May, and a collaboration with a cinema/music venue in Lausanne. More information about that will follow later, as we’re still in the booking and idea-sharing phase.
During our interview, the team behind the magazine had grown. What developments have there been in the making of the magazine?
Yes, the team behind the magazine has grown. We have a new member, Zeno, who’s helping us with social media content. We’d also like to open up our coverage to other genres of music while staying true to our independent and honest approach.
For the next magazine releases, we’re working with different graphic designers, which feels very refreshing, so expect a wild mix of graphic styles. Lena is also doing a lot of important behind-the-scenes work, especially when it comes to organisation and coordination. In addition, we’re still in the process of setting up an online shop and are looking for more institutions and cultural associations to collaborate with. We’re very open to collaborations, so feel free to reach out anytime.
Last but not least: merch shoutout, we have new T-shirts designed by Lena that will be available at our releases. If you’re curious, come by, grab some merch, and support your local music scene.
What changes can we expect for the upcoming concerts?
You can definitely expect a wilder, more diverse, and more contrasting programme than in previous years. One of the main reasons for this shift is our desire to let different scenes collide, hopefully inspire each other, and build a sense of a larger independent music community rather than isolated bubbles. We’re also booking some newcomer bands that we feel deserve more attention. I’m really excited to present them alongside all the other wonderful acts.
Tell us about the crowdfunder that you started recently.
Printing and designing a magazine takes a lot of work, and since we decided to collaborate with two external graphic designers, Anais and Michele, we strongly felt the need to pay them fairly for their work as well as cover printing costs. It’s also an experiment for us, as it’s the first time we’ve done a crowdfunder. Let’s see how it goes.
We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who wants to support us and believes in our cultural work. Some costs were covered by the Strebi Stiftung from Lucerne, and I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart for their support.
Working with Anais Peter and Michele Raez was a great and very smooth collaboration, we really enjoyed working with them and can highly recommend them.
Any wishes for 2026?
I’m a strong advocate for sonic diversity and bold artistic choices. I’d love to see more wild, idiosyncratic acts on established stages, especially FLINTA* artists. I also want to mention a very cool space for experimental and free-form musical expression called Offy in Bern. If you’re in Bern, go check it out, it’s absolutely worth it.
For the magazine, we’d love to expand into the French-speaking part of Switzerland with our own events, and that’s something I really hope will happen. At the same time, I’m already very grateful that the magazine is still going strong. Running it together with Lena and Zeno means a lot to me. I’ve been dedicating my life to this project for five years now, and I don’t take that for granted at all. I’m truly looking forward to seeing it grow and flourish even further.
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