Vienna-based Those Goddamn Hippies’ new album ‘Purpose’ is bloody gorgeous, and how the hell did I miss this band?

I can’t remember when I started following the Vienna-based band Those Goddamn Hippies on Instagram. Sometime in the last few months, I believe?

But, like some of the other artists I follow, I didn’t ever have time to listen to their music.

So they ended up on the backburner as “that Austrian band I eventually need to get around to checking out”. (Honestly, I didn’t even know the main dude was British. That’s how much I looked into them. Not at all).

“Eventually” finally came this morning for Those Goddamn Hippies, however, when I hit Spotify and YouTube to check out their new album Purpose.

It came out at the end of April and, holy hell, if I had known they were this good, and the album was this beautiful, I would have been listening to them a helluva lot sooner.

Those Goddamn Hippies (and can I just say I love that name, as it would go down like a lead balloon in the Bible Belt of America — and that thrills me like nothing else) is British artist Tom Marsh’s band project.

And, with its gorgeous mix of lush synthesized guitar riffs, beautiful acoustic drum beats, sweetly danceable melodies, and Tom Marsh’s bloody gorgeous voice, it is some band project.

Those Goddamn Hippies’ other main member is Austrian musician Mike Seidl, with the addition of Max Plattner and Johannes Peham as part of their live band.

All four together create the most stunning of sounds.

As for their new album Purpose, I started out this article with the plan of recommending a couple of songs you should listen to.  But, two listens through of the entire album, and I couldn’t possibly pick any of these songs as ‘standouts’ as I fell in love with all of them.

That’s because, from the opening bars, every song has sumptuous melodies that immediately grab you, lyrics that are beautifully crafted, and the richest and biggest of electronic beats.

Those Goddamn Hippies’ creations are the type of songs I fall in love with on first listen. Something that rarely happens to me.

They are the songs I listen to on headphones, with the volume cranked as loud as it will possibly go, as I dance around my kitchen late at night.

They are the songs I load onto my phone, because the hugeness of the emotion in them gives me the energy to speedwalk furiously through Vienna as though the devil and all of his demons are chasing me.

They are the songs I will be listening to for weeks to come on repeat. On repeat. On repeat. They are just that beautiful.

To get just a sample of what I mean, watch Those Goddamn Hippies performing ‘Closer‘ live at a Purpose Session in the music video below. You can hear their new studio album Purpose in its entirety in the Spotify widget below that.

And, of course, follow them on Facebook and Instagram, and on their website.

Finally, if you are in Vienna on Thursday, March 30th, they will be playing live at B72 on the Gürtel as part of their tour supporting Purpose.  You can damn well bet I’ll be there.

And, if you’re interested in more Austrian music — here are some of the bands/artists I’ve interviewed, or that I absolutely love.

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About Michelle Topham

Brit-American journalist based in Austria, former radio DJ at 97X WOXY, and Founder/CEO of Leo Sigh. I've covered K-drama, K-pop, J-pop, anime, manga and music news for over a decade.