Lewsberg

Lewsberg are a Dutch rock band from Rotterdam, in the Netherlands. The group operates with Arie van Vliet on vocals and guitar, Michiel Klein on guitar, Shalita Dietrich on bass, Marrit Meinema on drums, and Joris Frowein also listed among the members. They play post-punk, indie rock, art punk, and related rock styles, and are associated with the label Lewsberg Records.

Background

The band takes its name from writer Robert Loesberg, who is also from Rotterdam. His novel Enige defecten (1974) is a central influence on the group, especially for its depictions of counterculture and urban cynicism in the 1960s and 1970s. This literary link shapes the band’s identity and outlook.

Recordings

Lewsberg first issue The Downer as an EP/cassette in 2017, alongside the 7-inch single Non-Fiction Writer. Their debut album, Lewsberg, follows in 2018 and contains nine stripped-back, repetitive rock songs with a tough, detached feel. The band then releases In This House in 2020, In Your Hands in 2021, and Out and About in 2023.

Sound and influences

The group’s music is linked with the sound of The Velvet Underground, Galaxie 500, and Television, reflecting a spare and repetitive approach rather than a polished or elaborate one.

After the band

Arie van Vliet later appears with a new group called The Hobknobs.