JLP is a newcomer rock band from Vienna. What started as an acoustic living room session has grown over the years and become a full rock band. In the last few years, they played shows at Nova Rock Festival, Szene Wien, in Berlin and last year they supported the rock band, Dirty Honey, in Vienna.
The funky rhythm section, the rich guitar sound and powerful vocals build the base of every song. In their music, JLP discuss topics that capture the spirit of the times that we live in, issues of our society and stories the band members have experienced.
With “Monster” out now, we took some time to hear from JLP. Read below to learn more about JLP, the story behind “Monster,” and what’s to come.
Hi! Let’s start with how did the band’s name come about?
Hello, I’m Jelena, the singer, and I’m going to speak and write for the band today. Luka (guitar) and I have founded the band a few years ago (note: we’re brother and sister). We started as a duo-acoustic-band, playing covers and a few originals. On our first show, we had to insert our band name in a contract and we had no idea what to write down. A friend of mine who was there with us, told us to just write down our initials (Jelena, Luka, Petener). So we did that, saying that we could still come up with a new name later on, which we somehow never did.
What city are you all from, and where are you all based now?
We’re all from Vienna, Austria. Luka (Guitar) and I (singer) have roots in Croatia – our mum is Croatian. But currently we’re all based in Vienna.
When and how did the band form?
Luka (guitar) have started playing together many years ago – in our Grandma’s kitchen on a summer holiday. Just for fun, we played our favourite songs and somehow it felt really good. About a year later, we wrote our first original song, ‘FAR OUT OF REACH,’ on another holiday in Croatia. This song is actually the first song we’ve released in December 2023.
How would you all describe your band’s sound to readers who may not be familiar with you all?
Our sound is rooted in alternative Pop-Rock with influences from funk, hard-rock and pop-punk. We love to play with dynamics, shifting the mood of the song from a softer and fragile vibe, to explosive and raw parts. We’re combining gritty distortion and rough sounds with pop rhythms and vocal lines. I’d say that we have a song for every mood, an emotional diary so to say.
Who are some of your group’s main musical influences?
We’re very much into Guns n Roses, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Myles Kennedy, John Mayer and Muse.
What’s the coolest thing you’ve experienced together?
We went Bungee Jumping on our first songwriting/band holiday in Croatia and used the video footage for our music video (‘HIGH UP’). I feel like that experience has connected us on a deeper level, haha.
What’s one of the proudest moments of your band’s music career so far?
In March 2024, we got to support one of our favourite bands, Dirty Honey, in Vienna. We’ve been listening to them for years and saw them supporting Guns n Roses in Vienna – standing there in the audience, we were joking how amazing it would be to play a show with Dirty Honey – 2 years later that actually happened. Still can’t believe it.
Can you share a moment when music helped you or the band navigate a personal or collective challenge?
I think it’s safe to say that every single band member has been through seriously challenging stuff in the last 2 years. Our lives have changed so much, our priorities have changed and our understanding of music and music business. But there was one constant thing – the band and the music we’ve created together. We sometimes joke that we’ll be baby sitting each other’s grandchildren in 40 years. And, I really like to believe that’s true.
What would you all say are the greatest lessons that you’ve all learned so far?
Don’t lose the joy. And, leave the drama outside of the band. We tend to overthink and work really hard. And we lose sight of the things that really matter – playing shows and writing songs and simply enjoying the process. It’s a privilege really. And, we’ve become very close over the last few years – we’re family. What matters most to us, is to keep that feeling alive. Having a band together can be emotional and we don’t always have the same opinion. But, the only thing that really matters is to be respectful and cope with everything that happens as a united and strong group.
Now onto your release, ‘Monster.’ What inspired this song?
The song, ‘Monster,’ is quite personal – probably the most personal so far. We wrote the song on our last band holiday – in July 2025. It was inspired by things that happened to me in the past. About a really painful part of my life that is now thankfully over.
What is ‘Monster’ about?
It’s about realizing that the person beside you feels more like a threat than a comfort. It’s about finding out, that every feeling you’ve ever had, everything you believed to be true, was one big lie.
What was the creative process like when making ‘Monster?’
Luka came up with a part of the guitar and chord progression. I drafted a melody, and on our holiday in Croatia, we sat together and worked out the rest of the song. It all happened quite naturally. I think I wrote the lyrics within an hour the song really needed to be written. We then shared our demo with our producer and mixing engineer, Jonas Strondl. He worked some magic with the production and arrangement of the song – we’re all really proud with how it ended up sounding.
How long did it take to complete ‘Monster?’
From first draft to final version – about 2 months. This is probably the fastest we’ve ever finished a song.
What message or messages do you all hope fans take away from ‘Monster’ and your band’s music in general?
Though ‘Monster’ is quite sad and dark, I think the underlying message (in most of our songs) is very hopeful and empowering. We like to believe that everything bad happens for a reason and that you walk out of really dark times as a stronger and happier version of yourself. Bruised and scared maybe, but stronger. And I really hope, that people who are going through or have gone through destructive relationships of every kind can feel at least some hope after listening to ‘Monster’ and our other songs.
What’s next for you all? Are you all working on any upcoming projects, or do you all have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?
We’re playing our biggest headliner show on October 24th in Vienna and after that we’re going back to the studio and back to a songwriting – weekend after Christmas.
Where can we follow you all on social media?
INSTAGRAM
https://www.instagram.com/jlptheband/
TIKTOK
https://www.tiktok.com/@jlptheband
FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/JLPTHEBAND/
YOUTUBE
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUG6ITv72q3RrOqJLIc7jjg
SPOTIFY
https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/artist/1NEbTxi7I8WWkpIOg326bU
Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!
