Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Leon Sürder
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
I remember a very early period of my life in which my parents and I often used to sit at the table in our living room and just listen to children’s songs over and over for hours. I used to always ask my dad to play “the song about the turtle” over and over again since I enjoyed it so much.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
I started taking guitar lessons in my town after a friend of mine decided to start playing guitar; we went to the same school in the previous years, but afterwards we were separated, and since I still wanted to spend some time with him, I decided to join him and the guitar teacher for some lessons. As time went by, my friend lost interest in music, and I kept playing, resulting in what I am today.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
At thirteen years old, I joined my first band. I enjoyed it for most of the time, but about four years in, the other members and I started feeling like our own ideas were ignored too often. After leaving the band, in summer 2025 I decided to challenge myself and create a full solo EP during our three-month school break, in which I tried to write every completely instrumental song in a way that could also be enjoyed by people who usually rely on vocals to connect with a song; I released that EP later in October and continued releasing singles every three months or so.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
My sound is a blend between classic progressive music with tight riffs and engaging guitar solos, and modern music song structures, with clear melodic choruses that allow my songs to “stay” in people’s minds just like pop songs nowadays.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
The main thing I started doing to improve my music writing is the way I “glue songs together.” In the past, I used to write many riffs and parts and thought that by just playing them in the same key one after the other, I would get a cool song, but what came out of that were just confusing “riff collections” which didn’t make
any logical sense. It was when I started developing songs around one single riff or melody, trying to really serve the music, that songs started to sound like actual songs.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
I record all of my music in my home studio using my guitars and my bass going into my NeuralDSP Quad Cortex which sends the audio to my laptop into Logic Pro. For the drums I use Toontrack EZdrummer 3 or (as in my last single) I collaborate with an actual drummer.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
As of indie in the sense of independent, my biggest inspirations are Rabea Massaad and Plini: two guitarists who started from their bedroom and are now touring as a job.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
A lot of my music comes from boredom, honestly. It’s like my brain needs to create something just to break the silence. Sometimes I’ll sit with an idea for months and get nowhere, and then suddenly it all clicks and I finish it in one night. My process isn’t linear; it’s more about catching moments when something
feels real. Whether it comes from overthinking or just experimenting, I try to follow that feeling rather than force a direction. That’s what ends up shaping my sound and overall vision.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
I want to prove to the world that you don’t necessarily need vocals in a song to be able to make it hit hard and connect with any type of person.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far? “Think outside of the box.”
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
I’ve never really thought about this, but I think that playing at Download Festival would be an absolutely incredible experience.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
It would be Rabea Massaad. He is my main inspiration when it comes to writing my own music, and I just love the vibe he gives in his songs and during his live shows.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? Website: www.leonsürder.com
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/25GgaM4905L4ggFqqoZuR5? si=qIMMpMz7SKqTzICYhwVLFw
IG: https://www.instagram.com/leonsurder?
igsh=YnY3b3M0eDNycmh0&utm_source=qr
YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@LeonS%C3%BCrder
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@leon.surder?_r=1&_t=ZN-95VVnuHeaKU
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
Up next in the bucket list there’s getting into Berklee College of Music in Boston after graduating high school and releasing the first album with my new band (news coming soon!).
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
As I already said, I hope that with my music, people will realize that they don’t necessarily need vocals in a song to enjoy it.
