Stay Bound

STAY BOUND is a four-piece hard rock band from Wiener Neustadt, Austria, built around a shared belief that finding the right people is just as important as finding the right sound.

That search began long before the band itself existed.

Vocalist Fabian Feiel, born and raised in Austria with Irish roots, spent six months living in Ireland to reconnect with that side of his heritage and experience a different environment. Immersed in the local music scene, he rediscovered his passion for making music and began developing the ideas and creative instincts that would eventually follow him back to Austria.

After returning home, Fabian crossed paths with bassist Matthias Leitner through mutual friends. What began as a chance meeting quickly revealed a shared passion for music and, more importantly, a similar ambition to build something that could grow beyond the rehearsal room. That connection became the earliest foundation of what would eventually become STAY BOUND.

But starting a band is one thing. Finding the right people to build one with is something else entirely.

Musical chemistry is only part of it. A band also requires people who connect personally, share a creative vision, bring the same level of commitment, and have the patience and resilience to pursue something whose outcome is never guaranteed. In a relatively small music scene, finding that combination can be difficult. Completing the lineup would take time.

Meanwhile, guitarist Lawrence Hildebrand was following a very different path. Having spent much of his life abroad before moving to Austria, music became an increasingly important creative outlet after the move. Diving headfirst into playing, performing, and the wider world surrounding music eventually placed him in a rehearsal room directly across the hall from Fabian and Matthias.

The three properly crossed paths at a concert, where they had all come to see a mutual musician friend perform. A conversation about music followed, details were exchanged, and after Fabian and Matthias mentioned that they were looking to expand the lineup, Lawrence joined them for a jam.

The connection was immediate. Musically, personally, and in terms of ambition, the pieces began falling into place.

One remained.

Drummer Emanuel Kienzl entered the picture through Instagram. A video of his playing caught the band's attention, particularly the energy and character behind his style. They reached out, invited him to play, and after only a handful of sessions, the search was over.

The current lineup of STAY BOUND was complete.

Each member brought a different background and set of strengths with them. Fabian brought creativity and an instinct for expression, Lawrence combined his musical perspective with a formal background in the music business, Matthias brought industry connections and an understanding of the scene, while Emanuel's experience as a live drummer gave him the ability to adapt quickly and bring different musical ideas to life behind the kit.

Those differences became strengths rather than dividing lines. Four individual paths had arrived at the same place, with a shared drive to see how far they could take it.

And once they did, things moved quickly.

Only a month after completing the lineup, STAY BOUND played their first show together. A few weeks later, they entered the studio to record their first single. What had taken time to assemble suddenly developed momentum almost immediately, an early indication that the chemistry the four had been looking for was finally there.

Since then, the band has continued to build its identity around the same qualities that brought the lineup together in the first place: different influences, shared ambition, and a passion for performing.

Fabian Feiel — Vocals

Lawrence Hildebrand — Guitar

Matthias Leitner — Bass

Emanuel Kienzl — Drums

Based in Wiener Neustadt, STAY BOUND is still at the beginning of its story. The four members took very different roads to get there, but once those roads crossed, everything started moving fast.