Amsterdam indie-pop duo Ciao Lucifer have returned with ‘Get Me In / Get Me Out’, the latest preview of their forthcoming album Sunset Riders, due September 25th.
The new single arrives with the kind of origin story that suits a band whose best work thrives on instinct rather than overthinking. Written during a disastrous soundcheck somewhere in Germany, the track turned mounting frustration into something altogether more useful: a bright, propulsive burst of indie-pop that sounds like it was made to be played loud and in front of a crowd.
“This started during a terrible soundcheck at a gig somewhere in the middle of Germany,” the band explain. “We’d started an hour late because the organization messed up and our frustration had been building steadily. We blurted the song out of pure misery and it worked – we got rid of the bad vibes and had a great show.”
That spontaneity is baked into ‘Get Me In / Get Me Out’. Scratchy guitars, restless drums and an immediately infectious bounce give the track the feel of mid-2000s sunshine indie rock, while its loose, energetic character keeps it firmly rooted in Ciao Lucifer’s live-first approach. Rather than smoothing out every rough edge, the duo lean into the momentum, turning a moment of backstage frustration into one of their most exuberant songs yet.
The single also offers a glimpse into the philosophy behind Sunset Riders. Instead of returning to the studio with the same painstaking approach that shaped their previous recordings, Ciao Lucifer opted for a radically different process, completing the album in just three days with producer Simon Akkermans, known for his work with Pip Blom and Iguana Death Cult. The intention was to capture the immediacy and unpredictability of their live performances rather than polish it away.
Much of the record was consequently recorded in single takes. Marnix supplies the low end using his customised 10-string guitar, with an additional pickup allowing the duo to create the bass frequencies without a separate bassist. Around that foundation, drums, vocals and guitar were recorded in real time, leaving little room for second thoughts or endless studio revisions.
It is an approach that reflects the way Ciao Lucifer have developed over years of playing together. The Amsterdam duo began writing and performing during their high school days, gradually building a process in which new material could be written at soundcheck, tested in front of an audience that same evening and judged by the following morning. Songs either earned their place or disappeared, with the live setting acting as the ultimate test.
That instinctive method has helped Ciao Lucifer establish themselves as a formidable live act, taking their energetic shows from clubs and festivals across the Netherlands, the UK and further afield. Sunset Riders carries the same sense of immediacy, with its songs drawing on the everyday details that sit behind the band’s upbeat exterior: relationships being repaired, sleepless nights and the curious comfort of life spent constantly on the road.
Listen to the new single below:
