Wolkenfrei
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Founder | Marc Fischer, Stefan Kinski |
| Headquarters | Aspach , Germany |
| Products | Schlager music, albums, singles |
Wolkenfrei (translated as "Cloudless") is a German schlager ensemble originating from Aspach. The band was initially established in 1999 under the name Marc-Fischer-Band. From 2015 onwards, it became closely associated with its lead vocalist Vanessa Mai. In 2016, Mai chose to discontinue the Wolkenfrei project to embark on a solo career using her own name. The group was reactivated toward the end of 2022, followed by the release of the single "Uns gehört die Welt" in early 2023. Their comeback album, titled Hotel Tropicana, is planned for release in 2023.
1999–2012: Pre-Vanessa Mai Era
The Marc-Fischer-Band was formed in 1999 by seasoned musicians Marc Fischer and Stefan Kinski, featuring singer Heike Wanner. This lineup toured extensively before adopting the Wolkenfrei name in 2011. Due to health concerns, Wanner left the band in 2012, at which point Vanessa Mai was recruited as the new lead singer after being discovered during a local performance.
2012–2015: Initial Studio Releases
On July 19, 2013, Wolkenfrei debuted with their single "Jeans, T-Shirts und Freiheit." They received the smago! Award for Hit-Tipp 2014 prior to launching their first full-length album. The subsequent single, "Du bist meine Insel," was released on January 4, 2014, ahead of their debut studio album Endlos verliebt, which came out on February 7 and charted in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The album was produced by Felix Gauder, known for his collaborations with Sandra and Pet Shop Boys, helping establish Wolkenfrei’s foothold in the schlager genre. Additional singles included "Ich versprech dir nichts und geb dir alles" (June 6) and "Champs-Élysées" (August 29). In August 2014, they organized the inaugural Wolkenfrei Sommerparty in Aspach, strengthening their local fan community.
2015–2016: Founders' Exit and Band's Hiatus
The last single from their debut album was "Der Zaubertrank ist leer" ("The Magic Potion Is Empty"), followed by plans for a second studio album. In April 2015, founding members Marc Fischer and Stefan Kinski departed from Wolkenfrei,[1] leaving Vanessa Mai as the sole figurehead of the project, frequently promoted as "Wolkenfrei-Star Vanessa Mai." Kinski opted to prioritize his family and civil employment, while Fischer shifted to roles as musical consultant and tour manager.[1]
The lead single from their sophomore album "Wolke 7" was issued on May 22. The album Wachgeküsst followed on July 10. A dedicated 65-minute television special aired on Deutsches Musik Fernsehen, focusing on Mai and this release. Mai’s broad TV appearances included a performance of "Wolke 7" on Florian Silbereisen's ARD program Die Besten im Sommer, which helped push the album to number seven on the German albums chart, also achieving chart success in Austria and Switzerland. The single "Wolke 7" reached positions fifty-four in Germany and seventy-one in Austria.
On September 18, the album’s title track "Wachgeküsst" was issued as the second single. This was followed by the live album Wachgeküsst (Live) released on October 9. The final single from this era, "In all deinen Farben" ("In All Your Colours"), came out on December 11, accompanied by a non-album Christmas track titled "Ein Engel in der Weihnachtszeit" ("An Angel at Christmas Time") released one week later.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name In February 2016, Vanessa Mai announced she would retire the Wolkenfrei moniker and continue her career under her own name.[2]
2022–Present: Reintroduction of Wolkenfrei as a Band/Artist Identity
During the latter half of 2022, Vanessa Mai reinstated the use of the band name "Wolkenfrei," reactivating the Instagram account "Wolkenfrei.Official" in anticipation of upcoming announcements. The initial release under this renewed branding arrived in 2023 with the single "Uns gehört die Welt" ("The World is Ours"). This song is set to be part of an upcoming album titled Hotel Tropicana, which is planned for launch in early 2023.
Discography
- 2014 - Endlos verliebt
- 2015 - Wachgeküsst
- 2023 - Hotel Tropicana
Television specials
- 2015 - Wolkenfrei Wolke 7 – Das TV-Spezial (Network: Deutsches Musik Fernsehen; Duration: 65 minutes; Host: Ingo Blenn)