Toontje Lager

Formed in the late 1970s amid the Nederpop wave, Toontje Lager is a Dutch band that performed pop sung in Dutch, blending light-hearted songwriting, melodic choruses and sonics close to early-1980s mainstream rock. Centered on singer Erik Mesie, Toontje Lager quickly became a presence on the Netherlands’ venues and festivals, and on the televised music programs that structured the scene at the time. The debut album, "Erop of eronder" (1982), established the band in a register of narrative songs focused on everyday life and romantic relationships, carried by bright guitars and prominent keyboards. With "Stiekem gedanst" (1983) the band gained wider exposure thanks to the title single, which over time became a staple of their repertoire, and followed with "Teken van leven" (1984), which extended this accessible pop with more reflective hues. Toontje Lager ended its activity in the mid-1980s while Erik Mesie embarked on a solo career, but the group has been regularly reissued and programmed on specialist radio, maintaining the visibility of this 1980s Nederpop catalogue.