Timo Pankau is a coastal indie-folk artist writing songs inspired by life on the road, the ocean, and the people he meets along the way. His sound was shaped during three formative years in Byron Bay, Australia, where he played the streets, small bars, and beach venues of the local surf scene back in 2016, the same places where artists like Ziggy Alberts and Kyle Lionheart started out at that time.
Blending percussive acoustic grooves with emotional depth, his sound combines warm coastal folk vibes with raw energy and atmospheric songwriting. Timo creates music that feels both uplifting and deeply personal. Tracks like "The Sound of the Ocean" and "Friends" (100,000+ streams) reflect themes of connection, freedom, and finding peace in a fast-moving world.
Live, he delivers a powerful one-man show using percussive guitar, stomp rhythms, harmonica, and layered vocal harmonies on his loopstation, creating a full-band sound as a solo act with a Tash Sultana-style looping energy. And when it's time for bigger stages, he hits surf and vanlife festivals across Europe with his dynamic trio, bringing high energy and a strong sense of connection to every crowd.
Over the past years he has played 80+ shows per year across Europe, touring Germany, France, Switzerland and the Netherlands, and performing at festivals such as Surfana, Pangea, Zuparken, SNNTG, and Bulli Festival. With new releases on the way and an expanding tour schedule, 2026 is set to be his strongest live season yet.
If you're into artists like Ben Howard, Xavier Rudd, Ziggy Alberts, Steph Strings, Felipe Baldomir, or Kim Churchill, Timo's music is definitely worth catching live.
