New Music: ALBA

TRACK OF THE WEEK

ALBA is the new musical project from Stockholm-based singer and songwriter Amanda Kongshaug.

Inspired by genres as diverse as electronica, alternative pop and indie, this musician crafts productions that feel unique in character while still maintaining a sense of sonic familiarity.

‘Runrunrunrun’ is a taster to the artist’s upcoming debut album and presents listeners with a melodic fusion of downtempo and dreamy pop. Speaking on the song’s lyrics, ALBA explains:

“The song is reflecting on commitment in relationships and the desire to feel free yet struggling with the guilt to not live up to expectations. It’s reflecting on the often times hard part of dating where people want to make sense out of things that are still very new and long before it’s yet ready to be put into a box. It’s written as a self reflective conversation to the other person admitting one’s own flaws while also asking for understanding that this might just be for the better.”

Aside from her solo work, Kongshaug has also written songs for the likes of Zara Larsson, Afrojack, Icona Pop andRudimental, so we’re very excited to see how 2026 shapes up for her ALBA project!

ALBA

Ones To Watch Playlist Nordic Sound Playlist

Nathav – Over You

Danish artist Nathav has just unveiled one of the sweetest songs of the week, called ‘Over You’.

Blending dreamy pop with jazz and mellow synth tones, this track really stands out for its originality. It’s emotional and heartfelt while also being experimental and slightly avant-garde.

Lyrically, this is a beautifully written heartbreak song that offers comfort to anyone who’s healing from a ruined romance.

“The song is dedicated to all the brave hearts who try to hold it together when heartache has shattered them into pieces.”

Nathav is already an established fixture within the Danish music scene, performing as a member of the bands Lovebites, Blake, and Umatic across the years. If you’re now a fan, then be sure to check out her positively received 2024 EP ‘Moon River’ here.

Nathav

Ones To Watch Playlist Nordic Sound Playlist

Elín Hall – As The World Falls Down

Photo / Tjörvi Jónsson

‘“As the World Falls Down” has always meant so much to me. I first discovered David Bowie when I was seven, instantly drawn to the song’s hauntingly beautiful melody. In my teens, I fell in love with the song over again for its poetic meditation on love’s fragility, heartbreak and courage to hope again. Now in my twenties I feel the lyrics began to take on an even deeper meaning as a poignant reflection of our times.

I feel it captures the collective experience of uncertainty, pain and loss in a world that often feels fragile and unstable. Whether it’s the upheaval caused by political unrest, the ongoing climate crisis, or the personal and societal toll of the pandemic, many of us find ourselves navigating a landscape marked by instability and change. To me this song offers a powerful reminder of the enduring human capacity for hope, love, and solidarity. It speaks to the beauty found in connection, the simple, profound act of standing by one another when everything else seems to be falling apart. The promise of being there for each other “as the world falls down”’.

Elín Hall

Ones To Watch Playlist

Elinborg – Blood

Photo / Sigríður Ella Frímannsdóttir

Today’s release of ‘Blood’ by Faroese artist Elinborg has really blown us away. It’s been a minute since we’ve come across something this flawless from the Nordic region.

It’s electronic pop at its most elevated. The song is dark, intense, and cinematic and is a reworking of an original version by the artist called ‘Blóð’, now with English lyrics. Elinborg explains:

“I chose to release an English version of my song ‘Blood’ not only because it holds a very special place in my heart, but also because I wanted to explore how my sound might change when I switch languages. I’ve always been intrigued by different languages, and even though Faroese has a special place in my heart—and I’ll absolutely continue writing in it—I think it’s important to grow and evolve as an artist. That’s why I wanted to try releasing English versions as well: to reach a more international audience, but also to add new colors to my artistic world.”

If you love this sound as much as we do, then make sure you explore the artist’s latest album, ‘Í Ævir’, over on Spotify.

Elinborg

Nordic Sound Playlist

Asbjørn – show u the future

Danish artist Asbjørn kicks off the week with a nostalgic bop that could have very easily fit into a playlist from a London radio station in the 90s.

‘show u the future’ is a collaboration with La Boum Fatale and blends a classic UK garage sound with electronic pop in a way that feels retro but also current. It’s playful and optimistic and harks back to a time when club culture was at its peak.

“‘show u the future’ rewinds to a time of skipping snare rolls, shuffling 2‑step grooves, and late‑night bassline pressure. This one is for the ravers, the lovers, the dreamers in the corner, dancing till sunlight creeps through the blinds.”

The song serves as a taster to Asbjørn’s upcoming project, ‘HAUSPARTY’, an EP inspired by club music and the nightlife culture, and its unique way of building communities out of music lovers.

Asbjørn

🎵 Follow the Scandinavia Sound Playlist 

New Music: OK Alva

This weekend’s alt-pop banger comes courtesy of Sweden-based newcomer OK Alva and her brilliant new single, ‘Yet’.

Starting minimal, the production evolves with intensity to mirror the song’s heart-wrenching lyrics that tell of the moments when we struggle with emotional closure. It’s never easy to let go of someone you love, and this track perfectly encapsulates those emotions.

“‘Yet’ is about leaving everything unsaid, hoping that means it isn’t really over. Trying to move on with one foot in the door seems easier but us humans were never made like that, we need closure. This song almost wrote itself during a time when I was experiencing a situation like that. Kind of proves my point, trying to not think of something, someone, ultimately leads to thinking about them even more.”

We still don’t know much about this promising artist, but if their upcoming releases are as finessed as ‘Yet’, then we’ll have a new Scandi favourite to fall in love with!

OK Alva

🎵 Discover more new music on the Ones To Watch Playlist

New Music: Longing Louisa

Photo / Anu Leppäharju

Longing Louisa is a new musical project created by Finnish artist Reetta Hotti. ‘Hatchet’ only came across our radars a few days ago, but we were instantly captivated by its ethereal tones. It delivers an indie production that is intriguing and distinctive, yet easy to listen to. On the song, Hotti says:

“The production is quite fun and light, but actually the lyrics are far from fun. There’s a big contrast between the two, and for me that’s ‘The Thing’ with this song. Even though the title is Hatchet, the song serves also as an apology. Especially the end part breaks my heart a bit every time I listen to it.”

The track is taken from Hotti’s new ‘Waterphile’ EP, which is out today. The collection of songs was created by the musician as an ‘ode to water’ and, as you’d expect, is full of organic, soft sounds that draw you into a soundscape that reminds you of nature.

“I’ve always been prone to the feeling of longing. I think I’ve spent most of my life living someplace else than the present. I’ve longed for the past, the future or an alternative reality. It’s probably a way to escape anything uneasy happening in real life. Melancholic feeling, or the Japanese idiom ‘mono no aware’ to be more precise, is what Longing Louisa is about. The music has all the shades of blue, there’s fog, blurriness, some city lights, hollow and dull-like sounds, but also slowly growing intensity, small changes that every now and then lead to a massive gathering of clouds.”

Longing Louisa

🎵 Ones To Watch Playlist 🎵Scandinavia Sound Playlist 

Augustine – Fumbling

Photo / Rassmus Bjornson

We’ve featured Nordic musician and producer Augustine so many times on this site, and we still can’t get enough.

Today this hugely loved Swedish talent returns, after quite some time, with a song that has definitely been worth the wait. ‘Fumbling’ is a thoughtfully crafted indie pop song that was inspired by the desire to seek the things in life that allow us to grow and evolve.

The track serves as a preview for Augustine’s upcoming EP, which is out soon. In the meantime, you can join the other 218k listeners who enjoy this artist’s music on Spotify here.

Augustine

🎵 Follow the Scandinavia Sound Playlist 

Nelly Moar – Love’s Law

“Heartbreak is complicated, and you constantly alternate between conflicting emotions such as frustration and optimism, when the sadness lies in the words, but the music still carries hope, a balance is created, where the heavy stuff finds space without becoming all-consuming.”

Nelly Moar

🎵 Ones To Watch Playlist 🎵Scandinavia Sound Playlist

MIIA – I Can Tell a Lie

Acclaimed Norwegian songstress MIIA opens up to listeners with her enchanting new single, ‘I Can Tell a Lie’.

Sonically, the track incorporates melancholic pop tones with elements of Norwegian folk, while the lyrics tell of the sorrow and bitterness that happens when someone we love lets us go.

It’s a song that feels emotional and raw and is sure to resonate with anyone who’s ever struggled with the guilt of being the one who breaks a relationship.

“It tells the story of loving someone deeply while knowing you’re the one who broke it. The lyrics are about self-sabotage, regret, and holding onto beauty even after love is lost.”

MIIA’s music has now been streamed more than 350 million times on Spotify alone – which is no mean feat. Her work has also been featured on Billboard and landed placements on playlists like New Music Friday.

MIIA

🎵 Ones To Watch Playlist 🎵Scandinavia Sound Playlist 

RIVER – I AM CANCER

Photo / John Scarisbrick Kopia

Swedish songstress RIVER has just unveiled a powerful new single that showcases some of the finest alt-pop currently emerging from the Scandinavian nation.

‘I AM CANCER’ is lyrically raw and is complemented by a production that is full of interesting sonic textures. This song blends fuzzy indie rock with nostalgic pop in a way that is really quite unique, and in doing so, evokes a multitude of emotions for the listener.

“‘I AM CANCER’ reflects an infected mind trying to love and receive love through a wall of defence protecting it from vulnerability — and therefore love itself. It communicates frustration around the inability to cure or hide an ugly mind stuck in false self-beliefs, believing it’s unworthy of true love.”

RIVER cites her inspirations as Portishead, FKA twigs and Prince, and you can hear this come through on her songs. If you’re now a fan, then be sure to check out her other songs here.

RIVER

🎵 Follow the Scandinavia Sound Playlist

SHY Martin – l.o.v.e

TRACK OF THE WEEK

Alfitude has featured SHY Martin so many times that we should just call ourselves her biggest fans at this point. With that in mind, it won’t come as a surprise to know that our Track of the Week comes from this hugely acclaimed Swedish artist and songwriter.

‘l.o.v.e’ weaves elements of alt-pop with indie and adds a touch of shoegaze into the mix, creating a sound that feels raw and organic, while the melody evolves from understated verses to anthemic choruses.

SHY’s next full-length record is due for release next year. Oh, and fun fact: to date, SHY’s work as a songwriter has amassed her more than six billion streams. Beat that.

SHY Martin

🎵 Ones To Watch Playlist 🎵Scandinavia Sound Playlist 

New Music: Lemi

Photo / Bjørk Ellingsbø

One of the most impressive newcomers to come across our radars from Scandinavia recently has been Lemi.

Signed to the powerhouse that is Made (who are already well known for their work with AURORA and Sigrid), this artist creates bold, punchy pop songs that are not shy of delivering drama, as is the case with her new single, ‘Get Him Gone’.

The track was created alongside Whammyboy and Robert Gillies and encapsulates the rawness that comes with being a teenager trying to cope with love’s trials and tribulations. Speaking on the track, Lemi explains:

“I wrote it for me, but even more for everyone else who can relate. It’s not about what I’ve been through, but about something so many people experience. I get really angry, and then I have to write about it.”

Lemi

🎵 Ones To Watch Playlist 🎵Scandinavia Sound Playlist 

Elliot + Reveal Party – nothing at all

“There’s something strangely liberating about writing through discomfort — through the unforgivable. Maybe it’s because it allows you to say what’s never been said, even as you feel a creeping fear of being changed by the story or identifying too closely with it.” – Elliot

Elliot | Reveal Party

🎵 Ones To Watch Playlist 🎵Scandinavia Sound Playlist 

Sigrid – Two Years

Photo / Charlotte Alex

“‘Why did you let me go, when you want to be my woman?’ It was trying to see the situation from another person’s point of view, and in that way I could also reflect on my own perspective.”

Sigrid

🎵 Follow the Scandinavia Sound Playlist 

In-Store Tour 2025

  • 22nd October Bristol Rough Trade 
  • 23rd October Nottingham Rough Trade 
  • 27th October Brighton Resident
  • 28th October Kingston Banquet 
  • 29th October Southhampton Vinilo
  • 30th October Liverpool Rough Trade 

Ed Sheeran Loop Tour – North America 2026 

  • 18th July Las Vegas, NV Allegiant Stadium
  • 21st July San Diego, CA Petco Park
  • 25th July Santa Clara, CA Levi’s Stadium
  • 1st August Seattle, WA Lumen Field
  • 8th August Los Angeles, CA Sofi Stadium

New Music: DeepFaith

TRACK OF THE WEEK

We’re going to be really honest with you… The first few seconds of this song didn’t connect with us at all.

But we also couldn’t stop listening… and well… we found ourselves completely mesmerised by the end, to the point where this is now our Track of the Week.

‘Y&I’ by DeepFaith (aka Byron Spencer and Danial Stricker) is just an utter delight to experience. Its surreal and experimental production, courtesy of Matias Téllez, bounces between genres as diverse as electronica, pop, synth – and even choral – all the while sounding like a cohesive piece of work.

Alongside the release of the song also comes a music video, which was created by DeepFaith’s closest friends, chosen acquaintances and family:

‘It’s community. It’s the world. It’s finding your people even when things feel or are shit in the church of the night.”

DeepFaith

🎵 Discover more new music on the Ones To Watch Playlist

Nicklas Sahl – Love of My Life

“‘Love of My Life’ is about the dream of finding true love – and just as much about how exhausting, painful, and endlessly lonely the search for it can be. That feeling of knowing she must be out there somewhere, yet having no idea where to look. Hinge dates, endless nights out, and solo bike rides home through Copenhagen started to feel more and more meaningless. I wrote this song mostly as a way of letting go of the pressure to find ‘the one’ – with the quiet hope that sometimes, it’s only when you let go, that you actually find what you’ve been searching for.”

Nicklas Sahl

ORA – LIMBO

Photo / Olivia Krüger

“It’s about accepting that when you’re living with ADHD – which both my brother and I do – you may never experience life in a ‘normal’ middle ground. And that’s okay. We wrote this as a celebration of that difference” – Lea, ORA

Taken from the new album, ‘:(:’, which is out now.

ORA

🎵 Ones To Watch Playlist 🎵Scandinavia Sound Playlist 

New Music: GIMI

We honestly can’t remember the last time that we featured talent from Denmark, so we’re really excited to be sharing with you a new artist from the region, who goes by the name of GIMI.

This Copenhagen-based, Danish-Kosovan singer and songwriter has been steadily gaining traction from the release of only a handful of singles so far.

New single ‘Communicate It’ treats listeners to a beautifully introspective piece of dark pop which is sonically experimental but also emotionally charged. Speaking on the track, GIMI explains:

“I wrote this song about this deep rooted need I have for validation. It’s about how we often seek self-worth through the attention of others, turning casual hookups into a search for approval and trying to find your value in someone else’s desire.”

With support from the likes of BBC Introducing, KALTBLUT and The Line of Best Fit, it’s quite clear to us that this talent’s momentum is on the rise.

GIMI
🎵 Ones To Watch Playlist 🎵Scandinavia Sound Playlist