Category: Scandinavian Music

New Music: Great Park Avenue

Photo / micke_wall 

Today we are introducing you to Stockholm’s Great Park Avenue, who are continuing Sweden’s long-standing tradition of exporting world-class indie rock to the world.

Inspired by iconic British rocker Pete Doherty, new single ‘Pete My Teacher’ treats listeners to an energising indie sound that is compelling and anthemic in character.

Taken from the group’s ‘Limitless Prolific Divineness’ EP, the song was recorded in a former women’s restroom, and mixed at the Kapsylen Studios in Stockholm.

“‘The bathroom with its tile walls is a rather unconventional room for recording but we’ve made it our own sacred place and we’re absolutely in awe of the atmosphere of this magic loo.”

Be sure to keep an eye on the song’s accompanying game, in which ‘you can take a step into the mysterious world that is some people’s everyday life. Might or not be Pete fighting paparazzis, you’ll have to figure that one out yourself.’

Great Park Avenue

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New Music: your hands

Photo / Nikolaj Lütken

Danish newcomer your hands (aka Johannes Brandstrup) unveils a charming slice of mellow indie-pop with his new single, ‘down here waiting’.

Inspired by the small (but significant) surprises that come across us in our everyday lives, Brandstrup creates refreshingly authentic songs that are lyrically thoughtful and insightful. Speaking on his new single, he explains:

“I wanted to write a song about the youth and social life. My generation has become addicted to communicating with one another – which is good – but when you agree to meet up with someone it often creates a clash between expectation and respect of each other’s time. We rely on communication more than we rely on each other and I hope this catchy little pop song reflect those mellow thoughts and frustration of modern living.”

The track follows on from Brandstrup’s 2022 debut ‘floating’, which received acclaim from several music blogs from across the globe.

your hands

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The Franklys – Mess

What began as a mutual love of music (and dogs) led to the creation of acclaimed Swedish-British indie outfit The Franklys.

This all-female group of rockers have been on our radar for quite some time, and never fail to impress us with their sound.

Anthemic single ‘Mess’ coincides with the release of the band’s new ‘Dogma’ album (out now), and showcases a refreshingly raw style of garage-rock that is immediately captivating to experience.

The Franklys will celebrate the release of the album on the 16th March at London’s Lexington – tickets can be found here.

The Franklys

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New Music: jazzygold

Photo / analogram

The most exciting newcomer to emerge from Scandinavia this week has been jazzygold (aka Jasmin Mote).

Hailing from the Faroe Islands by way of Kenya, this R&B-soul starlet has just released a sensational new single called ‘boring like me’ that deserves your immediate attention.

“‘boring like me’ is the new soundtrack for your most self-sabotaging moments in life. You know you’re a 10, but you still settle with the bullsh*t from a 5. That’s what sparked a fire for the making of the track. The breakup leaves you in the exact position you knew it would, and the track captures the irony perfectly.”

Prior to her work as a solo artist, Mote was part of award-winning outfit JASMIN, who toured across the Nordic region and played at festivals as prominent as Uhørt and Sørveiv.

After leaving the group, Mote travelled to Stockholm and London to focus on her own sound, and has now finished a collection of ten songs that she is ready to share with the world. Keep an eye on this artist!

jazzygold

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New Music: myie

Photo / Jesper Smeding

Emerging from the city of Uppsala in Sweden is musician and actor myie (aka Miriam Ingrid), who has just unveiled an impressive new single entitled ‘Mary’.

Written as an ode to self empowerment and personal freedom, the song’s captivating lyrics compliment a beautifully melodic and uplifting alternative-pop production.

“‘Mary’ is a song about freedom, liberation from ideas or people holding one down. The song’s main character convinces ‘Marie Antoinette’ to elope together, there’s a lot at stake but at least they have each other. ‘Mary’ encourages people to live by their own sets of rules- and if anyone cares: let them eat cake.”

‘Mary’ is taken from myie’s forthcoming debut album, ‘Feel Real’, which is out soon. With support from the likes of BBC’s Jack Saunders already under her belt, myie is one Scandinavian starlet to keep on your radars.

myie

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Varas – Hell No

Photo / Lamia Karic

Acclaimed singer and songwriter Varas begins his year with anthemic new single, ‘Hell No’.

Through its raw and bold production, Varas addresses the mundane nature of life, and the desire to escape from it all.

“You know the feeling when it’s Friday and you’ve just survived another week full of snow storms and hurtful ingrown toenails. Your body is hurting, not because you worked out or anything but because you walked home with groceries and un-ergonomically only brought one bag.

After walking in a leaning matter you come home. A dear friend hits you up: ‘care for a beer?’. You care a lot actually. Anything to make you think about something else than this cycle of habits around work. You wanna talk about literally anything else. Your friend’s THINKING about CONSIDERING possibly getting a cat? Soon? No, in four years? Ah, still, you’d rather think about your friend considering possibly getting a cat in four years. Anyway, you change your clothes and head into town. Finally you manage to get to a bar with some friends. It’s cheap and smelly, just like you. Now it’s time to have a pleasant time of distraction. But before you even take the first sip it happens, someone at the table innocently asks you about next week’s work and duties. Right there, that moment you have to keep yourself from telling your dear friend to shut the f up, was our state of mind when we wrote ‘Hell No’.”

With his refreshingly original and distinct approach to music-making, Varas is rapidly becoming one of Sweden’s most hotly-tipped newcomers. Fans can look forward to a new EP, scheduled for release later this year.

Varas

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Alexia Chambi – Nothing Happened (feat. Ralph Taylor)

Photo / jocelynmurrayboyne

Emerging genre-bending starlet Alexia Chambi joins forces with long-time collaborator Ralph Taylor on new single, ‘Nothing Happened’.

Based on real-life events, the song tells of a story involving Chambi and a boyfriend who had initiated an open relationship, only to regret his decision shortly after.

“‘Nothing Happened’ is a story based on true events, about a boyfriend who spontaneously requests an open relationship while being abroad but quickly calls back to express his regret.”

The track marks the beginning of a project that will see Chambi unveiling a string of singles throughout the year, eventually culminating in the release of a confessional EP entitled ‘Open Relationship’.

Alexia Chambi | Ralph Taylor

New Music: Elfrida

Hailing from Norway is singer, songwriter, producer, technician and composer Elfrida (aka Grete-Johanne Torvholm), who is a rising talent specialising in a style of music labelled as ‘arctic electronica’.

Sonically sparse yet perfectly constructed, Elfrida’s work contrasts minimalist sounds with raw and sincere lyricism.

‘Descend’ is likely to be one of the most thoughtful songs you’ll experience this week. Inspired by the inner conflicts of a neurodivergent mind, the lyrics offer listeners an insight into the artist’s world.

“All my life I’ve been a bit different, stood out in a crowd. I was a curious child, and others saw that as an opportunity to try and break me. I have ADHD and ‘Descend’ describes how my mind works – typically on a bad day. I don’t believe you have to have ADHD to relate, I think everybody feels this way from time to time. Creating music is a therapeutic process for me, and my vision is that my music can help others understand themselves better, and consequently develop a healthier relationship to their mind, soul, and body.”

Elfrida

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Blaue Blume – Crush

Photo / Sophus Wolf

In recent years, Copenhagen three-piece Blaue Blume have established themselves as one of Denmark’s most influential and respected indie acts, with a catalogue of works totalling millions of streams globally.

They start the year with a shimmering new single, entitled ‘Crush’. Through its captivating fusion of indie-pop and art rock, the track serves as an inspiration for lovers to keep the excitement within their relationships alive – no matter how much life gets in the way.

“‘Crush’ is pretty much about getting your relationship to sparkle again when you both get stuck in all the practical stuff and everyday life. The song is about dancing and making out again with the one you went out of your way to get, reminding yourself that you really shouldn’t take love for granted. ‘Crush’ is a tribute to girlfriends and boyfriends.” – Jonas Schmidt, Blaue Blume

Blaue Blume are currently readying the release of their next EP, as well as a tour across Denmark which begins this spring.

Blaue Blume

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Nea – A Lover Like Me

Photo / Jasmin Storch

Acclaimed Swedish singer, songwriter and artist Nea returns with one of the catchiest bops of the week.

Lifted from forthcoming debut album ‘TRANSPARENT’ (out later this year), ‘A Lover Like Me’ serves as a masterclass in Scandinavian pop, with its infectious melody, memorable lyrics and energising sound.

 “’A Lover Like Me’ is one of those rare songs that just wrote itself. I had a lyric idea, Daniel [Ledinsky, co-writer & producer] played some chords and two hours later we had the song! I love the rawness of the vocals and the vibe, that there’s an edge to it.”

One of Sweden’s biggest pop successes in recent times, Nea (aka Linnea Södahl) has amassed more than 800 million streams under her own name, while also writing hits for the likes of Zara Larsson, Felix Jaehn, Tove Styrke and Axwell.

Nea

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Ponette – Beats Me Up (feat. Coucheron)

Two prominent Norwegian artists have just released a very special collaboration that deserves your attention!

Serving as a teaser to ‘Part I’ of Ponette’s upcoming album (out later this year), ‘Beats Me Up’ features the work of acclaimed producer Coucheron.

The track showcases a refined electronic sound that is experimental and unique, yet still maintains some pop sensibilities.

“‘Beats Me Up’ was created during a massive wave of feelings. Totally overwhelming. I just had to find a way to communicate all of the raw emotions that had been building up in my body for a while, and I want the song to feel like that when you listen to it as well. I hope people can relate, and that I’m not totally crazy.” – Ponette

With support from the likes of Acid Stag and The Line of Best Fit, as well as an impressive catalogue of releases that currently garners more than 100k monthly Spotify listeners, Ponette has marked herself as one of Norway’s next big musical exports.

Ponette | Coucheron

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Jouska – Fragrance

Photo / Hans Olav Settem

As one of Norway’s most exciting alternative starlets, Oslo’s Jouska has consistently treated listeners to eccentric sounds that push sonic boundaries while still maintaining some pop sensibilities.

Lifted from Jouska’s upcoming ‘Suddenly My Mind Is Blank’ album (out 17th Feb), ‘Fragrance’ presents us with a dreamy and melodic (albeit lyrically bold) slice of experimental electro-pop.

“‘Fragrance’ is probably the most honest song I’ve ever written. I was feeling like such a loser when I wrote it. Usually I like to play with metaphors and hide behind my words when I write songs, but Fragrance turned out really personal and direct.”

London-based fans can catch Jouska on the 15th March at Stoke Newington’s The Waiting Room – tickets can be found here.

Jouska

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New Music: Tobias Arbo

Fans of Bon Iver, Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens will most likely fall in love with Swedish musician Tobias Arbo (aka Tobias Ekelund), who has just unveiled his latest single, ‘Within’.

In its quintessential Nordic style of sound, the song presents listeners with a production that is sparse, simple and minimal – yet somehow still feels warm, thoughtful and beautifully contemplative.

“A few years ago, I found a box of video cassettes that my dad had recorded throughout my childhood. I started watching them and was reminded of the cheerful and vibrant child I was. But at the same time, it made me experience a kind of sadness, as memories of the shy and sensitive person that I’d also been clouded the image. During my childhood, I experienced a lot of anxiety, at times having trouble being in school and hanging out with friends. I was five years old at the time my sister was born and it wasn’t until I’d grown up that I started to reflect on how it might have affected her – having an older brother who periodically pulled away.”

The track is taken from Tobias’ upcoming ‘Powerlines’ debut EP, which will be released on 31st March 2023.

“The EP is a contemplation on the self and its different parts, voices, and moods. It’s about listening to the noise of these voices’ endless dialogue and trying to connect with the many parts of oneself that want to be heard. For example, facing the inner child, whose early experiences shape us so much more than we tend to believe, or struggling with the inner critic, who raises self-doubt and prevents us from getting where we want to go.”

Tobias Arbo

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New Music: NINV

Photo / emmomoe

As a rising artist and producer from Norway, NINV (aka Nina Ugland) is responsible for crafting some of the most interesting blends of electronica and pop to emerge from Scandinavia.

Inspired by the notion of just ‘letting go’, experimental new single ‘Only We Know‘ serves as NINV’s first single of the year, and as a taster for more releases scheduled over the coming months.

With support from the likes of Under The Radar and Norwegian national radio NRK P3, NINV will be one Nordic name to watch for in 2023.

NINV

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WIINSTON – care4

WIINSTON might well be our most featured Danish outfit from recent years, and with good reason.

This genre-bending Copenhagen duo have consistently delivered sounds that are future-forward and experimental, while also maintaining some pop sensibilities.

‘care4’ continues to showcase WIINSTON’s desire to push sonic boundaries, and fuses genres as diverse as indie, folk and R&B into a song that is not only unique and intriguing in style, but also emotive and authentic in character.

“‘care4’ is the perfect picture on how we currently define ourselves. It’s rooted in multiple genres like indie, folk, RnB and hip hop with inspiration from the soundscapes of cinema. When making music, to us, every aspect is equally important ‘cause when we limit ourselves to only one genre it doesn’t feel like we created anything, really – then we just remade something that already is. We aspire to make this our mutual philosophy in the studio.”

WIINSTON

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Sval – ANGELA (feat. Jimi Somewhere)

Photo / jacobsen_photographs

Norwegian starlet Sval teams up with frequent collaborator Jimi Somewhere on new single ‘ANGELA’.

In what is likely to be our favourite release from Norway so far this year, the track treats listeners to a sound that is both tender and vulnerable, but also euphoric in tone.

“‘ANGELA’ is a what if story. You fall in love, but you don’t have enough time to make it work. It’s about meeting someone and falling in love in a place where you know it’s temporary. To me the song feels nostalgic, about someone you don’t see anymore, but you still think dearly of.” – Sval

Elaborating further on the song’s creation, and her process with working alongside Jimi Somewhere, Sval explains:

“Writing this song was super easy, I just sang the first thing that came to mind. I only had a guitar loop and some drums and wrote my part on a late night in my living room, before bringing it to the studio with Jimi and Milo. Jimi’s verse really elevated everything, and I love having him as a feature. His voice really suits the song, and I love the story in his verse. It’s one of my favourites from my upcoming project and I hope people can resonate with it.” – Sval

As one of Norway’s newest alt-pop exports, Sval has received tastemaker recognition from the likes of Earmilk, Clout and Going Solo, while her most recent single, ‘GRENADE‘, has been streamed more than 200k times on Spotify alone.

Sval | Jimi Somewhere

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Sofia Monroy – Control

It wouldn’t a normal weekend at Alfitude without featuring some premium Swedish music, and today it’s the turn of Sofia Monroy.

Serving as the last single from her forthcoming ‘Telenovela’ EP (out in the spring), new single ‘Control’ presents listeners with a perfected fusion of future-forward pop, alternative R&B and soul.

The resulting sound is one that feels sleek, finessed and refreshingly experimental in tone.

“‘Control’ is about the fear of losing control in connection with the longing to be someone else’s everything. All of a sudden you find yourself there, tied behind and perplexed, perhaps in love or maybe just stuck.”

To date, this rising Stockholm-based starlet has accumulated more than 300k career streams on Spotify alone.

Sofia Monroy

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Big Spoon x EMI.KKO – Hush Money Scandal

Big Spoon

Danish-Senegalese producer Big Spoon (aka Kinck) joins forces with emerging UK talent EMI.KKO on sultry new single ‘Hush Money Scandal’.

Fusing experimental pop with alternative R&B, the song showcases a sound that is future-forward, vibrant and confidently bold.

Two rising musicians in their own right, both Big Spoon and EMI.KKO have already garnered significant achievements.

As a songwriter, Big Spoon has worked with labels as iconic as Ultra Music and Sony Music, while EMI.KKO was first signed by Elton John’s Rocket Music.

Big Spoon | EMI.KKO

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Late Runner – Catch Your Eye (Organ Trio Version)

Anne-Sofie Madsen / Anders Christiansen

Acclaimed Danish artist Late Runner (aka Asger Tarpgaard) returns today with an interesting new project that is sure to excite fans of Scandinavian indie-pop.

Originally written back in 2017, the new Organ Trio version of ‘Catch Your Eye’ reworks the song into a perfected slice of nu-disco.

The track is lifted from a wider collection of works (out now) that have all received the Organ Trio treatment, of which Tarpgaard explains:

“The four songs are special organ trio-versions of Late Runner tracks. It’s more electronic than ‘the usual’ Late Runner sound. It’s somehow a detour before I’ll return to the more acoustically driven Late Runner sound later this year.”

Late Runner

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Asy Saavedra – Masterpiece

If you’re unfamiliar with Swedish-American artist Asy Saavedra, then today’s release of ‘Masterpiece’ could be your perfect introduction.

Refreshingly original in its approach to pop, ‘Masterpiece’ treats listeners to an avant-garde style of sound that feels eccentric and experimental, yet still maintains a playful essence.

As a vocalist, songwriter, producer and composer, Saavedra creates her own solo work while also serving as lead singer and keyboard player with acclaimed electro-pop outfit Chaos Chaos.

Asy Saavedra | Chaos Chaos