Category: Nordic Music

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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 | Nordic 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

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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

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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

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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
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LOVA – It’s Alright


Photo / Lamia Karic, Studio Forgatmigej

One of our favourite Swedish pop talents from recent years has been LOVA. This starlet has yet to disappoint us with her releases, and while her new single, ‘It’s Alright’, is a little different from her usual sound, it’s still just as mesmerising to experience.

The production is sonically sharp and minimal, while the lyrics tell of the temptations to settle for just ‘fine’ and inspire us to make the most of our situations in life.

‘It’s Alright’ was produced by Oskar Wildén, who is also known for his work alongside other Scandi pop icons like Dagny and Tove Stryke, and showcases LOVA’s continued evolution through her music.

“I was a really shy, introverted kid, and I tended to keep myself in the background, but I had a lot on my mind,” she says. “I needed music as an outlet to express myself, so I learnt a few chords and wrote a few ideas down in my own invented language.. The more I did it, though, I started to come out of my shell.” 

LOVA

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Mathea-Mari – Tired of Fixing A Broken Heart

Norwegian pop artist Mathea-Mari has released a new single this week, called ‘Tired of Fixing A Broken Heart’.

As the title suggests, this is a melancholic pop song with sincere lyrics that was created alongside a stellar team of musicians – Christian Burns, Matt Alvers, and producer Chris Gill.

Mathea-Mari already has an accomplished career within the Scandinavian music scene. Now aged 24 years old, this singer and songwriter first launched her career on Norway’s Got Talent at age 12. She also won the country’s Melodi Grand Prix Junior 2014, which is no mean feat!

Mathea-Mari

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New Music: Spawner

Photo / Fanny-Alba Bang Jönsson & Mathilde Ferro Fransen

“‘Can’t Find You’ is a song about searching for someone, or something, who literally disappears in front of your eyes. The person shows up in very strange places and keeps leaving weird clues, like in the pages your notebook.”

Spawner

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