"Shine down on us" is about your grandmother, right?
That is right.
It's a beautifully powerful song, probably the album highlight for me. Can you tell me more about her?
Well, her name was Ellen Kitok Andersson. She belonged to the Sami people. She did poetry, handicraft and arts.
She wrote parts of the lyrics in "Shine down on us". It was originally one of her poems. Once she asked me how it sounded if I sang in Swedish, so I wrote some music to her poem "Pärlor I Sjaunia-älven". She really liked it, so I sang it on her funeral - and the sun began to shine down on us through the window into the church. It was probably the most epic moment in my life.
What was she like?
She was a hard working handicraft artist. A thinker and a dreamer. She lived on her arts and gave my father and his siblings a really good start into life. She was the one everyone in the family came to when they needed to talk, and get answers. She had kind of an unspoken goddess aura around her. Right there where she sat. By her working desk. In her peaceful home.
In 2005 I became really sick. I got a tumor in my throat and had to spend a lot of time in the hospital. When I was not in there, I spent a lot of time with my grandmother. She was a really special person, and we shared a really special bond. I think that we still do in a way.
Whenever I'm in a hard struggle I dream of her at night and she speaks to me and tells me what to do to get on through. She helps me.
How is it for you to perform live?
I've never played it live. But I have played "Pärlor I Sjaunia-älven" live and it's always both hard and beautiful. Once a five year old boy started to cry when I played it. I could never write such powerful lyrics myself. If I get a chance to to a full album in Swedish, it will definitely be on that.
When the seasons are shifting
In colours so bright
Maybe blinded by colours you get
Like in dreams from my childhood
I'm one with the wind
And I'm drifting away in my mind
You're tears are building a stream
Tears like pearls falling down
Maybe I'll give you some of my pearls
If you share me the colour of love
Read the full interview
Elmo - Shine down on us
Due to popular demand, Finnish sassy punk girls Pintandwefall have posted their old demos for free download: https://www.talent71.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=608
Marit Bergman's new song "Casey, hold on", the official anthem for 2009 Stockholm Pride, is now streaming at myspace: https://www.myspace.com/maritbergman
Swedish indierockers The Gentle Act Incident are prepping for the release of their new album "Like silk burns" (due out late September, Germany/Belgium only so far) and will be streaming new tracks at myspace on a regular basis at their myspace page: https://www.myspace.com/gentleactincident
Also check the live section for a few upcoming German tourdates.
Updated European dates for Peter Bjorn and John:
10/01 - The Electric Ballroom, London (UK)
10/02 - Academy , Liverpool (UK)
10/03 - Tripod, Dublin (IRL)
10/05 - The Cockpit, Leeds (UK)
10/06 - O2 Academy, Birmingham (UK)
10/07 - The Leadmill, Sheffield (UK)
10/08 - The Waterfront, Norwich (UK)
10/09 - The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth (UK)
10/10 - Rock Ternat Festival, Brussels (BEL)
10/11 - Mascotte, Zurich (CH)
10/12 - Paradiso, Amsterdam (NL)
10/14 - Le Grand Mix (Les Inrocks), Tourcouing (FRA)
10/15 - La Maroquinerie, Paris (FRA)
10/16 - Le Normandy (Les Inrocks), Saint Malo (FRA)
10/17 - l'Ubu, Rennes (FRA)
Truckfighters will be touring the UK with Dozer in November:
11/24 - Cockpit, Leeds
11/25 - The old angel, Nottingham
11/26 - Barfly, Cardiff
11/27 - The Camden Underworld, London
11/28 - Engine room, Brighton
PSL got Frida Hyvönen and Jenny Wilson together to cover "Shadow of a doubt" by Sonic Youth: https://blogg.svt.se/psl/2009/07/25/frida-hyvonen-och-jenny-wilson-tolkar-sonic-youth/
Finnish hardcore act Abduktio is working on a new 8-track EP for release via Combat Rock Industry in November. This will be a vinyl-only release and is said to be very harDCore-influenced with covers of both Bad Brains and Descendents.
Swedish lounge-metallers Hellsongs will be heading out on tour in September in support of their new 5-track EP, "Pieces of Heaven, a glimpse of Hell ". Dates so far:
09/23 - Faust - 60er Jahre Halle, Hannover
09/24 - Bibelot, Dordrecht
09/25 - Perron 55, Venlo
09/26 - Reeperbahn Festival, Hamburg
09/28 - FZW/Freizeitzentrum West, Dortmund
09/29 - Die Stadtmitte, Karlsruhe
10/01 - Universum, Stuttgart
10/03 - Haus der Musik, Wien
10/04 - PPC, Graz
10/06 - Posthalle, Wurzburg
10/07 - Hirsch, Nurnberg
10/08 - Ampere Club, Munchen
10/09 - Nachtleben, Frankfurt
10/10 - Glanz und Gloria, Osnabruck
10/11 - Magnet, Berlin
Christian Kjellvander's old indierock act Loosegoats is getting back together to play Way Out West next month: https://www.wayoutwest.se/
Sweden's current finest rock'n'roll combo The Scrags are coming to the UK in September:
09/09 - tba
09/10 - Sweet but Deadly, London
09/11 - The Cave, Glasgow
09/12 - Stay Sick @ Hectors House, Brighton
09/13 - Dublin Castle, London
Swedish act Bonne Idée will be doing a 7" with Cloudberry Records in the near future.
Ex-Opeth guitarist David Isberg has started a new band called Braathum together with ex-Mynjun guitarist Adam Skogvard and bassist David Ädel, a member of Iceland's national hockey team. The group is seeking a permanent drummer and are planning to record in the fall.
Looks like Burst's upcoming US tour will be there last -- the band plans to call it quits with one last show on Swedish soil this fall. Read the band's full statement: https://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=18720272&blogId=501979833