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Best new Scandi music in October Swedish duo Smith & Thell have released a five-song collection that’s well worth getting acquainted with. A Chosen Family is their new EP, featuring five well-crafted tunes, each with a little something unique to offer. They’ve given us Smith & Thell country pop on Waste Of Time, Smith & Thell arena pop on Little Alter Boy, Smith & Thell pensive pop on At Least I Tried, and Smith & Thell at their most weird and wonderful on UFO. Plus, there’s the new single I Let The Good Ones Go – a gorgeous ballad with lyrics that strap you in to hear their rollercoaster story of gut punches and heart-string tugs. She’s become one of Finland’s biggest artists in the past 12 months since her debut, and now Mirella is back with her latest release, Löytää Mut. With her first four singles, she’s clocked up an incredible 60 streams on Spotify alone, and with this new one – single number five – she looks set to add more big numbers to
that tally. Featuring a sugar-sweet pop melody balanced out by some beautifully composed Nordic melancholia, and then topped off with strings aplenty – it’s a glittering addition to the young artist’s already sparkling repertoire. A top-tier collaboration from the Nordic music world this month – when Sweden’s Molly Hammar paired with Norway’s Emma Steinbakken. Two performers who have more than proved their pop prowess in the past, both in terms of songwriting and the incredible vocals with which they deliver their hits. En Sista Chans ends up being the stunner that you’ll have expected it to be if you’re a fan of either – a dreamy mid-tempo that is going to serve us well as we cosy up on these autumnal evenings. Everything Is Right is the brand-new single from Swedish duo Tomode, following the release of Visions Of You in the summer. On it, they’ve gifted us with a delectable slice of disco that’s authen-
By Karl Batterbee
tic to the genre enough to take you right back to its ’70s heyday. I was on board with this before the chorus had even arrived on that very first, delightful listen – that production is just undeniable. It comes ahead of their debut album, Existential Disco, and I’m expecting more dreamy things already, given that title! www.scandipop.co.uk
Monthly Illustration
The cycling way of life I feel terrible that my children don’t get to cycle everywhere, because growing up in Scandinavia, that's what me and my friends did. Cycle, cycle, cycle. To school, to friends’ houses, to parties. The slightly sweaty back, the thighs of steel. What a dream. Sometimes a wheel got stuck in the tram track and we fell and scraped our hands and had to go to hospital and have a nurse pick out tiny, tiny bits of dirt from open wounds. But most of the time, we just got back on the bike and continued. Cycling with friends is such a fun way to get to school or a concert or football training. There is freedom in this way of transport, a smug feeling that you are doing something good for the world and yourself. It’s a way of life really, cycling. During our Swedish summer holiday this year, we cycled a lot. Cars in Sweden are really aware of cyclists, always give them 108 |
Issue 171 | October 2024
By Gabi Froden
people who have to fight for their rights on the streets and argue for more space, storage and status. Cyclists are seen as an inconvenience. This mindset is completely at odds with life in Scandinavia, which consistently appears on the list of healthiest and most environmentally friendly places in the world. I miss the cycling way of life. And I miss the smugness that comes with it.
the right of way, and the roads are built with cyclists in mind. My experience in the UK is different; there are a lot of angry drivers who think that anyone on a bike is a no-good hippie. But that’s only because cyclists in the UK are in opposition to society. It’s a group of
Gabi Froden is a Swedish illustrator and writer, living in Glasgow with her husband and two children. Her children’s and YA books are published in Sweden by Bonnier Carlsen and Natur&Kultur. www.gabifroden.com