Magnus Magnusson
Pontus Berghe
John Eriksson
Erik Starre
Oscar Tillman
Influences
French pastries, Italian wines, German krautrock, American rap, Belgian truffles, Jamaican digital, Northsea fish, Cuban tobacco, Really thin pancakes with amaretto and walnuts, Hungarian smut, French escargot, Cheap irish whiskey, Swedish wild berries, Jaque Dutronc, New york cabdrivers.
Sounds Like
According to The Wire:
"an unholy alliance between The Monochrome Set and the B52s"
Holiday for strings used to be a quite crappy rock band.
Back in the golden era known as the late nineties, two chefs, Magnus Magnusson and Erik Starre, met while working in the Michelin-starred restaurant Edsbacka krog. They started drinking and hanging out together. Their interest in music got them talking about forming some kind of group. They rounded up some friends, got fucked up mostly, but ocassionaly played their instruments. They called themselves Cash 21.
They started doing some shows around venues in Stockholm with mostly close friends as witnesses. On one occasion they started their show with three guitars feedbacking for unbelievable half an hour, emptying the venue almost completely...
Somewhere around 1999 they accidently got picked up by some madman in advertising and a particularly annoying track ended up in a t.v. commercial for a clothing company. The guys thought their lives were made and kicked back, waiting for record deals, groupies and stretch limos to pour over them. Nothing happened.
When one of the guitar players walked out, they called an old friend to fill in. Oscar Tillman had played in a lot of bands, including Bromma/Bay Area Thrash heroes Ordure. He was thrilled to finally have found a band that tolerated all 400 of his flange/phase pedals. But it was not until a few months later that the band radically changed for the better- when I joined them.
It started to sound fantastic. The band got rid of all the eight-note chugging and became a more sparse, one could almost say atmospheric, rock and dub-pop band. We renamed the band Holiday for Strings in 2001, and recorded a twelve-inch, four song ep and put it out ourselves.
In 2003, drummer John Eriksson joined the band on guitar. He'd never played guitar before but since his drumming is far superior to mine, there was no other choice. His signature, 45 minute sustained notes, added an arty feel to our music, cock blocking the band completely. In summer of 2003 and the following summer, HFS performed in Norway and France and recorded new material that ended up on our debut album, geniusly called "CD" released in 2006. We toured the record around Europe in 2007.
The album's least commercial track earned us some money to take time off to record some new songs, inspired by science, heartache, dance music and reluctancy to grow up. Kanine Records in Brooklyn. NYC put out the 4 song double 7" " Two of You" in February this year, which includes the Toxic Avenger remix of the track with the same name. As far as tour plans go, we want to blow the last of the band funds on a new live show consisting of chocolate fountains and vast amounts of strawberries, which should happen later this year.
- DeeDee Pony, drummer, Holiday for strings and Thieves Like Us
The old record: New one almost done, it's gonna be great!
Two of you Live at le Botanique Rotonde, Brussels. last week.
hey guys... whats up? So I got your cd CD a couple weeks ago... been playing it at my work place... my colleagues and friends love it... hope things are good with you... cheerios... d[^_^]b
Thanks for being friends! Have fun with the 1 min. trailer of a 1h TV program about Manuel! And if you feel, that's now enough :-) then listen to some excerpts of his recent album LIVE AT MT. FUJI, enjoy! http://www. ashra. com/disco/1a71li. htm Best, www. manuelgoettsching. com (in case you wish to learn more about MG:-) www. myspace. com/ashratempel (fan site dedicated to MG's early work with/as ASH RA TEMPEL)
Tried to get your album CD on amazon, says like currently unavailable or something??.. So like how did it go with the New label??..eagerly awaiting the new sounds... A lot of my mates find your songs trippy man! like far out! So you guys ever touring New York?? Well I will be there!!! Cheers...
Online Now!
