A ceiling two seconds from collapsing, lots of sloppy Doc Marten dancing, and really harsh hardcore music. Ask Ola Klüft his earliest memories of growing up in Umeå, Sweden, and he'll gladly share this DIY-or-die story (or some other basement show fiasco) with a smile and a snicker. Which is quite amusing and a little confusing when you consider Klüft's current gig: singing sweetly and subtly amid the moonlit, melancholic indie pop of The Perishers.
Even Klüft admits the inherent irony of the situation. You see, as much as The Perishers admired the political stance and savage punk of hometown heroes like Refused and Final Exit, none of the band's members are -- how should we put this? -- 'the aggressive type.'
“When we started out, we had to share our rehearsal space with those guys and, well, we were pretty much scared of the hardcore bands,” says Klüft. “We always practiced really quietly as a result.”
The group's introverted issues extended insofar as the recruitment of their bassist, ex-punk rocker Pehr Åström. As Klüft puts it plainly, “It took [keyboardist/childhood friend] Martin [Gustafson] and I a while to get the guts to ask him to join. Thankfully, he turned out to be a really nice guy.”
More important than his demure demeanor was the way Åström rounded out the band's rhythm section perfectly -- a taut ebb and flow dynamic that also includes drummer Thomas Hedlund (who when not recording with The Perishers is often found on the road with French band Phoenix). The Perishers debut, From Nothing to One (Nons, 2002), illustrates this with hushed tones and sweeping glass menagerie melodies. Next came the luscious and lovelorn Let There Be Morning, which Nettwerk Music Group finally brought to the states in 2005, nearly two years after its original European release. At once hopeful and heartbroken without ever lapsing into cliché, the glacial pop collection was adored by tastemakers and critics, including The New York Times, which exclaimed, “These songs are irresistible.” An equally entranced Entertainment Weekly added, “[The Perishers] got the wistful, literate lyrics, the whisking percussion and lilting melodies...a lovely twilight trip.”
Another growing group of Perishers supporters has been music supervisors for such acclaimed shows (soundtrack-wise especially) as The O.C., One Tree Hill and Veronica Mars. Apparently, The Perishers songs sync up perfectly with moving pictures of the post-Dawson's Creek kind.
"Watching Mischa Barton or some other young star act out a scene with a Perishers song in the background is truly surreal and very odd," admits Klüft. "It just doesn't seem right that it's there."
Ah, but it is. That's the thing about The Perishers' music: tender without being sappy, and pretty without ever sounding precious, it's something we can all relate to, from daily Pitchfork readers to teen drama junkies to...Sarah McLachlan fans? That's right: After years of playing small clubs, McLachlan handpicked the band to open her 2005 North American tour -- and even guested on a rousing rendition of "Pills" every night -- upping their potential audience ten-fold and helping them to sell nearly 20,000 copies of Let There Be Morning after just 10 weeks on the road. Nightly album sales reached record-breaking levels, averaging 600 copies a night.
"None of us expected that kind of response," says Klüft. "The first night of the tour we actually thought the long line for our signing table was for the restrooms. It was weird, but it definitely boosted our confidence as a band."
Don't let that fool you into thinking The Perishers became rock stars overnight. If anything, the slow-burning success of Let There Be Morning humbled them, pushing The Perishers to treat their third effort, Victorious, as a grand statement of sorts. To achieve this, the band decided to shake things up a bit and work for the first time with producer Per Sunding (The Ark, The Cardigans, Junior Senior).
“We wanted to try working with a more traditional producer this time around - something new, you know?” explains Klüft. “Per was very frank with us. He's a nice guy -- super funny and all that -- but he wasn't afraid to tell us when something wasn't good enough.”
Unwilling to watch an artist shortchange their strengths, Sunding continuously pushed the band creatively. The process was tough at times but truly paid off, as it forced The Perishers to become as confident in the studio as they always were onstage. So much so that the band re-recorded and self-produced five songs at the start of 2007 in their hometown of Umeå, opting to make some tracks sound “more live” through the involvement of their backup band from previous tours, Måns Lundberg and Anders Pettersson.
"We played at the same time and in the same room, minimizing the number of overdubs," says Klüft. "The more people playing, the merrier! It's so much more fun that way."
Songs like “Midnight Skies” and “8am Departure” sparkle and fade like the natural flow of a life-affirming rock show. More importantly, though, is the way everything melds together perfectly, making it nearly impossible to tell what was recorded with whom and when. Standouts include the weightless drifter-in-the-dark balladry of "Carefree" and the title track, which hits the road with a battered acoustic in hand and harmonies dancing round Klüft's head, jockeying for position to get out.
The Perishers--Ola Klüft (vocals, guitar), Martin Gustafson (keyboards, backing vocals), Pehr Åström (bass), and Thomas Hedlund (drums)-release Victorious on September 4, 2007 (Nettwerk Music Group); a North American tour is planned for the winter.
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You guys are my world. I never would have lived through half the stuff i have if it weren't for you guys. Sway, nothing like you and i, my heart, weekends, these songs were my lullabys. Thank you more then ever,
Hi I'm GiGi Fouquet!!!! Please take a listen to my EP " Tiny Heaven." Produced by GE Smith (SNL, Bob Dylan, Hall & Oates) and Jon Carin (Pink Floyd) Thanks for you're support!!! xoxo G
Vår debutskiva, InSight, är nu färdig. Releasefest blir den 27 juni på Slottsstallarna i Växjö. Ni kan redan nu tjuvlyssna på ett par av låtarna via vår myspace. Kolla också musikvideon för låten Down, down, down!
Hey guys! After a year and a half we are back charging full steam ahead with the release of our latest album "Songs For The Road Towards The End Of The World" this past May 31, 2009. Unlike our two previous releases this was a long duration album (LP) featuring 12 all created by Pete Drown. Mike Mellow participated in the album by co-producing it and creating the art. The first single is called "Ciento Once Grados" (111 Degrees) and we have a brief video/slideshow teaser for it on our page.
We want to invite you to download our free album and share with us your feedback. All you have to do is click on the Cover art either on this message or by visiting our myspace page. There you can also download our previous two EP's if you don't have them already.
So, that being said, I hope you download it, I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you let us know. Thanks again. Micro out...
Hi there The Perishers Thanks for being friends, really appreciate it! really love your site and what you stand for...good luck here on myspace and whatever you have set your sights on in the future!:-)
Maybe you want a quick peek at what I do...just take a look at myspace there'S a video which I've filmed in China, and the Muisc I wrote too, please tell me if you like it...
Hi , thank you for the friendship, it's a pleasure having you among my friends. My best compliments for your music. I wish you great success in all your pursue. Greetings from Italy. Federico Martello
My Fiddler's Bow is on sale this month. Visit this page: http://adamrsweet.com/mybow.html to order through PayPal or direct from Emily's Website
Every order comes with a free cake of green Irish rosin!
Adam
what's up just stopping by to show some love..Letting everyone know we just reopened the recording studio. So if you need beats,studio time or any of our other services check us out and see what we can do for you
The first time I heard "weekends" ... I was so inspired, so moved by music at the time. I went home and wrote a great, passionate song. It wasn't the first, it wasn't the last...but you are an inspiration, no doubt.
Thanks for adding me to your circle of friends Your music is very nice is exactly my taste. I wish you much success and also fun with your projects All the Best for You !!! Greetings from Germany Orientchill
Hi The Perishers Don't miss the opportunity to play at the world's biggest festival for upcoming bands! Play at the best and biggest venues in your country. Sign up your band today at www.emergenzanordic.com Hope to see your band ON stage! All the best Emergenza Festival
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