Dead Vibrations

Consisting of Christian Jansson, Elmer Hallsby, Josefin Ahlqvist Lyzwinski and Louise Erdman, Dead Vibrations break the sound barrier with their heavy tunes. Just listen to their eponymously named debut album, released in January – it will blow your mind. The Stockholm-based band combines the darkest aspects of psych rock with minimalist shoe gaze, accompanied by angry drums.

They explain their own sound by saying that it’s characterised by their previous individual experiences as musicians. “Everyone has their own way of playing and musical peculiarities that go in different directions, which I believe makes the final sound unique,” says bassist Hallsby.

Jansson, Dead Vibrations’ vocalist and guitarist, says the album stands out quite a bit from their previous releases, since they did not have to work to any deadlines when producing it. This allowed them to take their time and let the music grow. “The songs became more thought out and were allowed to breath for a while until we felt fully content with them. It allowed the ideas and thoughts regarding the sound to flow naturally. It’s a mixture of something beautiful and evil, like a summer’s day with dark clouds and tense air pressure,” he says.

Dead Vibrations seem to live and breathe music. They describe it as their medicine and a great passion, something you sense listening to their tracks. To be absolutely free and without boundaries triggers their evolvement and keeps their creative spark alive. “I think that we evolve musically by not having any boundaries. We’re free and able to do whatever we like, making music in a way that feels the most comfortable and fun for us,” says Jansson. “I believe that as long as we don’t put ourselves in a corner of a genre, we will continue to be innovative and creative. It has worked very well so far.”

For all of the band members, their first really strong memory connected to music can be found in their childhoods. Drummer Ahlqvist Lyzwinski recalls her parents playing music that ranged from Neil Young and Björk to The Knife and Led Zeppelin. “Just as Josefin, all my early music memories are connected to my home and upbringing,” says Hallsby. “Early mornings in front of ZTV probably left some kind of imprint as well. It’s easy to get stuck in shallowness when you talk about things close to your heart such as music, but the fact is that music is such a striking medium. It still dazzles me. There is no time for it to pass through filters of consciousness. It still gets you and that’s what’s beautiful about it.”

The band’s style reeks of an updated and personal take on rock’n’roll, which is probably why the Whyred clothes worn in the shoot look like they have been part of their wardrobes for a long time. “If I find something skintight that I won’t sweat away in I’m pretty satisfied,” says Hallsby playfully. “We do also often help each other out finding garments that will make us look collectively cool.”

When it comes to fashion and style icons Ahlqvist Lyzwinski drops PJ Harvey as an inspiration – “Style-wise and regarding attitude.” Hallsby opens up about his soft spot for suits: “I like to look a bit sloppy, dirty and undone, but still a bit half-luxurious.” Their frontman seems to have an even more creative approach towards clothes. “I have started using more colours and lighter ones, which is weird,” says Jansson. “I think that I miss summer and try to remind myself that the sun actually exists. It’s probably going to be the other way around when the sun comes back.”

With the debut release behind them, a Scandinavian tour in April with NONN is what’s next on the agenda. This will be followed up by a new album release at the end of the year. Dead Vibrations really seem to have found a golden productive artery.

HOLY

The project of Hannes Ferm, HOLY, is like a bag of candy, mixing sweet and sour. He’s building a unique musical universe consisting of ’60s garage, lo-fi pop influences and melancholic atmospheres that get torn apart by glam-rock riffs. All topped with a voice softer than satin.

From Umeå, north Sweden, Ferm now lives in Stockholm and studies art at Gerlesborgsskolan while he makes music. Does studying another art form influence his creativity? “I think studying art has given me the possibility to get inspired by things I otherwise would not have been exposed to,” he says. “It’s also taught me to think in an abstract and conceptual way, something I couldn’t do before.”

HOLY’s second album, All These Worlds Are Yours, was released in January and explores soundscapes in an experimental way, avoiding the trap of stagnating in how he makes music. “I believe the formula is angst and inferiority combined with a genuine interest in exploring unfamiliar musical areas,” he says.

The album carries the same qualities as the ’60s psychedelic movement, yet also has elements of the early-’70s glam-rock scene mixed up with modern garage DIY vibes. The result is the sound of a 21st-century Bowie or Rundgren, just to mention a few. “I think that seeing The Rocky Horror Picture Show is what triggered the start of the process, but I also listened to classic early-’70s rock – Lou Reed’s Transformer and Diamond Dogs by Bowie,” he says. “[With this album] I wanted to explore every part of that world, the aesthetic aspects but also the music and theatrical parts.” He reveals he had also wanted to work with rock’n’roll clichés: “I realised these clichés are so damn beautiful. I came to the conclusion that a song can feel both powerful and fragile.”

When it comes to HOLY’s visual work and aesthetics, such as the music video to the almost-impossible-to-pronounce track ððð, you get the impression that Ferm gives this a lot of thought. “What’s most important is that the visuals and music match and evoke the same feelings in me,” he says

As for fashion influences, Ferm mentions Liberace, the entertainer famous for his extravagant clothing, but being busy travelling, he doesn’t really have the time or energy to pack his suitcase or think about putting together an outfit in the early mornings – “I just take whatever is on the floor closest to my bed.” Judging by his look, this probably means that Ferm only owns great clothes.

Even though it has only been a few weeks since the release of All These Worlds Are Yours, Ferm has already got grand plans for HOLY in the year ahead. “We will do a few festivals this summer and some shows during the fall. I have also started to record the next album, so I’m going to try to finish it during this year as well,” he says. Ferm has found a creative drive that leads him to explore unknown musical landscapes. Like astronauts in space, he steers his steps towards ground where no one has walked before.

ShitKid

In many ways pure and raw in its expression, yet very well made, ShitKid’s music makes an upfront and direct impression. It’s something that has made her output strong and powerful, beating like a hammer through the constant buzz of music releases.

A lot has happened for Åsa Söderqvist, aka ShitKid, since she first uploaded her self-titled debut EP to the internet in 2015. Söderqvist is insanely productive and has released singles and a full-length LP since, as well as received music awards. She doesn’t seem to have a very complicated relationship with her own creativity, though. Her main driving force is that she finds making music fun and lets everything evolve from that mindset. “When I make music it’s often because I happen to fall into it. Sometimes I feel all hyped instead of tired for a whole week, so it’s hard to tell. But I find making music fun, and that’s always something. If I get stuck or if it sounds bad, I just do something else until making music feels fun again,” she says.

Her relationship towards music hasn’t changed that much since the start, but as she points out, it’s only been two years since she started out. “I still play music the same way, using the same instruments. OK, except there are two songs with bass in it, that’s it. But on the other hand, I want to try making the next album in a completely different way,” she says.

The media has often depicted Söderqvist as unpredictable and even a bit cocky. For those of you who have seen her live, you might be tempted to agree, but Söderqvist is fully aware of how she’s being portrayed. It’s clear that she owns the situation and plays by her own rules. Mainly she’s the one in charge of the way journalists write about her, contributing to their coverage of her through her use of social media. “I love that Örnsköldsvik Allehanda, a small local newspaper, wrote that I got kicked out of Manifestgalan due to my caption on a photograph uploaded on my Instagram. I think that they’ve missed rock’n’roll or something,” she laughs.

ShitKid’s aesthetic is undoubtedly DIY and it has a visual mindset that permeates her videos and covers. Söderqvist confesses that she doesn’t think that much about it but accepts there are normcore aspects, a kind of anti-fashion approach. “I’m probably pretty normcore apart from the fact that I’m also crazy,” she says. “Then it’s great to have a band like ShitKid where you can use it as an image. It is something that has developed from me being emo while I was growing up, until I became boring and stopped wearing make-up.”

Söderqvist seems to have a pretty relaxed attitude towards what she wears and is often found in normcore clothes, sometimes with an added little twist of irony. She mentions her friend and style icon Moa Romanova Strinnholm as an influence when it comes to fashion. Also, the Whyred rock’n’roll aura really fits the punk side of her artistry with its playful attitude towards fashion norms, mixing casual dressing with finer tailoring. But she confesses that she hates shopping. “I really hate buying clothes and I get in a panic when visiting stores,” she says.

It probably won’t come as a surprise that this creative mind has a lot going on, with new music in the pipeline. This time around she’ll begin by creating the songs as usual and then let her band members, Arvid Sjöö and Lina Molarin Ericsson, interpret them. “Unlike me, they know their instruments. I imagine it will be easier to listen to and more professional, but still using the same musical foundation,” says Söderqvist. Later this year, ShitKid is going to USA and doing more gigs. As Söderqvist herself says: “There aren’t any more awards to win, so that’s probably what I’m going to do.”

Evolvement is all about challenging yourself, daring to question your standpoint and the way you process and work with your ideas. Dead Vibrations, HOLY and ShitKid are all great examples of how good the result can be if one dares to go outside the usual patterns. They’re artists who are representing the wonderful diversity of our wide musical landscape and keep exploring unknown territories.

Team credits
Words by Amanda Båmstedt
Photography by Dan Sjölund
Styling by Pejman Biroun Vand
Hair and make up (Dead Vibration and Holy) by Lillis Hemmingsson
Hair and make up (ShitKid) by Elva Ahlbin
Stylists assistants Hedvig Holgersson and Emelie Berglund
Special thanks to Whyred

Fashion credits
All clothes by Whyred

Complete devotion means having a passion for something that translates into everything you do – the way you think, what you create and every step forward you take. Devotees comes in all shapes and sizes, but the one thing that ties them together is an unfaltering dedication to continue doing what inspires them.

For their first design collaboration in their 30-year history, the high-tech outerwear specialists Peak Performance turned to the renowned British designer Nigel Cabourn, who has made it his lifelong pursuit to collect and become an expert in vintage global army apparel. This skilful fusing of talent has reinvented the classic functionality and aura of historic pieces, resulting in a stunning FW17 collection. Each of the 20 unisex pieces has been carefully designed with special attention to quality and utility, breathing new life into garments with a long history. And this collection was never about following trends. Everyone involved with it has a deep understanding of what it means to be committed to your craft – behind every visionary is a story.

The Forumist spoke with eight creative devotees who have turned their dreams into reality. But these stories are just snapshots of their journeys – whether in music on interior design – as they relentlessly pursue their passion. For them, it’s not just about achieving one goal, job or a hobby. This is real devotion.

Mwuana
Robin Nyström, aka Mwuana, has been devoted to his music from a young age, developing his melodic sing-rap style over the years. With a total – “not scheduled” – dedication to creation, Nyström has developed into a visionary and entrepreneur, becoming what he calls “a multi-creative” in many different areas.

“This passion is often just a romantic glint from this problem you are trying to solve,” he explains. “It’s like a mystery that constantly haunts you, and you just want to crack the code.” During the years he has spent developing his sound, he has learnt to prioritise his creativity so he can focus on projects that he is passionate about seeing through to the end. “It’s as if devotion comes to you and makes your life more meaningful and interesting, but there are also long periods when you feel lost, not sure of what you’re actually doing. But I believe that as soon as a person finds their calling, devotion automatically kicks in.”

Continuing his story, he tells us: “It started with one goal, actually more like one mission. And the further the mission went, the bigger the vision got.” This is an artist who has come a long way from where he began. Growing up in a suburb outside Stockholm, Nyström relied on street smarts to get to where he is now. “I always seem to take on more projects than it’s possible to manage, but I’m driven by the feeling of learning new things and, most of all, finishing and completing the things that are meant to grow.”
mwuana.com

Helin Honung 

For the casting director Helin Honung, devotion used to be about time – the hours you spend working and obsessing about one thing. But it was only when she got into casting, she truly understood what it meant. “As time went by, I understood that, for me, it’s in the challenges, the development and the learning,” she says.

Growing up deeply rooted to the idea that she would become a fashion designer, Honung’s life took a 360-degree turn when she decided to make a change. “Out of the blue, a producer asked me to cast one of her productions,” she explains. “I felt I had nothing to lose if I did it.” From that moment on, Honung found her true devotion within the fashion world. As a casting director, she has a creative calling that challenges her every day and teaches her something new.

She may not have had a background of working for an agency or in production, but it is her total dedication to personal development that helps her overcome daily obstacles. “I’ve always been afraid of failing and I still am, but something that I never thought I’d apply to myself is the beauty of asking people for help,” she says. “We all have our own struggles in life. I guess I’m seeking the perfect balance, and that’s what keeps me going.”

Sandra Mosh

Although she has gone through phases in other music genres, Sandra Mosh has always felt an “uncontrollable draw” pulling her towards electronic music. “People often talk about those moments of flow, when you are so deep into the creative process that you fall into this trance-like state of mind,” she tells us. “I first found this flow through techno.” Now she’s a DJ, producer and founder of her own label, MOSH Musik, so it’s safe to say she has found her musical home in techno.

“For me, there’s nothing more personal than sharing your tracks with the world,” Mosh tells us. As she became more skilled as a DJ and got more involved in the scene, producing music felt natural. Feeling such a strong impulse to create is what led to her founding her own label as a platform to release what she liked, whenever she wanted. Mosh debuted at the Berlin nightclub Berghain last year, an experience that she has been devoted to accomplishing for a long time. “I can honestly say
I walked out there and thought, ‘I can die happy now,’” she reminisces.

When she’s making music, Mosh visualises it in her own head, but she explains that playing for an audience is also a moment of creation. “When something real is actually being created in that moment, that’s the best feeling in the world. That’s zen to me.”

Axel Wannberg 

At his core, Axel Wannberg is a woodworker whose passion for his craft has become his career. His endless devotion to perfecting lines, curves and spaces keeps him busy as a freelance cabinet-maker and furniture designer for high-profile clients in Stockholm and around the world.

He realised working with wood was his calling after he bought an old mahogany boat when he was 18 and started renovating it. After a five-year education in boatbuilding and cabinet making, he started his own workshop. “I get really inspired by minimalistic sculptors from the ’60s and ’70s,” he says. Constantly expanding on his own technical knowledge, he also finds inspiration by visiting niche companies, “like acrylic plastic specialists or companies that specialise in metal surface treatments”.

At first, he designed and built his own projects, but now his work mainly revolves around commissions. He often works alone, but enjoys collaborating with a team that can add to what he does. “Since I have more of a technical-orientated background, I find working with people of a more artistic background the most interesting and complementary.”

Every day Wannberg is in his studio or office, poring over and perfecting sketches and blueprints before starting to build. “I eat, sleep and dream my work,” he says. “And I don’t feel like it’s my job – it’s my biggest passion and I’m lucky to get paid to do it. And it’s been like that for the past 10 years.”
axelwannberg.com

Ludvig Blom

Though he’s an introvert at heart, Ludvig Blom is a strategic advisor and digital producer who works with tons of people and clients, attending meetings every day. His is a fast-paced career that requires technological and creative innovation, so we were curious about what devotion means to him. “Never fail to sweat the details and always be prepared to run the extra mile,” he replies. “In the end, it’s all about delivering valuable, feasible and usable solutions for my clients.”

Blom’s schedule is packed: he’s always working and meeting deadlines, but this goes hand in hand with being totally committed to digital production. He finds his inspiration in the fast pace of big cities and does his best to embrace each challenge he faces. “The more challenges and obstacles you run into, the more you develop as a person.”

Blom holds skill in high esteem and makes it a priority to collaborate with a team of people with a diverse range of expertise. “I prefer to be among cross-functional teams of specialists. You learn so much, and I also like it if people are a bit different and fun.” His devotion is far from reaching an end point. “I consider it more as a journey,” Blom says.
panagora.se

Julia Thelin

For Julia Thelin, filmmaking is about surrendering herself to the artistic process and coming to terms with not being in control. “It sounds pretentious, but for me it has something to do with what is outside of myself, with being connected to something bigger,” she says. For her, it is that passion and lack of control that drives her forward and helps her make decisions: “My devotion pushes me to dare to do more things.”

Filmmaking is a way for her to disconnect from reality while also creating it. “To create is to dig deeper into yourself and not be aware of it because you’re so absorbed in the process,” Thelin explains. She questions gender structures and roles in her work, inspired by the complexity of human behaviour and social systems. “Although, ‘inspired’ is a weird word for something that makes you angry,” she adds. “I look at it more as fascination.”

Thelin’s ambition is to expand the way people experience film and the way film looks. “I think I need to take a hell of a journey for that,” she says. “To be devoted means making choices that always have to do with my creative work, indirectly or directly.”
Juliathelin

Michel Dida

Songwriter Michel Dida doesn’t mince words when it comes to his passion. “Devotion is being dumb enough to ignore everyone’s advice and spend your entire life pursuing some weird interest that you have,” he says. Dida lives his life with no end goal in mind and says he can do without the rewards.

He got into hip-hop in 1995. “We started off by recording gibberish on cassette tapes over instrumental B-sides and that pretty much sealed the deal,” he says. Although he has featured on plenty of mixes, Dida describes himself as a lone wolf: “There are just not that many people I can trust with all these strange ideas floating around in here, you know.”

But this artist has a formula for harnessing his creative process. He makes his music in total seclusion, away from all social interactions, so he can be alone with his own thoughts. “Just sitting in a dark room for, like, a week, that’s how I write my music. I isolate myself. I don’t answer my phone. I feed the birds on the balcony, but I don’t meet up for fikas. That’s when I’m at my total peak. That is my formula.”

Joanna Nordin

A contemporary artist and curator with a special passion for space relations and collaboration, Joanna Nordin has worked in both fashion and art in New York, and achieved her master’s in fine art at the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm. “I love not knowing what’s around the next corner,” she tells us. “Unexpected conversations, events and collaborations give me tons of energy and inspiration.”

In her artwork, Nordin spends hours making large-scale installations and conceptual found-object sculptures. Recently she became a curator of contemporary art for Sörmlands museum in Nyköping, which will open next year. This new job has expanded her devotion within the art world. “I’m excited to get to be part of making it, and seeing it develop.” The must important thing to Nordin is her integrity. “I believe it’s the key to devotion,” she explains. “As long as you keep things close to your heart and do what you really want, being devoted to it will follow naturally.”

Her transition as an artist into curating has made perfect sense. During art school, Nordin “was never able to make just one work”, and instead spent time thinking about how things related to each other, making entire shows. “I think exhibition-making was always in the back of my mind,” she says. “I’m really grateful that I get to do what I love and do it full-time.” She sees her job as another step in her journey. “Devotion isn’t an end goal, it’s an outcome of your interests and your curiosity.”
joannanordin.com

The FW17 Peak Performance x Nigel Cabourn collection launches on October 5

Team Credits:
Photography by John Scarisbrick
Styling by Emma Thorstrand
Make-up and hair by Lillis Hemmingsson
Words by Eimi Tagore-Erwin
Special thanks to Peak Performance
Talents: Mwuana, Helin Honung, Sandra Mosh, Ludvig Blom, Axel Wannberg, Joanna Nordin, Julia Thelin and Michel Dida
Studio: Peas & Understanding Studio

Fashion Credtis:
#1 Swedish Mountain parka, 
wool cap
#2 Swedish Mountain parka, army undershirt, wool cap, army belt
#3 Wool zip, Swedish Mountain trousers, wool cap
#4 Swedish sheepskin
#5 Snow Smock, Swedish Mountain trousers, wool cap, army belt
#6 US clip jacket, crew-neck swear, wool cap
#7 Quilted naval dungarees, windstopper shirt (round waist), wool cap

Pale Honey

Awakening listeners from their dull, everyday life with its raw and uncompromising sound, Pale Honey’s music starts out mild, but escalates quickly to a roar that’s impossible to ignore.

The duo behind it, Tuva Lodmark and Nelly Daltrey, tell us their fascination with music began when they got to know each other at school and started to play together. “A brand-new world opened up for us,” says Lodmark. “One that took us from mindlessly hammering an instrument or playing a bit carefully, to getting to know a new person and instantly creating songs together. That time is full of special memories – sneaking out of class to try out a distortion pedal together, or getting tangled up in guitar leads from jumping around with happiness at getting a great idea.”

Lodmark and Daltrey have been the critically acclaimed darlings of music journalists since the release of their eponymous debut album in 2015. It’s not hard to understand why, since their tunes change from smooth and slow to fascinating thunderstorms in the blink of an eye. Any artist’s second album is often described as the “difficult” one, and Lodmark and Daltrey explain that they have taken their time with theirs, which they’ve called Devotion, and dared to trust their gut feelings.

“We made a decision not to get stressed about the making of it, which has felt good,” says Daltrey. “Many of the songs on the debut album are ones we made as teenagers and made it to the album as we didn’t dare mess around with the material. We have done it the other way around this time and been careful. That has meant spending more time testing ideas and, at the same time, giving each other space to do other things.”

There’s a recurring theme in many of the tracks on Devotion, which is out on October 13. In many ways, it’s a personal album – it’s about love and being close to someone, the kind of love that makes the heart burst, as well as the opposite. The pair say the process has involved angst and self-doubt mixed with moments of feeling incredibly good.

“We have always done music for our own sake,” says Lodmark. “We are the ones who put the biggest pressure on ourselves and, in the end, we are the ones who want it to be something great that reflects what we stand for. This album has taken its time to grow into its final 10-track collection, and we are incredibly proud of ourselves. We have our favourites on it and we’re not concerned if it doesn’t appeal to listeners – we have spent our time and devotion doing something that we love.”

Pale Honey nail it when it comes to synchronising their style with their sound. Often seen in all black in photographs, as well as on stage, they describe it as “a work uniform that reeks of rock’n’roll”. The duo don’t have any specific style icons but say that they would go for a more Alex Turner kind of vibe than Lady Gaga. When it comes to favourite clothes, Daltrey mentions a wonderful oversized yellow Whyred T-shirt that she likes to thrown on: “It’s been a real favourite for a while.” Their guidelines when it comes to clothing seem to be the same as when it comes to their music – they trust their gut feeling. “We have a very minimalistic and comfortable style,” Daltrey continues, “and it’s important that it feels right and personal. Basic clothing is key, but the fit is what separates the gold grains from boring, plain clothes. We do also like dresses a lot, but they’re a bit hard to wear when you’re sitting in front of a drum kit.”

Side Effects

The psychedelic Stockholm quartet side effects started their rise to fame at a very young age, recording and releasing their first record, A Walk in the Space Between Us (2013), during their late teens. The band is made up of guitarist and vocalist Billy Cervin, drummer and vocalist Hugo Mårtensson, organist and vocalist Elias Jungqvist and bass player Joacim “Jorba” Nilsson. They started out together with a heavily retro-orientated look and musical style, as heard on that debut album. Without losing their personal sound, side effects have since taken a walk in the period between records, landing in a more synthesiser-friendly and arena-compatible realm with terrific singles such as Wanna Lose You and I’m Falling. The new EP, Feels Like Walking on Sunshine, will be released on October 20, and perhaps the changes will speak for themselves.

“Back then, only ’60s-inspired psychedelia really mattered,” says Cervin about the period the album was released. “The biggest difference between then and now is that we’re not afraid to experiment. There are few things more boring than artists and bands getting comfortable.” Clearly, psych music plays a less significant role in what the band does today. “Our energy and the way we play is difficult to ‘wash away’, even though we’ve found new synthesisers and sounds,” says Mårtensson. Needless to say, side effects are devoted to keeping the genuine feeling of their music, which a band of talented musicians that has played together since they were young shouldn’t have much trouble doing – and for this group in particular it seems easy to keep the spark alive. For now, they’re hoping for a more hectic future for the band, in which it won’t take long to create new albums.

All members play in other groups, too. For example, they play in The Indigo Children with The Soundtrack of Our Lives frontman, Ebbot Lundberg, of whom they have always been great fans. Right now, side effects are starring as the house band on Lundberg’s TV show, Ebbot’s Ark, where they sail the seas and play cover songs with Sweden’s brightest stars in every harbour. Looking like the cast from The Life Aquatic… in red hats and blue shirts, the band is a pleasant addition to the show’s set of a picturesque sailing boat.

Another project featuring some of side effects is The Hanged Man, who once performed a gig in a Whyred store. Jungqvist tells the tale: “Jorba and I played in the store, so we have seen it from a bird’s eye perspective. The payment was clothes, and when you’re wearing them you feel really cool.” Jorba agrees: “Sweden is so good at design, and Whyred in particular have always had great clothes. Tasteful, if you know what I mean.”

Having moved on from a rear-view-mirror approach, side effects dress a bit more contemporarily today. The question is, then, what really is contemporary fashion, and is there even anything contemporary outside what reflects the past? Cervin tells us about the style the group used to have. “There was something of an unwritten rule that we should all wear blue paisley shirts for gigs and photos. That ended quite quickly when we got signed and the label thought it was a good image – the teenage defiance kicked in and I don’t think anyone has worn a blue paisley shirt since.” Nilsson agrees that the band’s style of clothing is not as defined now as it once was: “But it’s easier to look back and frame a vibe that existed then. I don’t know, maybe we’ll be labelled in retrospect.”

With their dedication to not getting too comfortable in either their sound or their style, the future of side effects should be interesting to witness, no matter if they are looking backwards or straight ahead into the future.

Team Credits:
Words Pale Honey by Amanda Båmstedt & Side Effect by Filip Lindström
Photography by Dan Sjölund
Styling by Hilda Sandström
Hair and make-up by Lillis Hemmingsson
Special thanks to Whyred
Studio: Peas & Understanding Studio

Fashion Credits:
#1 Jannine jacket, Vanya T-shirt, coat, trousers and shoes catwalk pieces.
# 2 Mondie T-shirt, coat and trousers catwalk pieces.
#3 Vonya Horror T-shirt, jacket and trousers catwalk pieces.
#4 Jacket Art Piece, trousers catwalk pieces.
#5 Art Heavy Mouth jacket, Rita skirt, jacket and shirt, catwalk pieces.
#6 Art Yelloe T-shirt, Syd Black jeans, jacket Art Work piece.
#7 Murry Space T-shirt, coat, trousers and shoes catwalk pieces.
#8 Art Heavy Mouth T-shirt, coat, trousers and shoes catwalk pieces.
#9 Vionet sweater, Stone Washed-Poplin shirt, trousers catwalk piece.
#10 Bast Rag top, Syd Black jeans, jacket catwalk piece.
#11 Stone B.d Washed Poplin T-shirt, Steve Padded jacket, knit catwalk piece.

ALL BY WHYRED

What’s it like being a young artist in Stockholm — is it a place that inspires you?
“It’s inspiring to be surrounded by so many talented and creative friends. It seems like there’s a music studio in every basement here. I also like living in a big city because it contains more different kinds of people.”

The video for your single Samma Gamla Himmel has a mysterious Swedish forest in the background. Are you very attached to nature?
“I spent my childhood summers at a farm with my family. It was always the best time of the year. But I wouldn’t like to live in the countryside, because I would feel too isolated and restless. My life isn’t divided into weekdays and weekends, it’s almost like every day is both Saturday and Monday. That fits well with living in a big city, where there is always something happening somewhere.”

Do any of the sounds of Stockholm inspire you?
“The first thing that comes to me is the metro line — the monotonous voice on the train, all the people talking on their phones, the signal when the doors closes and the train starts rolling. It’s where I come up with a lot of ideas for new songs.”

You’re known for wearing comfortable hoodies, sweatshirts and denim. Would you describe your aesthetic as normcore? What is the recipe for a hipster-ish Stockholmer’s style?
“During my teenage years I tried out many different styles and cared a lot about my looks. I think my style now is a reaction to that. I want to have a more natural look and be able to just get up in the morning, put something on and leave.
Fashion to me is about being comfortable. It’s important that my clothes represent my personality. I like scruffy jeans and hoodies and I mostly buy clothes at vintage stores because I don’t like it when they look all new and ‘shiny’. My tattoos are a big part of my style — something that is 100% me. I guess there is no recipe if you are a true hipster!”

Do you remember your first favourite pair of jeans? What were they like?
“They were probably a pair in typical 1990s style. I’m wearing really nice jeans in a lot of pictures taken when I was about five years old. I want to have them now! My dream jeans would have a high waist and straight legs and be black or light blue.”

You write, sing, produce and even direct your videos. What creative outlet would you like to try next?
“Photography is really hard, but it’s something I’d like to get better at. I also like letters, so maybe I should try out graphic design.”

What’s your favourite way of spending long, dark autumn evenings?
“Probably in the studio. I also enjoy going to yoga classes and hanging out at the climbing centre, practising bouldering.”

Credits:

Words by WERONIKA PÉREZ BORJAS

Photography by OSKAR GYLLENSWÄRD

Styling by EMMA THORSTRAND

Hair and Make-up: Lillis Hemmingsson

Special thanks to LEE JEANS

All Clothes by LEE.

1. Lee´s classic rider jacket and a Sherpa lining Jacket

2. Sherpa jacket. Chambray one pocket shirt with white dobby raised stripes. Split skirt in stretch fabric

3. A boyfriend Button down shirt in corduroy fabric. Jeans: Lee´s ultimate skinny fit

Scarlett in a coated fabric.

4. Jacket and Poncho inspired by Lee´s alaskan print blanket lining.

5. A classic chic BIB in lightweight denim

6. Jeans: Lee´s Bootcut fit Joliet. Boyfriend Sweatshirt and a vest based on the Rider

Jacket from 1931

All items are available at LEE