“The rest of the group used to play in this really terrible punk band,” Charlie moans as we sit down in the sofa. “The first time I met them, they were at Way Out West only to see Refused; they hated everyone who were there to see Bon Iver. Christoffer, who plays bass, wore a leather jacket with a Nirvana patch on, smoked on a pipe and glared at me the entire time. But we had mutual friends, so later on we met at a party.”

“And we wanted you to sing in the band but you didn’t like us at all,” Anton recalls. “Then we got this gig where we were payed 500 SEK each, we needed a singer so we asked Charlie who said yes only because he needed the cash.”

“We went onstage and realised that we hadn’t rehearsed,” says Charlie. “We didn’t even know each other. I said: ‘play E minor and A minor and I’ll sing something on top of it.’ Somehow it turned out really well so we kept playing together.”

Here’s a playlist the guys put together for us!

What drew you together as a band?

Charlie: We agreed that all of us like Joy Division.

Anton: All of us like The Cure and we’re all a bit sad.

Charlie: But we also really love hits. A bit like The Cure who could make an album like “Pornography” and then make a cheesy pop single like “Just Like Heaven”. Now we’ve only released two songs but one of them isn’t dark at all. “Techno Kids” is a naive pop song that we won’t be proud of in two years. When I’m thirty I’ll look back at it and think “what the fuck?”.

In percentage, how happy and how sad is Delagoon?

Charlie: 75% sad, 10% numb och 15% happy.

Anton: But even with the happy songs the lyrics don’t mean a shit.

Charlie: Our music is complete nonsense; it doesn’t mean anything. I mean it’s fun, we like what we do, but it’s not as if anything we write actually means a thing. It’s just what comes into my head when I hear the music. Like our band name Delagoon, it doesn’t mean anything.

Anton: But that’s also what I like about it.

Charlie: Exactly, it would’ve been boring if we took ourselves too seriously. I honestly don’t think music is that serious.

Anton: It’s something that’s fun to do. Something to hold on to. Otherwise you would just walk around like a zombie and work every day.

How do you think music, fashion and art merge into one another?

Charlie: In every way. If there’s one thing that’s important, it’s that it should not just be the music. It’s the overall aesthetic. Everything merge together. If we write a song, the feeling needs to be conveyed correctly. How we move onstage, what we look like, what the album covers look like, what’s the overall concept.

Anton: Just look at Bowie. He’s a fashion icon, a music icon. He’s an icon of everything. Bowie’s our utopia.

Charlie: Artists who lack this multi-disciplinary perspective are boring. Bowie’s music wouldn’t have been as good if he didn’t looked the way he did and had all these characters. That’s what made him interesting. The context is as important as the music.

Credits:

Interview by Jonatan Södergren

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