The coniferous forests and vaulting glaciers of Sweden have birthed some sonorous icons. From Robyn tumbling around to the dusky electro riff of Call Your Girlfriend, to beguiling galactical geniuses Niki & The Dove, to Loreen’s scintillating snowstorm of a hit, Euphoria! HRNNNK!
They’re continuing to pioneer ice-cuttingly original sounds, and up-and-coming new artist Raindear is a perfect example of that. Her debut album Embers is folk/darkpop fusion, evocative and truly original. She spoke to Dylan Jones about musical metaphors, her inspirations and treatment of women in the industry.
I’ve just been listening to your album. I love it, it’s very Scandinavian!
Yeah! I can’t help getting influenced by our traditional folk music and stuff. So in that way, I can’t help sounding Scandinavian! Although I think mixing-wise, it’s got more edge than a lot of Scandinavian music. I’m not sure about Scandinavian music outside of Sweden, but with some of our music, the music isn’t as edgy.
Well I sort of compared you a bit to Niki & The Dove…
I love that! They’re my favourites from Sweden. I love getting compared to them. Their most recent stuff is so great. It’s so raw, and that’s very Scandinavian.
On your Facebook page you refer to your music as “Disney/desert pop”. What’s the idea behind that?
I just really love the Pocahontas soundtrack, and Mulan, and all the movies I watched as a kid. I’ve just really been inspired by them. And the ‘desert’ part is because sometimes I have some Middle Eastern influences in the scale. I just wanted to name it something other than ‘electropop’, because that doesn’t properly describe what it is. I don’t want to be referred to as an electropop artist, because that’s kind of limiting. I like real instruments.
“I don’t want to be referred to as an electropop artist, because that’s kind of limiting. I like real instruments.”
Electropop used to be a new genre, but maybe now that word’s being thrown around a bit too much.
Yeah. I feel like electropop has synthesizers and a drum machine, and a really electric sound. Which I have a bit, but I wanted to be really organic at the same time. If you described me as an electropop artist it wouldn’t explain the whole sound.
So tell me about the lead single from the album, I’m The Ice.
It’s about passivity. The whole ice vibe that I’m describing is a metaphor for when you’re really passive and scared in a relationship, and you just melt. And it’s really far until you reach where you should be. Like a glacier. So the ice is a metaphor for a situation you can’t get out of. You’re frozen.
So we already mentioned Niki & The Dove. What other artists are you liking at the moment?
I really liked SBTRACT newest album. Or whatever it was, I don’t think they wanted to refer to it as an album. But yeah, their latest work. And one of my favourites at the moment is Jungle from London! I really like that sound. It can’t be too pretentious, I want some quirkiness! A bit like Niki & The Dove. That’s why my music sounds the way it does. I like it to be dark, but quirky at the same time, so it has a spectrum of emotion.
As a young woman starting out in the music industry, what do you think about how it’s treating women at the moment? And do you have any thoughts on the whole Ke$ha thing?
Oh my god, I don’t know the specifics but from what I’ve heard, the stuff with Ke$ha sounds really horrible. I’ve been really surprised by everything I’ve read about that. For myself as a female producer, I’ve thankfully never experienced anything like that. But people sometimes don’t believe you’ve done what you’ve done. That I can even use a computer and things like. That’s something you experience every day. But luckily I think equality has come a little bit further in Sweden compared to the rest of the world. So I’m lucky to be here at least. I hear a lot of horrible things about the music industry every day. But I can’t say I know any specifics about the Ke$ha situation apart from what I’ve read, what everyone’s read. But it sounds awful.
It’s interesting what you said about your experiences as a female producer. I saw an interview with Charli XCX where she said people didn’t realize who her band were because she has an all-female band.
Yeah, stuff like that is really bizarre. I’m interested in feminism. I’m trying to do what I can for that. I’m actually teaching young girls here in Sweden to produce music on their summer camps. I’m trying to change how it’s being looked at, because I’ve experienced it myself.
Wow that’s awesome! So what are your plans for the future?
Well I’m gonna wait and see what this album generates, but I already know I’m coming to London in May. It’s not official yet so I’m not sure if I can say it, but just look out for me turning up in London at the end of May! And I’m also gonna go to New York and LA at some point after the album comes out, and try to promote the album over there. And hopefully play at some festivals in Sweden, that’d be awesome. At the moment a lot of things are uncertain. But I’m in a really creative space right now, there are so many new ideas circling in my head.
It looks like it’s gonna be an exciting summer for you!
Definitely.
• Raindear will be in the UK in May, and Embers is out now.
