Words by Art Jefferson
Photography by Johanna Hedberg, David Andre and courtesy of Amanda Elsa Larsson
A good pop song coming out of Sweden is to be expected. However, a great jazz-pop piece may fly a little under the radar. That may soon change as Gothenburg band JUDITHS have emerged to shed a vibrant light on some of the most gorgeous sounds coming out of the Nordic region. Formed by lead singer Amanda Elsa Larsson and comprised of Ida Kjellberg, Anton Alvin, Erik Björksten, Anna Henriksson and David Darling Lingdell, JUDITHS’ music elegantly flows with a classic grace yet maintain a modern appeal that doesn’t alienate those new to the genre. Opting to sing in Swedish, Larsson’s rich and alluring vocals gently reel in listeners regardless of nationality or language. Intriguing melodies swarm around finely tuned instrumentation as tracks like ‘Sången som aldrig blev av’ stand like sheer works of art. With their debut EP Jag vill inte sova med dig något mer or I don’t want to sleep with you any more, JUDITHS are ready to spread the glory of masterful jazz-pop beyond the boundaries of Scandinavia.
Can you talk about the formation of Judiths?
Amanda Elsa Larsson – JUDITHS is a jazz-pop band from the Swedish west coast. The members are Ida Kjellberg, Anton Alvin, Anna Henriksson, Erik Björksten, David Darling Lingdell and me Amanda Elsa Larsson. On stage we are shifting like the ocean. Sometimes we are all six and sometimes it’s only me and the piano.
Amanda you have such a beautiful voice. Can you take me through a bit of your musical history?
Amanda Elsa Larsson – Thank you! I started to sing and play piano when I was six and have loved it since then. My mother is also a musician so we have played a lot together in my childhood. After college I studied Performing Arts for five years and have been working as a theatre director and composer since then. One year ago I started to write, perform and record my own music. Before that it was just a dream!
The band’s name is taken from your great grandmother. Can you tell me a bit about her and how she has inspired you over the years?
Amanda Elsa Larsson – Judith, my mum’s grandmother, grew up on the Swedish west coast in the early 1900’s and was told to live a life as a fisherman’s wife but one day she decided to break the tradition and leave the little fishing community for a life with music. After 100 years it’s still inspiring I think.
When did you discover your love of jazz music?
Amanda Elsa Larsson – It was so long ago that I nearly don’t remember. I have always been surrounded by jazz music so it’s such an important part of my life. I wish that society was more like jazz; that we would encourage each other to be unique and playful.
Many artists from Sweden tend to record most of their material in English to reach a broader market. However, you have recorded a number of tracks in Swedish. Was that a conscious effort to give the music more of a Swedish identity?
Amanda Elsa Larsson – At the moment I feel that I can be more creative and express myself more vividly in Swedish, but who knows, maybe we’ll spend more time travelling the world and then I might find the right words in English too. The future will tell! I love the opportunity to change as an artist, to explore new expressions without losing my soul.
Whilst the country of Sweden has a reputation for producing loads of mainstream pop music, in your opinion what is the reception to a genre such as jazz, especially in cities such as Gothenburg?
Amanda Elsa Larsson – The mix between the pop music and the melancholy of jazz captivates me. I love exploring when pop turns into jazz and vice versa. I’m also very fascinated with the merging of young enthusiasm and old glory, like the legendary Monica Zetterlund who played with Bill Evens in the 60’s. She is one of my biggest inspirations and I hope that she and that kind of jazz music will live on forever through musicians and listeners, and thanks to GMLSTN Jazz festival I believe that it’s possible even in Gothenburg.
Can you talk about your debut EP ‘Jag vill inte sova med dig något mer’? How long did it take to record it and specifically talk about the title. It feels quite personal.
Amanda Elsa Larsson – If you translate the title it means “I don’t want to sleep with you any more”. We recorded it at Studio Lyckholmia with the producers Niels Nankler and London Rönneklev this winter and it took us two months but the decision to leave the relationship, the theme of the EP, took me a lot longer. It was painful but it made me start to write my own music. So today I’m thankful for those sleepless hours at 5 o’clock in the morning. It gave me JUDITHS and a new love!
Finally, in terms of creativity, what are a few things that help inspire you to write material for your records?
Amanda Elsa Larsson – The ocean and the everyday life. The everyday life because it’s fantastic and fucked up at the same time, and the ocean because it connects the world, or at least it should.
http://www.judithsofficial.com/
https://www.facebook.com/judithsofficial/
https://soundcloud.com/judithsofficial