The Cardigans
Encyclopedia
The Cardigans are a Swedish
rock
band formed in the town of Jönköping
in October 1992.
Their debut album Emmerdale
(1994) gave them a solid base in their home country and enjoyed some success abroad, especially in Japan. It was not until their second album Life
(1995) that an international reputation was secured. Their popularity rose when their single "Lovefool
", from the album First Band on the Moon
(1996), was included in the soundtrack of Baz Luhrmann
's 1996 film William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet. Other hit single
s include "Erase/Rewind
" and "My Favourite Game
" from the album Gran Turismo
(1998).
and Magnus Sveningsson
, both heavy metal musicians, formed the group on 31 October 1992 in Jönköping
, Sweden
, with drummer Bengt Lagerberg
, keyboardist Lars-Olof Johansson
and lead singer Nina Persson
. Living together in a small apartment, The Cardigans recorded a demo tape with Persson providing lead vocals on only one of the songs towards the end of the tracklist. A&R
man Ola Hermanson heard the demo and signed the band to his Trampolene imprint. In 1994, they released their debut album Emmerdale
in Sweden and Japan; it was re-released internationally in 1997. The album included the Swedish radio hit "Rise & Shine", which was later voted the best of 1994 in a poll in Slitz
magazine.
The remainder of 1994 was spent touring Europe and recording Life
, which was released worldwide in 1995. Life became an international success, selling more than a million copies and achieving platinum status in Japan. In 1996, Life was released under the label Minty Fresh
in the US
, but this release was essentially a compilation of tracks from Emmerdale and Life.
, under which they released First Band on the Moon
worldwide in 1996. "Lovefool
" was a hit worldwide, particularly in the US and Japan, where the album reached platinum status in three weeks. The album also achieved gold sales status
in the US. "Lovefool" was shown on MTV
in the late 1990s as a music video
with clips from the 1996 hit film Romeo + Juliet starring Leonardo DiCaprio
and Claire Danes
. It also featured in the film Cruel Intentions
(1999).
In 1997, the band played themselves on the graduation episode of Beverly Hills, 90210
.
1998's Gran Turismo
was followed by a long hiatus during which the band members pursued solo side projects. The same year they also released a compilation album
of rare B-side
s, The Other Side of the Moon
as a Japan-only release. The video of the song "My Favourite Game" was censored by MTV for showing reckless driving. Despite this, it went on to become their second global hit song. "My Favourite Game" was featured on the soundtrack
of the PlayStation
video game Gran Turismo 2
in the intro movie on CD1. That year also saw their song "Deuce" appearing on The X-Files: The Album
.
In 1999 the Cardigans recorded a duet cover of Talking Heads
' "Burning Down the House" with Tom Jones
for his album Reload.
released an album as A Camp
, and Peter Svensson and Bengt Lagerberg worked on the project Paus with help from Joakim Berg from Kent
, and Magnus Sveningsson recorded as Righteous Boy
. A Camp's eponymous titled debut album, was originally recorded with Niclas Frisk
of Atomic Swing
, before Persson teamed up with Mark Linkous
of Sparklehorse
to re-record it. In doing so he also contributed some new songs to the album.
Nina had been a long-time fan of Sparklehorse and has referred to them as "the best I've ever heard". After a gig in Lund
, Sweden, Persson gave Linkous a cassette of all the demo
A Camp songs. When they met again during the recording of his most recent album, Persson mustered the courage to invite him to produce her project. Linkous listened, liked the songs, and agreed.
The debut album released the singles "I Can Buy You" and "Song for the Leftovers". These country-inspired selections later seemed to have inspired The Cardigans' following album, Long Gone Before Daylight
, which was released in the UK summer 2003, and the USA in May 2004. In 2004, "Charlie Charlie" (the "I Can Buy You" single B-side) was covered (with new lyrics in Polish
) by the Polish singer Ania
and released as a single from her debut album Samotność po zmierzchu.
, a collection of songs mainly written by Persson and Svensson. Long Gone Before Daylight became one of the best selling albums in Sweden in 2003. After a long hiatus from their last album in 1998 (with members of the band experimenting with other projects), it was finally released in Japan on March 19, 2003 and in Europe on March 24, 2003. Later it was also released in Canada (April 22, 2003) and the United States (May 25, 2004).
The album differs from the band's earlier works. Their familiar "happy" pop sound takes on a change to pop songs with more of an American country music
influence. It is relatively a much darker album than their previous works, and more quiet than the noisier Gran Turismo
. Indeed, even lead singer Nina Persson
dyed her once light blonde hair to jet black, reflecting the band's change of mood.
Criticism was generally mixed to positive. Some found the change of direction welcome, and felt the band had matured, making songs that were even better than other experienced country-pop styled artists. Others missed the old pop sound, and accused the band of possibly being ashamed of their former "happy" pop sound. The first single of the album, "For What It's Worth
" was released on February 17, 2003. The second single was "You're the Storm
" released on June 2, 2003. The third and final single was "Live and Learn" released on December 3, 2003. In the summer of 2004, The Cardigans toured with Liz Phair
, Katy Rose
and Charlotte Martin
on the Chicks With Attitude tour.
On 28 April 2005 the band's iTunes Originals album was released through iTunes. On 19 October 2005 the band released their sixth album Super Extra Gravity
to generally favorable reviews. Super Extra Gravity went straight to the #1 spot on the Swedish album chart and was certified gold (sales over 40,000).
compilation album was released in January 2008.
In the band's break of 2007, Persson recorded the second A Camp album Colonia
, which was released in early 2009. Following the release of A Camp's self-titled debut album
in 2001 and the subsequent tours, Persson returned to her position as front-woman with The Cardigans for the release of Long Gone Before Daylight
(2003) and Super Extra Gravity
(2005). When the band ceased all promotional activities following a South American festival tour in September 2006, Persson decided to revisit the A Camp project with the view of releasing a new studio album by 2008. The initial demo sessions were met with frustration, however, when Persson struggled to find the right framework to produce a new A Camp record. "(The first A Camp album) was like my perfect country record. I didn't want the new album to sound anything like it, because that would have cheapened it. And I didn't want it to sound like a Cardigans album. So it took a long time to figure out what songs should be suitable." A Camp supported the US release of Colonia with a tour, which began in New York
on 26 May and completed on 15 June in Los Angeles
.
for it. The first signing was the Swedish popband The Animal Five, which was a minor success in Sweden and Germany.
In November 2006 Persson featured on The Cake Sale
, an album set up by Oxfam Ireland
. It contained nine tracks from some of Ireland's leading artists. Proceeds from the album went to the fair trade
campaign.
Persson also appeared on the Manic Street Preachers
' album Send Away the Tigers
(May 2007), providing guest vocals on the UK Chart #2 single "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough". She shared vocals with Manics frontman James Dean Bradfield
, who also appeared on stage with the band at the Glastonbury Festival
2007, and who has rated Peter Svensson as his second favourite guitarist.
Most recently Persson appeared on Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse's collaboration (Dark Night of the Soul) singing "Daddy's Gone" (with Mark Linkous
).
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band formed in the town of Jönköping
Jönköping
-Notable people:*Lillian Asplund, RMS Titanic survivor*John Bauer, illustrator, painter*Amy Diamond, singer*Agnetha Fältskog, ABBA*Carl Henrik Fredriksson, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Eurozine*Anders Gustafsson, kayaker, Olympian...
in October 1992.
Their debut album Emmerdale
Emmerdale (album)
Emmerdale is Swedish band The Cardigans' debut album from 1994. It was originally released in Sweden on February 18, 1994 and on September 24, 1994 in Japan. It was later reissued in Europe in January 1999 and in Canada in May the same year. A special U.S...
(1994) gave them a solid base in their home country and enjoyed some success abroad, especially in Japan. It was not until their second album Life
Life (Cardigans album)
Life is the second studio album of The Cardigans. It was released worldwide in 1995 and was an international success, especially in Japan, where it achieved platinum status. Outside of Sweden and Japan , the album was released as their first album as a compilation of tracks from both Emmerdale and...
(1995) that an international reputation was secured. Their popularity rose when their single "Lovefool
Lovefool
"Lovefool" is a pop rock song written by Peter Svensson and Nina Persson for The Cardigans' third studio album First Band on the Moon, released as a single on 14 September 1996, in the United Kingdom and internationally on 5 October 1996...
", from the album First Band on the Moon
First Band on the Moon
First Band on the Moon is the third studio album by The Cardigans. It features the international single "Lovefool".It was first released on August 12, 1996 and later internationally on September 9, 1996....
(1996), was included in the soundtrack of Baz Luhrmann
Baz Luhrmann
Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann is an Australian film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for The Red Curtain Trilogy, which includes his films Strictly Ballroom, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!...
's 1996 film William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet. Other hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
s include "Erase/Rewind
Erase/Rewind
"Erase/Rewind" is a pop rock song written by Peter Svensson and Nina Persson for The Cardigans' 1998 album Gran Turismo. The song is the album's second track, and was released as its second single. It was also featured in The Thirteenth Floor during the ending credits...
" and "My Favourite Game
My Favourite Game
"My Favourite Game" is an alternative rock song written by Peter Svensson and Nina Persson for The Cardigans' 1998 album Gran Turismo. The song is the album's eighth track, and was released as its first single....
" from the album Gran Turismo
Gran Turismo (album)
Gran Turismo is the fourth studio album by the Swedish band The Cardigans, released internationally on October 1, 1998 and in November 1998 in the U.S.. It features a darker and more moody type of music, mixing with more electronic sounds...
(1998).
First years: 1992–1995
Peter SvenssonPeter Svensson
Anders Peter Svensson is a guitarist with the band, The Cardigans.His role in the group is as a guitarist and composer, but he also plays keyboard, vibraphone, and bass guitar, plus he provides some backing vocals...
and Magnus Sveningsson
Magnus Sveningsson
Magnus Sveningsson is best known as the bassist in the Swedish rock band, The Cardigans, and has also recorded under a solo project entitled Righteous Boy....
, both heavy metal musicians, formed the group on 31 October 1992 in Jönköping
Jönköping
-Notable people:*Lillian Asplund, RMS Titanic survivor*John Bauer, illustrator, painter*Amy Diamond, singer*Agnetha Fältskog, ABBA*Carl Henrik Fredriksson, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Eurozine*Anders Gustafsson, kayaker, Olympian...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, with drummer Bengt Lagerberg
Bengt Lagerberg
Bengt Lagerberg, , is best known as the drummer in the Swedish rock band The Cardigans. He is currently living in Malmö.The band The Cardigans has toured worldwide and has become very famous for their acclaimed albums Life and First Band on the Moon...
, keyboardist Lars-Olof Johansson
Lars-Olof Johansson
Lars-Olof Johansson is best known as a member of the alternative rock band The Cardigans. Johansson's role in the band is keyboardist and guitarist. Johansson grew up in the Swedish town of Jönköping. He is also a member of acoustic/country band Up The Mountain.-References:...
and lead singer Nina Persson
Nina Persson
is the lead singer and lyricist for the Swedish pop group The Cardigans. She has also worked as a solo artist, releasing two albums as A Camp and appearing on the tribute album to Serge Gainsbourg entitled Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited...
. Living together in a small apartment, The Cardigans recorded a demo tape with Persson providing lead vocals on only one of the songs towards the end of the tracklist. A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
man Ola Hermanson heard the demo and signed the band to his Trampolene imprint. In 1994, they released their debut album Emmerdale
Emmerdale (album)
Emmerdale is Swedish band The Cardigans' debut album from 1994. It was originally released in Sweden on February 18, 1994 and on September 24, 1994 in Japan. It was later reissued in Europe in January 1999 and in Canada in May the same year. A special U.S...
in Sweden and Japan; it was re-released internationally in 1997. The album included the Swedish radio hit "Rise & Shine", which was later voted the best of 1994 in a poll in Slitz
Slitz
Slitz is a Swedish men's magazine similar to Maxim or FHM.- History :Slitz was initially created in 1980 when two music magazines Schlager and Ritz merged. The magazine continued to be a music publication until 1996 when it became a men's lifestyle magazine similarly to Café...
magazine.
The remainder of 1994 was spent touring Europe and recording Life
Life (Cardigans album)
Life is the second studio album of The Cardigans. It was released worldwide in 1995 and was an international success, especially in Japan, where it achieved platinum status. Outside of Sweden and Japan , the album was released as their first album as a compilation of tracks from both Emmerdale and...
, which was released worldwide in 1995. Life became an international success, selling more than a million copies and achieving platinum status in Japan. In 1996, Life was released under the label Minty Fresh
Minty Fresh
Minty Fresh is a Chicago-based record label, founded in 1993 by Jim Powers with Anthony Musiala. The label is known for launching the careers of Veruca Salt. They also gave the Swedish band The Cardigans their first US release and released the debut single by Liz Phair...
in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, but this release was essentially a compilation of tracks from Emmerdale and Life.
Commercial success: 1996–1999
After their success with Life, The Cardigans signed to Mercury RecordsMercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
, under which they released First Band on the Moon
First Band on the Moon
First Band on the Moon is the third studio album by The Cardigans. It features the international single "Lovefool".It was first released on August 12, 1996 and later internationally on September 9, 1996....
worldwide in 1996. "Lovefool
Lovefool
"Lovefool" is a pop rock song written by Peter Svensson and Nina Persson for The Cardigans' third studio album First Band on the Moon, released as a single on 14 September 1996, in the United Kingdom and internationally on 5 October 1996...
" was a hit worldwide, particularly in the US and Japan, where the album reached platinum status in three weeks. The album also achieved gold sales status
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
in the US. "Lovefool" was shown on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
in the late 1990s as a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
with clips from the 1996 hit film Romeo + Juliet starring Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. He has received many awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Aviator , and has been nominated by the Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television...
and Claire Danes
Claire Danes
Claire Catherine Danes is an American actress of television, stage and film. She has appeared in roles as diverse as Angela Chase in My So-Called Life, as Juliet in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, as Kate Brewster in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, as Yvaine in Stardust and as Temple Grandin in...
. It also featured in the film Cruel Intentions
Cruel Intentions
Cruel Intentions is a 1999 American drama film starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair. The film is an adaptation of the 18th-century French epistolary novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Laclos and is set among wealthy teenagers living in modern New York...
(1999).
In 1997, the band played themselves on the graduation episode of Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
.
1998's Gran Turismo
Gran Turismo (album)
Gran Turismo is the fourth studio album by the Swedish band The Cardigans, released internationally on October 1, 1998 and in November 1998 in the U.S.. It features a darker and more moody type of music, mixing with more electronic sounds...
was followed by a long hiatus during which the band members pursued solo side projects. The same year they also released a compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
of rare B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
s, The Other Side of the Moon
The Other Side of the Moon (album)
The Other Side of the Moon is a compilation album by The Cardigans. It features B-sides and rarities that never made it onto the albums and were previously only available on singles.It was released only in Japan and Australia on 5 January 1999....
as a Japan-only release. The video of the song "My Favourite Game" was censored by MTV for showing reckless driving. Despite this, it went on to become their second global hit song. "My Favourite Game" was featured on the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
of the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
video game Gran Turismo 2
Gran Turismo (series)
is a popular and critically acclaimed series of racing simulation video games developed by Polyphony Digital.Developed exclusively for PlayStation systems, Gran Turismo games are intended to simulate the appearance and performance of a large selection of vehicles, nearly all of which are licensed...
in the intro movie on CD1. That year also saw their song "Deuce" appearing on The X-Files: The Album
The X-Files: The Album
The X-Files: The Album was the soundtrack album by various artists released in conjunction with the 1998 movie, The X-Files. The album peaked at #26 on Billboard's chart and it was certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of 500,000 copies....
.
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
' "Burning Down the House" with Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
for his album Reload.
On a break: 2000-2002
After working non stop for 6 years the band decided to take a break. During this break Nina PerssonNina Persson
is the lead singer and lyricist for the Swedish pop group The Cardigans. She has also worked as a solo artist, releasing two albums as A Camp and appearing on the tribute album to Serge Gainsbourg entitled Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited...
released an album as A Camp
A Camp
A Camp is the solo side project of Nina Persson, vocalist for the Swedish Indie Pop band The Cardigans.Persson formed A Camp when The Cardigans took a break after several years of touring and the recording of their 1998 album Gran Turismo.-A Camp:...
, and Peter Svensson and Bengt Lagerberg worked on the project Paus with help from Joakim Berg from Kent
Kent (band)
Kent is a Swedish alternative rock band founded in Eskilstuna in 1990, with the name Coca-Cola Kids, later Jones & Giftet , and Havsänglar...
, and Magnus Sveningsson recorded as Righteous Boy
Righteous Boy
Righteous Boy is the solo project of Magnus Sveningsson, bassist from Swedish rock group The Cardigans. Sveningsson began the project during the long hiatus between the Cardigans' Gran Turismo and Long Gone Before Daylight albums...
. A Camp's eponymous titled debut album, was originally recorded with Niclas Frisk
Niclas Frisk
Niclas Frisk is a Swedish musician and the founder of Atomic Swing. He is a singer, guitarist, and composer. He started Atomic Swing after he was in Perssons Pack as the guitarist...
of Atomic Swing
Atomic Swing
Atomic Swing is a Swedish pop rock group formed in 1992. Their debut album, A Car Crash in the Blue, produced several hits in the Swedish charts. After an intense period the band split up, in 1997...
, before Persson teamed up with Mark Linkous
Mark Linkous
Mark Linkous was an American singer, songwriter and musician, best known as leader of Sparklehorse. He was also known for his collaborations with such notable artists as Tom Waits, PJ Harvey, Daniel Johnston, Radiohead, Black Francis, Julian Casablancas, Nina Persson, Sean Terrington Wright, David...
of Sparklehorse
Sparklehorse
Sparklehorse was an American indie rock band led by the singer and multi-instrumentalist Mark Linkous.-History:Sparklehorse's first album, Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot featuring Bob Rupe of the Silos and Cracker, was a modest college radio success...
to re-record it. In doing so he also contributed some new songs to the album.
Nina had been a long-time fan of Sparklehorse and has referred to them as "the best I've ever heard". After a gig in Lund
Lund
-Main sights:During the 12th and 13th centuries, when the town was the seat of the archbishop, many churches and monasteries were built. At its peak, Lund had 27 churches, but most of them were demolished as result of the Reformation in 1536. Several medieval buildings remain, including Lund...
, Sweden, Persson gave Linkous a cassette of all the demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
A Camp songs. When they met again during the recording of his most recent album, Persson mustered the courage to invite him to produce her project. Linkous listened, liked the songs, and agreed.
The debut album released the singles "I Can Buy You" and "Song for the Leftovers". These country-inspired selections later seemed to have inspired The Cardigans' following album, Long Gone Before Daylight
Long Gone Before Daylight
Long Gone Before Daylight is the fifth studio album by The Cardigans. After a long hiatus from their last album in 1998 , it was finally released in Japan on March 19, 2003 and in Europe on March 24, 2003...
, which was released in the UK summer 2003, and the USA in May 2004. In 2004, "Charlie Charlie" (the "I Can Buy You" single B-side) was covered (with new lyrics in Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
) by the Polish singer Ania
Ania (singer)
Ania ; called also with her birthname: Ania Dąbrowska) is a Polish singer and composer, born January 7, 1981 in Chełm, Poland, performing a retro-inspired blend of pop and soul music. Her inspiration is Polish music of the 1960s as well as music of France. Ania rose to stardom in 2004 and most of...
and released as a single from her debut album Samotność po zmierzchu.
Renewed activity: 2003–2006
The Cardigans returned in 2003 with Long Gone Before DaylightLong Gone Before Daylight
Long Gone Before Daylight is the fifth studio album by The Cardigans. After a long hiatus from their last album in 1998 , it was finally released in Japan on March 19, 2003 and in Europe on March 24, 2003...
, a collection of songs mainly written by Persson and Svensson. Long Gone Before Daylight became one of the best selling albums in Sweden in 2003. After a long hiatus from their last album in 1998 (with members of the band experimenting with other projects), it was finally released in Japan on March 19, 2003 and in Europe on March 24, 2003. Later it was also released in Canada (April 22, 2003) and the United States (May 25, 2004).
The album differs from the band's earlier works. Their familiar "happy" pop sound takes on a change to pop songs with more of an American country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
influence. It is relatively a much darker album than their previous works, and more quiet than the noisier Gran Turismo
Gran Turismo (album)
Gran Turismo is the fourth studio album by the Swedish band The Cardigans, released internationally on October 1, 1998 and in November 1998 in the U.S.. It features a darker and more moody type of music, mixing with more electronic sounds...
. Indeed, even lead singer Nina Persson
Nina Persson
is the lead singer and lyricist for the Swedish pop group The Cardigans. She has also worked as a solo artist, releasing two albums as A Camp and appearing on the tribute album to Serge Gainsbourg entitled Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited...
dyed her once light blonde hair to jet black, reflecting the band's change of mood.
Criticism was generally mixed to positive. Some found the change of direction welcome, and felt the band had matured, making songs that were even better than other experienced country-pop styled artists. Others missed the old pop sound, and accused the band of possibly being ashamed of their former "happy" pop sound. The first single of the album, "For What It's Worth
For What It's Worth (The Cardigans song)
"For What It's Worth" was the first single from the band's fifth studio album Long Gone Before Daylight. It was released on 17 February 2003...
" was released on February 17, 2003. The second single was "You're the Storm
You're the Storm
"You're The Storm" is the second single by The Cardigans from their album Long Gone Before Daylight. It was released on 14 July in Europe.-Video:The official video was shot in 2003 and was nominated as "Best Video" in the Swedish Grammy Awards....
" released on June 2, 2003. The third and final single was "Live and Learn" released on December 3, 2003. In the summer of 2004, The Cardigans toured with Liz Phair
Liz Phair
Phair's entry into the music industry began when she met guitarist Chris Brokaw, a member of the band Come. Brokaw and Phair moved to San Francisco together, and Phair tried to become an artist there...
, Katy Rose
Katy Rose
Katy Rose is an American singer, songwriter, producer, musician and actress. Her music styles vary from indie rock, electro pop, grunge, pop, lounge music and techno....
and Charlotte Martin
Charlotte Martin
Charlotte Ann Martin is an American singer-songwriter, who performs predominantly on the piano. She has written several studio albums, two of which have received mainstream commercial releases, 2004's On Your Shore and 2006's Stromata...
on the Chicks With Attitude tour.
On 28 April 2005 the band's iTunes Originals album was released through iTunes. On 19 October 2005 the band released their sixth album Super Extra Gravity
Super Extra Gravity
Super Extra Gravity is The Cardigans' sixth album. It was produced by Tore Johansson who last worked with The Cardigans on Gran Turismo and since then with the band Franz Ferdinand. The album was released in Germany and Ireland on October 14, 2005 and in the UK on October 17, 2005. A Japanese...
to generally favorable reviews. Super Extra Gravity went straight to the #1 spot on the Swedish album chart and was certified gold (sales over 40,000).
Another break: 2007-present
The band are having another break from recording and touring. A Best ofBest of (The Cardigans album)
Best Of is a greatest hits album by the Swedish group The Cardigans, released in Europe in January 2008. It contains twenty-one singles and album tracks. There is also a double-CD version with rare tracks and B-sides...
compilation album was released in January 2008.
In the band's break of 2007, Persson recorded the second A Camp album Colonia
Colonia (A Camp album)
Colonia is the second studio album by A Camp, the collaborative side project between The Cardigans lead vocalist Nina Persson and her husband, composer Nathan Larson along with producer Niclas Frisk, the founding member of Atomic Swing. The album was released on 28 January 2009 in Scandinavia by...
, which was released in early 2009. Following the release of A Camp's self-titled debut album
A Camp (album)
A Camp is the self-titled debut album by A Camp, the side project of Nina Persson, vocalist for the popular Swedish indie/pop band The Cardigans. The album garnered significant critical acclaim from music critics. It produced two singles, "I Can Buy You" and "Song for the Leftovers"...
in 2001 and the subsequent tours, Persson returned to her position as front-woman with The Cardigans for the release of Long Gone Before Daylight
Long Gone Before Daylight
Long Gone Before Daylight is the fifth studio album by The Cardigans. After a long hiatus from their last album in 1998 , it was finally released in Japan on March 19, 2003 and in Europe on March 24, 2003...
(2003) and Super Extra Gravity
Super Extra Gravity
Super Extra Gravity is The Cardigans' sixth album. It was produced by Tore Johansson who last worked with The Cardigans on Gran Turismo and since then with the band Franz Ferdinand. The album was released in Germany and Ireland on October 14, 2005 and in the UK on October 17, 2005. A Japanese...
(2005). When the band ceased all promotional activities following a South American festival tour in September 2006, Persson decided to revisit the A Camp project with the view of releasing a new studio album by 2008. The initial demo sessions were met with frustration, however, when Persson struggled to find the right framework to produce a new A Camp record. "(The first A Camp album) was like my perfect country record. I didn't want the new album to sound anything like it, because that would have cheapened it. And I didn't want it to sound like a Cardigans album. So it took a long time to figure out what songs should be suitable." A Camp supported the US release of Colonia with a tour, which began in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on 26 May and completed on 15 June in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Solo projects
In 2006, Sveningsson restarted their old label Trampolene and became an A&RA&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
for it. The first signing was the Swedish popband The Animal Five, which was a minor success in Sweden and Germany.
In November 2006 Persson featured on The Cake Sale
The Cake Sale
The Cake Sale are a collective of mostly Irish musical artists including Swedish singer/songwriter Nina Persson of The Cardigans and Australian musician Nick Seymour of Crowded House....
, an album set up by Oxfam Ireland
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
. It contained nine tracks from some of Ireland's leading artists. Proceeds from the album went to the fair trade
Fair trade
Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...
campaign.
Persson also appeared on the Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
' album Send Away the Tigers
Send Away the Tigers
- Album Charts :- Personnel :Manic Street Preachers*James Dean Bradfield – lead vocals, guitar, backing vocals*Sean Moore – drums, percussion*Nicky Wire – bass, backing vocalsAdditional personnel...
(May 2007), providing guest vocals on the UK Chart #2 single "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough". She shared vocals with Manics frontman James Dean Bradfield
James Dean Bradfield
James Dean Bradfield is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.- Early life :...
, who also appeared on stage with the band at the Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
2007, and who has rated Peter Svensson as his second favourite guitarist.
Most recently Persson appeared on Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse's collaboration (Dark Night of the Soul) singing "Daddy's Gone" (with Mark Linkous
Mark Linkous
Mark Linkous was an American singer, songwriter and musician, best known as leader of Sparklehorse. He was also known for his collaborations with such notable artists as Tom Waits, PJ Harvey, Daniel Johnston, Radiohead, Black Francis, Julian Casablancas, Nina Persson, Sean Terrington Wright, David...
).
Discography
- EmmerdaleEmmerdale (album)Emmerdale is Swedish band The Cardigans' debut album from 1994. It was originally released in Sweden on February 18, 1994 and on September 24, 1994 in Japan. It was later reissued in Europe in January 1999 and in Canada in May the same year. A special U.S...
(1994) - Life (1995)
- First Band on the MoonFirst Band on the MoonFirst Band on the Moon is the third studio album by The Cardigans. It features the international single "Lovefool".It was first released on August 12, 1996 and later internationally on September 9, 1996....
(1996) - Gran TurismoGran Turismo (album)Gran Turismo is the fourth studio album by the Swedish band The Cardigans, released internationally on October 1, 1998 and in November 1998 in the U.S.. It features a darker and more moody type of music, mixing with more electronic sounds...
(1998) - Long Gone Before DaylightLong Gone Before DaylightLong Gone Before Daylight is the fifth studio album by The Cardigans. After a long hiatus from their last album in 1998 , it was finally released in Japan on March 19, 2003 and in Europe on March 24, 2003...
(2003) - Super Extra GravitySuper Extra GravitySuper Extra Gravity is The Cardigans' sixth album. It was produced by Tore Johansson who last worked with The Cardigans on Gran Turismo and since then with the band Franz Ferdinand. The album was released in Germany and Ireland on October 14, 2005 and in the UK on October 17, 2005. A Japanese...
(2005)
See also
- Swedish music abroadSwedish music abroadSweden is one of the largest exporters of pop and rock music in the world. Many Swedish artists have enjoyed success on the British and American charts and in other English speaking countries.-1970s: ABBA:...
- List of HFStival acts
- Swedish Indie PopSwedish Indie PopIn the start of the 2000s, Swedish indie bands found their way into the international music scene.A Camp, the solo project by front singer Nina Persson from The Cardigans, released her self-titled debut album in 2001...
- Swedish rock