Inbox News | Kate and After

Music is constantly pouring into my inbox and its sometimes hard to keep up with all the talent in this country. Today's inbox news is a band called Kate and After and comes from Gothenburg. I know a few of the members from back in the days when went to the university and all the university parties :)

Kate and After were finalists in the GP Scen [GP Stage] competition last month with Pop icon Messiah, a song with distinct Soundtrack of our lives influences. The competition is one of the biggest competition for unsigned bands in the city.

When did the band start to make music together, and how did you meet?
The band was formed on Valentines day 2008. Carl [Hammond Organ] and Jonas [Guitar] founded the band and shortly after recruited their old companion Jocke [Drums] from their former band The Milestone Corporation. In October 2008 Magnus [Lead Vocals], who the guys knew from university, joined the band. In mid December the band was finally complete when bass guitar player Kristoffer [Previously in Combat Rock] joined the band. In some way or another all the guys know each other from University.

Which bands are your main influences?
Franz Ferdinand, Band of Horses, Arctic Monkeys, Babyshambles, Led Zeppelin, Jakob Hellman, The Soundtrack of our lives, Stone Roses etc.

Do you have any Swedish influences and who might they be?
As seen above Jakob Hellman and The Soundtrack of our lives are great influences, but also bands as Mando Diao and the sounds and solo artists like Moto Boy, Frida Hyvönen, Timo Räisänen and Christian Kjellvander in different ways contributes to what we do.

Why do you think Sweden has so many more talented musicians per capita than the rest of the world?
Beautiful women/men, music and booze have throughout time been main objectives for pleasure. The first and last we have plenty of in Sweden, so why not music? Jokes aside, we believe that success breeds success, so the music pioneers of Sweden should have a lot of cred.

Kate and After - Wrong Intentions [live]


Press photo John Sjölander

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Find more information about the band on their official website and listen to their music at Myspace.
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Christian Kjellvander Video Bonanza!

I found a lot of great videos from Christian Kjellvander on Youtube, so here they come. A great video bonanza! Dont miss the video made in a car with only Christian and a guitar or the cover performed together with Anna Järvinen!

Homeward Rolling Soldier


Roaring 40's [feat Nina Persson]


Poppies and Peonies


When The Mourning Comes


Not Forever [Popsicle cover duet with Anna Järvinen]

Christian Kjellvander

Im taking a break from life and its worries and dig into Christian Kjellvander. He is like balsam för själen [conditioner for the soul] with his soft Americana-inspired songs. He opened my eyes when i saw him live for the first time, sometime after he released his first solo album Songs From a Two-Room Chapel in 2002.

In interviews its often mentioned that Christan grew up in the US and moved back as a teenager, which also gives him the special American sound [and a great accent]. Wherever it comes from, its good, sometimes its even brilliant. When i saw him at a festival this summer it struck me that he has always been a high-quality artist, both live and on his albums.

On the latest album I Saw Her From Here/I Saw Here From Her his wife contributes with vocals, which i think gives it a new dimension. Another great match with a female voice is the duet Roaring 40's with Cardigans Nina Persson.

Except for the four solo albums, Christan has also been making music with the band Loosegoats and his brother Gustaf in Songs of Soil. Make sure to check them all out, im pretty sure you will enjoy it.

Picture / Press picture

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Check out Christians website, and make sure that you read this interview with him [use Google translate] its a nice one.
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