Those Dancing Days - youlikewelike

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Those Dancing Days; light, airy, colourful Scandinavian girl-pop, direct from the country that made a multi-million pound empire out of selling us Brits light, airy, colourful Scandinavian furniture. However, this particular brand of Swedish music is also imbued with plenty of soul, something that flat-pack furniture certainly isn’t, as anyone who’s ever gone at one with a screwdriver will tell you.

Reminiscent of the golden era of northern soul, but with peppy drum beats and a synth-laced twist, Those Dancing Days are today crafting the kind of tunes that would instantly make Stuart Maconie go weak at the knees, and they’ve never even heard of the Wigan Casino.

“We have so many different influences, all of us,” explains guitarist Rebecka Roifart. “It’s mostly Linnea that listens to soul so that’s probably why. The vocals are usually the thing that one notices most.”

The band’s mesmerisingly soulful pop sound is more accidental than calculated, with influences as diverse as The Velvet Underground and The Knife, to Devendra Banhart and Led Zeppelin. The band also takes its name from Led Zep’s track Dancing Days, of which bassist Mimmi Evrell is a fan.

Formed in Nacka, a large suburb to the east of Stockholm, Linnea Jonsson (vocals), Rebecka Roifart (guitar), Cissi Edraimsson (drums), Lisa Pyk-Wirström (synth) and Mimmi Evrell (bass) are still in their teens, despite being together for two years.

The limitations on touring are obvious.

“When I'm not doing [band] related things, I’m working in an ice cream bar making sandwiches and salads,” says Pyk-Wirström. “Today I sold my first coffee. I’ve been a bit afraid of the coffee machine because it’s difficult to make the milk. I don't have much spare time at the moment, so there are so many people I rarely meet and that makes me sad. I like to have fun and laugh but I’m often tired these days.”

As you digest this interview, an image is likely to be forming in your mind of five angel-faced Swedes producing beautiful and accomplished music far beyond their years, with a slimy record company executive lurking in the shadows, rubbing his hands, delighted at how his new product has already captivated listeners in Sweden, and is now marching towards Britain.

With Those Dancing Days however this is not the case. Signed to the exceptionally hip and equally lovely Wichita Records in the UK (home to Bloc Party, The Cribs and Les Savy Fav), the girls are as far from manufactured as you can get.

“I’ve never got the feeling of people thinking of us as a handpicked girl band. We don’t have that image and we don’t play that kind of music,” asserts Pyk-Wirström, “so if I ever hear someone trying to draw a line between us and a band like that, I’ll assume that person probably has very small brains. Because we’re young, people often describe us as ‘five cute girls that plays apple-pie pop’ and I'm kind of tired of that picture. We’re not that cute and we don’t play that sweet pop music.”

What is true about Those Dancing Days however is the speed with which they are gaining notoriety in the UK, with plays on both BBC Radio 1 and 6Music, it won’t be long before they’re well-known household names, a prospect that excites them – a lot.

“I love that it's the UK,” says Pyk-Wirström. “I think it’s the coolest and most rock ‘n’ roll country to have an audience in. It feels a bit cult and I like the music scene here; there are a lot of really good bands from Britain. And it’s just so awesome to be noticed outside of Sweden.”

words: Dom Sanna