Look, we get it, we’re restless too. Even with Denmark loosening up the regulations around lockdown, many of us are still grieving the loss of Roskilde, Distortion, and basically any gig that involved going inside an actual building with actual other people – gosh, remember those heady days?
Outside of Denmark, many countries are still opting for extreme measures to get the virus under control. It’s rough but essential and all we can do is make the best of a bad situation.
With that in mind, we bring you a perfectly curated playlist of the best Scandinavian musical talent ever to brighten up your social distancing runs and Zoom parties. Open your windows, press play, and remember: this too shall pass.
Here’s our ultimate playlist of the best Scandinavian music, classic and new, including a few staff picks:
Staff picks:
Kajsa (Music Contributor) Recommends:
Susanne Sundfør
Listening to Susanne Sundfør’s music is like having a personal soundtrack to your life (she’s actually made a few actual film soundtracks). Perfect for heartbreaks or surviving a long-distance crush.
Kajsa (Music Contributor) Recommends:
Pind
A rapper from the far-west of Denmark, Pind’s music is pre-drinks, party, and a hangover at the same time. Perfect for a lockdown lock-in.
Sorcha (Managing Editor) Recommends:
Hatari
To those unfamiliar with industrial punk rock, Hatari may be a shock to the system – but stick with it. The performance art group from Iceland plays up to an aggressive and disturbing image, but look closer and you’ll see this is camp at it’s finest and dripping in satire.
You may remember them from the 2019 Eurovision song contest – the obligatory left-field entry from a Scandinavian country – hosted in Tel Aviv, where they suitably freaked out audiences and used the televised scores as an opportunity to display a Palestinian flag in an act of protest. Nothing is sacred in the world of Hatari, where contradictions and dead-pan humor rule.
Sorcha (Managing Editor) Recommends:
It’s unlikely that you haven’t heard of Robyn and this is clearly an obvious choice, but it would be remiss to discuss the “ultimate Scandinavian music” without including her. “Dancing On My Own” is the song I would play to aliens if they landed tomorrow and wanted to understand humanity. It’s tears-on-the-dancefloor perfection and it’s seen me through every breakup in the past decade.
Sorcha (Managing Editor) Recommends:
Spids Nøgenhat
A psychedelic rock band from Copenhagen that sounds like something your dad has an original vinyl of from the 60s. Rolling, distorted sounds and drawn out jangly guitars could’ve been caused under the influence of the psychedelic mushroom from which the band takes its name. Originally formed in 2001, the band didn’t break through until 2011 following a late-night performance at Roskilde Festival which became one of the most talked-about shows that year.
Now a beloved fixture in the Copenhagen music scene, their unlikely rise to fame has seen the band win multiple awards, feature in the documentary Born to Lose, and even become the subject of Mere Lys – Historien om Spids Nøgenhat – a book detailing the band’s background.
Freya (Creative Director) Recommends:
Lil Halima
With techno beats and R ‘n B melodies, Lil Halima has already made a name for herself in Norway at only 22. Her smooth vocals are underscored by a minimalist yet pulsing beat.
Freya (Creative Director) Recommends:
Alice Boman
Though not exactly a new artist on the scene – Boman has been putting out EPs since 2013 – she’s still flying relatively under the radar and is due for a breakthrough. Boman’s soft pop sound is soothing and refreshing.
Freya (Creative Director) Recommends:
Amason
Amason has all the feelings of a supergroup, and who doesn’t love a supergroup? Though their first album came out in 2015 to much acclaim, Swedish pop-rock band Amason only released their second album, Galaxy I, in 2019. But they haven’t been sleeping in between; the band has been releasing EPs and singles all along. Their easy-listening yet layered sound is well worth getting acquainted with, thanks in large part to lead singer Amanda Bergman’s smoky, sweet voice.
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