MUSIC
From Issue #20
The Perishers
Sweden's Hottest Exports
by Surya Bhattacharya
There are four lanky Swedes on stage, arranging their instruments (including a xylophone), and you wonder if the
Perishers will need all of it for their restrained melodies from Let There Be Morning.
“There’s a lot of gut feeling,”
says Thomas Hedlund, their energetic drummer. “We try to find the feeling in the song and keep it simple. We’re
about melodies because when we have a strong melody, we try to find the core of the song without going over the
top with our arrangements.”
Although Swedes have been listening to the Perishers’ debut album since 2003, they
finally zipped across continents to open for Sarah McLachlan this year. As friends who came together to play in a
band in university in Umea, Sweden, the Perishers’ approach to a song is almost as stark as their homeland, with
their lead singer, Ola Kluft penning most of the ballads, “I think Ola thinks about Swedish emotions but writes in
English,” explains Thomas.
And they’re a bit overwhelmed with all the attention, “We’ve never been a talkative
band, “ says Thomas, when asked of the hype surrounding their
Photo courtesy of Nettwerk Music
