It’s Showcase-Festival-Time again! And one of the big ones is ‘The Great Escape Festival‘ in Brighton that was held online last year. This year it goes back to normal and there are two dates for Swedish music:
A Networking Event on Thursday 12th and a Showcase on Friday 13th May:
“Swedish music is represented on the stage ÅÄÖ… Sounds Swedish. Here, festival-goers will have the opportunity to experience an exciting mix of live concerts and also meet the artists behind the music. Live on stage will be soul and RnB artist Adée from Öland, BBC Radio 1 supported Bluephox from Södermalm, Gothenburg based Pomona Dream spreading warmth with their funkadelic pop sound, and critically acclaimed indie rock act Felin who previously appeared on Idol.
ÅÄÖ… Sounds Swedish is a showcase collaboration with a focus on Swedish music. The collaboration started in 2019 with a stage at The Alternative Escape and has also taken place at SXSW and The Great Escape Online during the pandemic. Behind the initiative are Talentcoach, Sensus study association, Westside Music Sweden and SOM (Svenska Oberoende Musikproducenter). At this year’s event in Brighton, the organizations are also inviting you to a networking event on Thursday evening.”
Link to the Showcase Event at Casa’s Bar
What artists will play?
Adée is a Swedish artist who creatively blends soul and hip-hop with strong songwriting and a unique voice. Adée‘s resume is also broad, from opening for Koffee 2019 to performing at the Ongea Festival in Nairobi. Adée spends much of her time with UK artists such as Vital, Call Me Unique and Thomas Seminar Ford to expand her UK audience. Adée has also started a collaboration with Trident Records and in 2021 her first single was released on their label partly produced by Dave Stewart. Previous appearances include SXSW, Midem and Canadian Music Week. Adée was also nominated as “Artist of the Year” at the Scandinavian Soul Awards and has performed several times for the Swedish royal family, who are fans.
Adée is currently working on her third album, which will be released in 2022.
Bluephox: With only four singles released so far, Swedish Bluephox (Philippa Magnusson) has already been compared to icons like Robyn, HAIM, Bonnie Tyler, and “as if Stevie Nicks had fronted Future Island”. She has been hailed as an “Obsessive Pop diamond” and “An extremely promising artist”. In the mix of 60s/70s rock, 80s pop, and electronic music we find this Stockholm-based artist. Her debut single “Gold” was played as a Favourite on British Radio BBC1 and was included in Apple Music’s Top 100 Songs of 2020 list. The follow-up “Paul’s Boutique” was played as Future Artists on BBC Radio.
In June 2021, Bluephox released her third single: a cover of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ classic “Californication”, and in October 2021 she officially returned again – this time with the 80s-inspired pop banger “Touched by Neon”. In spring/summer 2022, she will release new material.
Pomona Dream creates a cosmic blend of jazz and pop with a warm production. They move seamlessly between styles to create a jazzy, soulful, funkadelic pop sound that is both incredibly danceable, original and exciting. The previous single “Easy Raider” was featured on Café Kitsune’s mixtape, curated by Pat Lok.
FELIN creates connections between music and the visual in a constant exploration of how these two worlds meet. Elin Blom, who is behind the artist name, has been working with music as a songwriter and performer for several years. Elin has written for artists such as Adam Lambert, participated in Idol, and been a musician for Agnes and other Swedish acts. As FELIN, she debuted with the single “Revolt”, which was played extensively on P3. Since then, she has played several gigs around Europe, opening for The Chainsmokers and collaborating with artists such as Ola Salo.
FELIN recently released her second album “Heroes & Villains”.
ÅÄÖ… Sounds Swedish is organized by:
Talentcoach gives artists, producers, songwriters, entrepreneurs, and creators in the music industry the tools to build a sustainable career in music. Talentcoach is the organizer of Live at Heart Southeast, a showcase festival and industry event on the southeast coast of Sweden.
Westside Music Sweden is a company that works with music companies and artists from Västra Götaland. Westside also produces the international club festival and music conference Viva Sounds,in Gothenburg.
Sensus supports Swedish bands and artists on their way to a music career. Together, the student associations are recognized as an important part of Sweden’s success in the global music industry – by providing rehearsal and recording studios, coaching, and live concerts.
SOM (Swedish Independent Music Producers) brings together more than 300 independent record companies in Sweden and has organized the Manifest Gala annually since 2003. The association also organizes workshops and panels related to independent activities and the music industry.