Melody A.M.

This, the first episode of Season 2 of Melody A.M., is dedicated to Icelandic musician, Emilíana Torrini, who began her music career in the mid-1990s, contributing vocals to the debut album by Icelandic band, Spoon. She went on to release her own debut, a covers album, in 1995. Having subsequently moved to London, she signed a record deal with One Little Indian, home to the likes of Björk, Chumbawamba, Skunk Anansie, Sneaker Pimps and the Sugarcubes. In 1999 she released her breakthrough...

Even if you don’t know his name, there can hardly be a human alive who hasn’t heard at least half a dozen songs by Max Martin, who’s done more to shape today’s pop music landscape than almost anyone else. He’s launched the careers of legends, and been the go-to guy for anybody whose career needed a surefire hit. Born in Stockholm, he learnt the skills of the trade under Denniz Pop, one of the most successful songwriters and producers of the ‘90s, and quickly became his own pop powerhouse....

After persistently pursuing Britney and Madonna collaborator, Guy Sigsworth, to work with her, Norwegian singer-songwriter, film & tv score composer and multi-instrumentalist, Kate Havnevik, produced one of the most spectacular debut albums with 2006’s Melankton. As a simplistic soundscape comparison point, think Björk’s 'Jóga'. And then some. She has since gone on to become one of the most successful synch artists, with no less than ten of her songs being used on American television drama,...

Boy bands are a cultural phenomenon. Whether they’re slowly rising from stools or wanting it that way, they are an inescapable force of nature within pop music. And Oscar Enestad knows better than most, having cut his teeth in one of Sweden’s biggest ever boy bands, FO&O, who won hearts - and awards - before going their separate ways in 2017. The three main members (a fourth left the band) have all gone on to big things: Omar Rudberg has a pop career and stars in Netflix’s huge hit, Young...

Swedish singer-songwriter, producer and filmmaker Jonna Lee started her music career as a fairly unassuming folk musician. Her big international breakthrough came when, in 2009, a series of mysterious videos started appearing on YouTube - and quickly went viral. Speculation as to their creator was rife - was it Christina Aguilera? Could it be Goldfrapp? - but it eventually turned out to be iamamiwhoami, Jonna’s electronic music and audiovisual project in collaboration with Claes...

Danish band Efterklang formed in Copenhagen in late 2000 and have been bewitching audiences with their blend of atmospheric pop and lush orchestral rock ever since. No strangers to worldwide critical acclaim, as well as commercial success in their native Denmark, their career has seen them form their own record label, start several side projects, as well as travel to an abandoned Russian settlement near the North Pole to record sounds in and around the decaying industrial sites. In 2021...

The Sound of Arrows are a Swedish electropop duo - often compared with Pet Shop Boys at their dreamiest - comprising of Stefan Storm and Oskar Gullstrand. They broke through in 2011 with the album, Voyage, which quickly became a cult hit for the Popjustice generation with its hopeful lyrics, soaring melodies and euphoric hooks. They followed this eventually in 2017 with the album Stay Free, which built on their sound and added a stellar cast of supporting characters, including Annie and Niki...

ABBA need no introduction. Agnetha, Benny, Björn and Anni-Frid are four of the most famous Swedes of all time and one of the world’s biggest bands ever, with hundreds of millions of album sales and their ubiquitous Greatest Hits collection, Gold, having spent more than 900 weeks in the UK charts. No one will have missed their recent comeback after 40 years, with the album Voyage and their upcoming Abbatar residency in London. But ABBA haven’t always been viewed with the reverence they are...

Faroese musician, Janus Rasmussen, has many strings to his bow and, alongside his own solo music and a multitude of collaborations with other artists (as producer, engineer and songwriter), he is also famous for his highly-celebrated work with Ólafur Arnalds as KIASMOS. Now based in Reykjavik, Rasmussen’s discography has spanned multiple genres. The electro-pop elements of his early career with the band Bloodgroup have evolved into a rich, predominantly instrumental techno-tingle soundscape...

What do you get when you combine two of Sweden’s hottest songwriters and performers in a duo? Musical magic, of course. And magic is something which Pure Shores, made up of Ji Nilsson and Marlene, provide with everything they release. The pair have always worked together behind the scenes, co-writing and producing on each other’s solo hits. Both burst into the scene around 2014, with Marlene’s instantly iconic Bon Voyage, and Ji’s Heartbreakfree. They continued releasing gorgeous solo...

Award-winning singer, songwriter and producer, Jenny Wilson, is the epitome of resilience. An alumnus of First Floor Power, a late-90s Swedish pop band whose live shows inspired The Knife’s ‘You Take My Breath Away’ (to which Wilson contributed vocals), Wilson released her debut solo record, Love & Youth, back in 2005 on The Knife’s own record label, Rabid, and with each subsequent album release she has documented a life crowded with incident and challenges, from the changes brought about...

Asbjørn is one of Denmark's best musical imports of the past decade. He is, in a way, a precursor to what Troye Sivan has become and the consistent, unifying thread running through all of his releases binds honest lyrics, catchy melodies and unpredictable beats that instantly make you tap your foot and think about dancing. His debut album, Sunken Ships, from 2012, was a beautiful coming of age record. The brilliant 2015 follow-up, Pseudo Visions, was an ambitious, predominantly...

With Melody A.M. Chris and Doron celebrate the music of and musicians from the Nordics. We delve into life in this region through the lens of the artists who know it best. Join us on a musical journey through these fascinating, beautiful countries.