First Aid Kit Start US Tour @ Webster Hall on March 28th / US TV Debut on Conan on April 16th

Stockholm, Sweden's First Aid Kit are confirmed to make their U.S. television debut April 16th on Conan, in support of their acclaimed sophomore album The Lion's Roar, which was released January 24th via Wichita Recordings.

Leading up to the performance, First Aid Kit will travel cross-country on their North American headlining tour, which begins on March 28th at Webster Hall in New York, NY and wraps up on April 18th at Slim's in San Francisco, CA. The tour includes multiple sold out dates - Washington, DC, Toronto, ON, Chicago, IL, Minneapolis, MN, and Seattle, WA - as well as shows in Boston, MA and Portland, OR that have been upgraded to larger venues due to demand. First Aid Kit will also perform at the Coachella Music and Arts festival on April 15th and 22nd, and are confirmed to support Wild Flag at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, CA on April 19th. In late July, the band will perform at the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island.

The band's North American trek comes on the heels of their tours in Europe, the UK, New Zealand, and Australia, the majority of which were sold out plays (including Stockholm, Berlin, Paris, and all UK shows). First Aid Kit will return to the stage overseas this summer for six shows supporting Jack White, who produced and released the band's Third Man Records Blue Series 7-inch single in January 2010. A full itinerary is below.



First Aid Kit Tour Dates:
MAR. 28 -- NEW YORK, NY -- WEBSTER HALL
MAR. 30 -- WASHINGTON, DC -- BLACK CAT (SOLD OUT)
MAR. 31 -- PHILADELPHIA, PA -- UNION TRANSFER
APR. 2 -- BOSTON, MA -- PARADISE ROCK CLUB
APR. 3 -- MONTREAL, QC -- LA SALA ROSSA
APR. 4 -- TORONTO, ON -- THE GREAT HALL (SOLD OUT)
APR. 6 -- CHICAGO, IL -- LINCOLN HALL (SOLD OUT)
APR. 7 -- MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- CEDAR CULTURAL CENTER (SOLD OUT)
APR. 10 -- VANCOUVER, BC -- VENUE
APR. 11 -- SEATTLE, WA -- THE CROCODILE (SOLD OUT)
APR. 12 -- PORTLAND, OR -- WONDER BALLROOM
APR. 15 -- INDIO, CA -- COACHELLA
APR. 18 -- SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- SLIM'S
APR. 19 -- LOS ANGELES, CA -- EL REY THEATRE*
APR. 22 -- INDIO, CA -- COACHELLA
JUN. 22 -- LONDON, UK -- HAMMERSMITH APOLLO**
JUN. 25 -- AMSTERDAM, NL -- HEINEKEN MUSIC HALL**
JUN. 26 -- BERLIN, DE -- TEMPODRUM**
JUN. 27 -- COLOGNE, DE -- E-WERK**
JUL. 2 -- PARIS, FR -- L'OLYMPIA**
JUL. 5 -- HAMBURG, DE -- DOCKS**
JUL. 28 -- NEWPORT, RI -- NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL
* supporting Wild Flag
** supporting Jack White

Links:
First Aid Kit

First Aid Kit Release - "The Lion's Roar" CD Review (Wichita Recordings)

Sweden's First Aid Kit is releasing their sophomore full-length album The Lion's Roar on January 24th, 2012 via Wichita Recordings. Where the bands 2010’s debut, The Big Black and the Blue, was lonely and intimate, The Lion’s Roar is a full band effort that is comparable to the recordings of American folk/country artists like Emmylou Harris and Nanci Griffth.

Klara and Johanna Söderberg recorded their new disc in Omaha with producer Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes) and contributing musicians include the girls’ father Benkt on bass, Mattias Bergqvist on drums along with Mogis, Nate Walcott and Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes along with a cast of Omaha-based musicians to round out the affair. In a recent interview the band was asked about how they discovered the distinctly American influences that are heard on this new disc. Klara responded: “I can say that it all sort of started when I heard Bright Eyes when I was 12, and I was like, “Well, OK, what did Conor Oberst listen to when he wrote this music? What has inspired him?” And through that [process] I found Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash and all those amazing musicians. It’s sort of been like that—through searching for their influences—and through Bob Dylan we found the Carter family and Bill Monroe and even older stuff. “

The disc’s title track opener, "The Lion's Roar" is a glorious, punchy waltz that sets the mood for the disc. In an interview with NPR, the band described the history of the song as being “written during a U.K. tour when we drove through very dramatic moorland in Scotland. During the tour, we listened a lot to Townes Van Zandt in the car. We were inspired by this mystic scenery, as well as Townes Van Zandt's beautiful melodies. By far our darkest song to date. It was the first song we wrote for the new record, and we chose to name the record after it. 'The Lion's Roar' marked a new stage in our songwriting, and the mystic feeling of this song came to characterize a big part of the new record.”

The disc continues strong with the wistful “Emmylou”, which is sure to quickly become a fan favorite. This track is full of acoustic guitar, pedal steel and piano, over which Klara's bell-clear voice name-checks heroes Ms. Harris, Gram Parsons, Johnny Cash, and June Carter. "It's about the connection you get when you sing with someone else," said Johanna. "It's a love song, but we name-drop some country artists!"



The disc ends on an upbeat notes and wraps up with the exuberate number, "King of the World", which features handclaps, fiddle, accordion, and mariachi horns. Conor Oberst wrote a verse for this song and sings on the track and The Felice Brothers (who happened to roll through town during the recording session) added some violin and accordion.

First Aid Kit recorded a nine song set live in the studio for KCRW last November and the new CD includes a link where you can download six of these songs.

First Aid Kit Live on KCRW, Nov. ‘11
The Lion’s Roar*
You’re Not Coming Home Tonight
Heavy Storm
Marianne’s Son*
Hard Believer*
Emmylou*
Ghost Town*
I Met Up with the King*
Our Own Pretty Ways
* The Lion’s Roar bonus track





As expected, First Aid Kit has made the transition out of the clubs and into the larger halls. First Aid Kit is kicking off their Spring North American tour at Webster Hall on March 28th. Tickets for this show are $20 and doors are at 8PM.

First Aid Kit - 2012 Spring Tour
MAR. 28 -- NEW YORK, NY, WEBSTER HALL
MAR. 30 -- WASHINGTON, DC, BLACK CAT
MAR. 31 -- PHILADELPHIA, PA, UNION TRANSFER
APR. 02 -- BOSTON, MA, BRIGHTON MUSIC HALL
APR. 03 -- MONTREAL, QC, LA SALA ROSSA
APR. 04 -- TORONTO, ON, THE GREAT HALL
APR. 06 -- CHICAGO, IL, LINCOLN HALL
APR. 07 -- MINNEAPOLIS, MN, CEDAR CULTURAL CENTER
APR. 10 -- VANCOUVER, BC, VENUE
APR. 11 -- SEATTLE, WA, THE CROCODILE
APR. 12 -- PORTLAND, OR, DOUG FIR LOUNGE
APR. 18 -- SAN FRANCISCO, CA, SLIM’S

Links:
First Aid Kit

First Aid Kit Release Video for "The Lion's Roar" / Show at Mercury Lounge on Nov. 16th

First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar by Wichita Recordings

First Aid Kit - Swedish sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg - premiered the video for "The Lion's Roar", the title-track of their upcoming sophomore album, on SPIN.com earlier this week. Directed by Mats Udd, the moody and mystical video is embedded below.

"The Lion's Roar" single is now available exclusively on iTunes and will be found at all major digital retailers, and sold as a 7-inch at the band's shows, beginning November 8th. The 7-inch will also be released in stores on December 6th. First Aid Kit will release The Lion's Roar LP on January 24th, 2012 via Wichita Recordings.



After recently performing on three UK dates with Lykke Li, First Aid Kit will head to the US later this week to support their fellow Swede on a three-week tour. The Söderbergs will also headline two US shows of their own: November 8th at The Troubadour in Los Angeles and November 16th at the Mercury Lounge in New York. Alessi's Ark is supporting First Aid Kit for the show at Mercury Lounge. This is an early show with Alessi's Ark going on at 6:30PM and First Aid Kit at 7:30PM. Tickets are $15.

First Aid Kit will perform live in-studio on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic on November 8th. Following the US shows, the band will return to Europe for eight headlining shows that run through early December.

The follow up to last year's highly-praised debut LP The Big Black & The Blue, The Lion's Roar finds First Aid Kit at their finest, singing bittersweet songs that frequently juxtapose sadness and beauty. Whether the glorious title track opener, the achingly lovely "Emmylou", or the exuberant final track "King Of The World" (featuring Conor Oberst and The Felice Brothers), the Söderbergs' evocative, preternatural harmonies and remarkable songwriting take centerstage throughout the album.

First Aid Kit recorded The Lion's Roar with Mike Mogis (of Bright Eyes and Monsters Of Folk; also producer of Cursive, Lightspeed Champion, Pete Yorn, and many others) in May at his ARC Studios in Omaha, NE. In addition to Klara (vocals, guitar) and Johanna (vocals, autoharp, keys), the album features their father Benkt on bass and Mattias Bergqvist on drums, while Mogis, Nate Walcott (Bright Eyes), and a cast of Omaha-based musicians further round out the sound.s.

First Aid Kit Tour Dates:
NOV. 7 -- POMONA, CA -- FOX THEATER*
NOV. 8 -- LOS ANGELES, CA -- THE TROUBADOUR
NOV. 9 -- OAKLAND, CA -- FOX THEATER*
NOV. 11 -- DENVER, CO -- OGDEN THEATER*
NOV. 13 -- MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- FIRST AVENUE*
NOV. 14 -- CHICAGO, IL -- VIC THEATER*
NOV. 15 -- TORONTO, ON -- SOUND ACADEMY*
NOV. 16 -- NEW YORK, NY -- THE MERCURY LOUNGE
NOV. 17 -- MONTCLAIR, NJ -- WELLMONT THEATER*
NOV. 19 -- ASHEVILLE, NC -- ORANGE PEEL*
NOV. 20 -- ATLANTA, GA -- BUCKHEAD THEATER*
NOV. 21 -- NEW ORLEANS, LA -- TIPITINA’S*
NOV. 28 -- STOCKHOLM, SE -- MOSEBACKE
NOV. 29 -- STOCKHOLM, SE -- MOSEBACKE
NOV. 30 -- GÖTEBORG, SE -- NEFERTITI
DEC. 2 -- MALMÖ, SE -- VICTORIATEATERN
DEC. 5 -- BERLIN, DE -- BERGHAIN KANTINE
DEC. 6 -- LONDON, UK -- BUSH HALL
DEC. 8 -- AMSTERDAM, NL -- PARADISIO
* supporting Lykke Li

Links:
First Aid Kit

First Aid Kit Post Title Track From Their Sophomore Release "The Lion's Roar" / Show at Mercury Lounge on November 16th

First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar by Wichita Recordings

First Aid Kit premiered the title track off their upcoming sophomore full-length album The Lion’s Roar yesterday on NPR’s All Songs Considered Blog. Described as “more than just a pretty song…a piercing ballad about the pain and frustration of lost love”. A single of “The Lion’s Roar” will be available digitally and as a 7-inch at the band’s shows beginning November 8th. The 7-inch will also be available at independent retailers on December 6th. The Lion’s Roar LP will be released January 24th, 2012 on Wichita Recordings.

After a short run of UK dates with Lykke Li beginning late this month, First Aid Kit will head westward in November for a US tour also supporting their fellow Swede. These US dates include two headlining shows as well: on the 8th at The Troubadour in Los Angeles and on the 16th at the Mercury Lounge in New York. The show at the Mercury Lounge is an early show (6:30PM doors) at First Aid Kit is playing with Alessi's Ark. Advanced tickets are $15.

The band will then return to Europe for another six dates in late November/early December. Last month, First Aid Kit – who recently performed a moving rendition of Patti Smith’s “Dancing Barefoot” at the Polar Music Prize awards ceremony – spent two weeks touring the US with Bright Eyes. A current itinerary is below.



The follow up to last year’s highly-praised debut LP The Big Black & The Blue, The Lion’s Roar finds sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg at their finest, singing bittersweet songs that frequently juxtapose sadness and beauty. Whether the title track opener, the achingly lovely “Emmylou”, or the exuberant final track “King Of The World” (featuring Conor Oberst and The Felice Brothers), the Söderbergs’ evocative, preternatural harmonies and remarkable songwriting take centerstage throughout the album.

First Aid Kit recorded The Lion’s Roar with producer Mike Mogis (of Bright Eyes and Monster Of Folk; producer of Cursive, Lightspeed Champion, Pete Yorn, and many others) in May at his ARC Studios in Omaha, NE. In addition to Klara (vocals, guitar) and Johanna (vocals, autoharp, keys), the album features their father Benkt on bass and Mattias Bergqvist on drums, while Mogis, Nate Walcott (Bright Eyes), and a cast of Omaha-based musicians further round out the sound.

Earlier this year, First Aid Kit released a Third Man Records Blue Series 7-inch single featuring covers of Buffy Sainte-Marie’s “Universal Soldier” the classic blues standard “It Hurts Me Too”, recorded with Jack White at his own Third Man Studios in Nashville, TN.

First Aid Kit Tour Dates:
OCT. 30 -- GLASGOW, UK -- ABC*
OCT. 31 -- MANCHESTER, UK -- ACADEMY 2*
NOV. 1 -- LONDON, UK -- ROUNDHOUSE* (sold out)
NOV. 7 -- POMONA, CA -- FOX THEATER*
NOV. 8 -- LOS ANGELES, CA -- THE TROUBADOUR
NOV. 9 -- OAKLAND, CA -- FOX THEATER*
NOV. 11 -- DENVER, CO -- OGDEN THEATER*
NOV. 13 -- MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- FIRST AVENUE*
NOV. 14 -- CHICAGO, IL -- VIC THEATER*
NOV. 15 -- TORONTO, ON -- SOUND ACADEMY*
NOV. 16 -- NEW YORK, NY -- THE MERCURY LOUNGE
NOV. 17 -- MONTCLAIR, NJ -- WELLMONT THEATER*
NOV. 19 -- ASHEVILLE, NC -- ORANGE PEEL*
NOV. 20 -- ATLANTA, GA -- BUCKHEAD THEATER*
NOV. 21 -- NEW ORLEANS, LA -- TIPITINA’S*
NOV. 28 -- STOCKHOLM, SE -- MOSEBACKE
NOV. 30 -- GÖTEBORG, SE -- NEFERTITI
DEC. 2 -- MALMÖ, SE -- VICTORIATEATERN
DEC. 5 -- BERLIN, DE -- BERGHAIN KANTINE
DEC. 6 -- LONDON, UK -- BUSH HALL
DEC. 8 -- AMSTERDAM, NL -- PARADISIO
* supporting Lykke Li

Links:
First Aid Kit

Those Dancing Days Cancel US Tour Due to Visa Delays

DOWNLOAD: Those Dancing Days - "Reaching Forward"

This updated was posted to ThoseDancingDays.com:

"we are so devastated - we have been looking forward so much to going to the US and playing at SxSW but now we have to cancel our US trip because our visas have not come in on time. they were just approved but by the time we get the proper documents from the US embassy in Stockholm we will have missed half of our commitments plus there are no flights for us to get to where we need to be on time. we started this process last year and this is such bad luck that we cannot believe it. we hope that we can come back later in the year instead!"

Links:
Those Dancing Days

Those Dancing Days: "Daydreams & Nightmares" CD Review (Wichita)

DOWNLOAD: Those Dancing Days - "F@ckarias" (from Daydreams & Nightmares)

Stockholm, Sweden’s Those Dancing Days made their East Coast debut just about two years ago with shows at Mercury Lounge and Union Hall. With the band’s second album, Daydreams and Nightmares (Witichita) released yesterday, the band is back in the States and are playing some shows around their appearance(s) at SXSW.

The eleven tracks on Daydreams and Nightmares show that the band’s sound has matured over these last few years. After listening to the band’s 2008 full-length debut In Our Space Hero Suits, I compared their sound to 60’s girl-group ‘revival’ band The Pipettes. This time out, the band has a jagged edge and captures a fuller alt-rock sound, all without giving up any of their pop-hooks. “We didn’t go into the studio and say: ‘Let's change our sound.’ It happened naturally, almost unconsciously. I think it is because we have gone through so much together the last few years. We have grown up, simple as that,” says drummer Cissi Efraimsson.

Similar to the previous disc, lyrical themes are predominently about relationships starting, ending or going aray, This time out though the lyrics are wrapped around catchy pop hooks and soaring choruses and delivered with a sense of urgency and edgyness. With the move away from the twee cuteness of the first disc, there is enough slashing guitar and tribal drumming on this disc to keep the band out of the pure pop scene. Producer Patrik Berger gives the band a high-gloss but doesn’t overdo it so Those Dancing Days can now be compared to bands like The Graces (Charlotte Caffey, Meredith Brooks) or perhaps The Breeders. Those Dancing Days haven’t completely lost their twee roots though as the disc ends with “One Day Forever” where Linnea Jönsson trades-off vocals with The Macabees’ Orlando Weeks and the end-product sounds something like The Brunettes.

Tracks on the disc range from the perfect power-pop of “Can’t Find Entrance” to the pounding slash n’ burn punk of “Fuckarias” to the new wave-ish “Dream About Me”.





The band is playing a small set of US shows this month when they are over for SXSW which include a stop at Mercury Lounge on March 22nd. The Mercury Lounge show is an early show (6:30PM doors) and Bloc Party's Gordon Moakes' latest project Young Legionnaire opens the show. Tickets are $10.

Links:
Those Dancing Days

First Aid Kit Releases Full Live Set as Free Download // jack White Produced 7-Inch Single Out 1/18/11

DOWNLOAD: First Aid Kit - 10-Song Set Recorded Live in Sydney, Australia Sept. '10 (requires registration)

Rising Swedish folk-pop duo First Aid Kit are among the latest artists to take part in Third Man Records' Blue Series of releases. The special series of 7-inch records, produced by Jack White and recorded at his own Third Man Studios in Nashville, has featured releases from Wanda Jackson, Laura Marling and Secret Sisters, among others.

For their Blue Series 7-inch, First Aid Kit recorded covers of Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Universal Soldier" (made famous in 1965 by Donovan) and classic blues standard "It Hurts Me Too", a song much loved by fans of Karen Dalton's 1969 folk-blues version. First Aid Kit, comprised of 17 and 20-year old sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg, recorded the tracks with White during the Nashville stop on their US headlining tour in October. Joshua Hedley joins the duo on fiddle for both tracks, while touring drummer Mattias Bergqvist, their father Benkt Söderberg, and Jack Lawrence (The Greenhornes, The Raconteurs), also contribute additional instrumentation on "It Hurts Me Too."

First Aid Kit's Blue Series single comes out on January 18th, 2011.



Links:
First Aid Kit

First Aid Kit Release Video for "Ghost Town" // CMJ Show on Oct. 21st

First Aid Kit's new video for "Ghost Town," off the duo's debut full-length album The Big Black & The Blue (Wichita), premiered earlier this week on Spin.com. Encapsulating the haunting beauty of the song, the Mats Udd-directed video was filmed earlier this summer in Stockholm, nearby their hometown of Enskede, Sweden.

"We filmed it during a beautiful summer's day at a wheat field and a meadow in Stockholm. Mats Udd and his crew did a fantastic job and really captured the spirit of the song. It's inspired by Picnic At Hanging Rock, among other things," explains First Aid Kit's Klara and Johanna Söderberg. "The shooting was a lot of fun, but we got over 100 mosquito bites each (!!). However, it's all for the art, right?"



A "Ghost Town" single will be released digitally September 28th via Wichita and will include a cover of Fever Ray's "When I Grow Up" as a b-side. The cover is a tribute to First Aid Kit's mentor Karin Dreijer Andersson, of Fever Ray and The Knife, who released the young Swedish sisters' debut EP "Drunken Trees" in 2008 on her label, Rabid. The "Ghost Town" single will also be available as a 7" via the Wichita web store and at First Aid Kit's shows.

Later this month, First Aid Kit will begin their second North American headlining tour on September 30th at The Vera Project in Seattle, WA. Ferraby Lionheart will be opening on all dates of the tour and The Sea Of Cortez are also on the bill for the first three shows. The tour now wraps up with a recently announced New York show on October 21st at The Delancey as part of the Saddle Creek/Wichita showcase during the CMJ Music Marathon.

First Aid Kit tour dates:

SEPT. 30 -- SEATTLE, WA, THE VERA PROJECT+*
OCT. 01 -- PORTLAND, OR, DOUG FIR LOUNGE+*
OCT. 03 -- SAN FRANCISCO, CA, BOTTOM OF THE HILL+*
OCT. 04 -- LOS ANGELES, CA, LARGO AT THE CORONET+
OCT. 05 -- LOS ANGELES, CA, ECHO+
OCT. 07 -- AUSTIN, TX, STUBBS JR.+ (Official ACL Pre-party)
OCT. 09 -- AUSTIN, TX, AUSTIN CITY LIMITS FESTIVAL
OCT. 11 -- NASHVILLE, TN, THE END+
OCT. 13 -- CHICAGO, IL, LINCOLN HALL+
OCT. 15 -- TORONTO, ON, EL MOCAMBO+
OCT. 16 -- MONTREAL, QC, LE DIVAN ORANGE+
OCT. 17 -- BOSTON, MA, GREAT SCOTT+
OCT. 19 -- PHILADELPHIA, PA, JOHNNY BRENDA'S+
OCT. 20 -- WASHINGTON, DC, DC9+
OCT. 21 -- NEW YORK, NY, THE DELANCEY (Saddle Creek/Wichita CMJ showcase; 10:15pm set time)

+ Ferraby Lionheart supporting
* The Sea Of Cortez supporting

Links:
First Aid Kit

Sweden's First Aid Kit Returns to the US in October // "Hard Believer" Posted as a Free Download

DOWNLOAD: First Aid Kit - "Hard Believer"

Sweden's First Aid Kit is the poster children for the power of social media as their video cover of Fleet Foxes’ "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" has now gotten over 1.5M views.

The band released their debut CD, The Big Black and the Blue (Witchita Recordings), earlier this year and completed their well-received first US tour in June.

The Big Black & the Blue was recorded intermittently throughout 2008 -2009 with the help of their father, Benkt Soderberg, at their home studio Cellar Door. The collected work transports the listener via shimmering, almost telekinetic harmonies and thoughtful lyrical imagery. The songs on The Big Black & the Blue seep under the skin and claw at you. Surface playfulness is deceiving as the tracks take on a darker hue in moments, creating a surefooted yet interesting balance. By the first strokes of the acoustic fused opener, “In the Morning,” we enter the warm and spell binding nature that is First Aid Kit’s world. Transitioning to the mesmeric “Hard Believer,” where a real-life argument about religion provoked the rousingly urgent line: “And it’s one life / and it’s this life / and it’s beautiful,” then resting in the jauntiness of “Sailor Song,” which is underpinned by a driving Autoharp and a classic lost-love motif. Yet another album highlight “I Met Up With the King” borrows a line from Gram Parsons to marvelous effect and “Heavy Storm” soothes with its loosely swing. First Aid Kit penned all of the material for the album in addition to lovingly designing the sepia-toned artwork.

First Aid Kit is coming back through the US in October and I would assume that a NYC date will be slotted in around the Philly/DC dates.

Here are the upcoming tour dates:
9/30 - Seattle, WA - Vera Project
10/1 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
10/3 - San Fransisco, CA - Bottom of The Hill
10/4 - Los Angeles, CA - Largo at the Coronet
10/5 - Los Angeles, CA - Echo
10/9 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits
10/11 - Nashville, TN - The End
10/13 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
10/15 - Toronto, ON - El Mocambo
10/16 - Montreal, QC - Le Divan Orange
10/17 - Allston, MA - Great Scott
10/19 - Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda's
10/20 - Washington, DC - DC9

Links:
First Aid Kit