After a three year absence Swedish singer-songwriter Thomas Jonsson returns with Give Up Together, his sixth full-length album as I'm Kingfisher. Following 2023's acclaimed Glue, which was mostly arranged together with jazz musicians, this time around Jonsson opted for something heavier with a brilliant set of muted americana songs draped in quiet drums, distinct electric guitars and rich strings, while occasionally being deconstructed into stripped folk songs.
”This time I've been keeping the songs open, being able to see them as whole in a way that I haven't when working on the previous albums. I've been picking the songs up over and over, tweaking and changing, until the recordings days really.”
As he set to recording what would become Give Up Together, Thomas gathered some of his best friends for the studio sessions. Producer and multi-instrumentalist Carl Edlom, cello player Helena Arlock and jazz musician Bebe Risenfors have all been a huge part of I'm Kingfisher's music in the past while Svante Sjöblom is new behind the drums (also playing with Swedish indie folk noir giant Christian Kjellvander). The album also features guest vocals from Alina Björkén (Könsförrädare/Tiny Oceans) on "Winter of '85/'86", while L.T. Fisk plays the piano on "Look What You Made Me Do" and renowned Swedish photographer Mats Bäcker recorded saxophone for "White Denim". The distinct album artwork sets the tone and features a photograph by Serbian photographer Aleksa Jovanovic.
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The monotone and the drone-y, as well as the timeless and beautiful have always been key elements in Jonsson's music, but he has never found connections between all as effortlessly as this time. "Your Dad's Bad Days", one of the album's most defining songs can be heard in its entirety in the new Swedish feature film The Quiet Beekeeper which will meet a broad cinema premier in April and was the opening movie of Gothenburg Film Festival. The Quiet Beekeeper also includes a cameo from Thomas, as well as a string of film exclusive I'm Kingfisher songs.
One of Sweden's best kept secrets, I'm Kingfisher has won press accolades from the likes of NPR's All Songs Considered, Uncut, Clash, KEXP and many more while sharing the stage with ex Kevin Morby, Courtney Marie Andrews, The Weather Station and Damien Jurado. One of the finest songwriters of the Nordic folk wave, Jonsson's been quietly building a more than impressive catalogue, and is finally ready to step into the limelight alongside his more famous contemporaries with Give Up Together containing some of his finest work yet.
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