HISTORY has made a name for themselves by taking classic Swedish songs and reworking them in their own inimitable rock and roll style. I sat down with the band to find out how things started, talk about their current single and what the future holds for them.
The idea behind HISTORY began in a fairly unusual place. Can you tell me about how and where the idea for the band took root?
The idea came during a trip to Thailand. Thomas Karlsson (drums), Peter Persson (bass), and Håkan Zetterkvist (guitar/keyboards) had all played together in the 80s in the band Case from Nyköping. Case had a record deal, released a few singles in the 80s and toured Sweden, playing the folk parks and similar venues. During the trip, Peter shared his idea of doing something fun: remaking old Swedish hits from the 80s, but with more rock and a heavier sound. Thomas and Håkan liked the idea and wanted to be part of it. That was the start of the band, which they named HISTORY.
The band’s focus seems to be giving well-known Swedish songs a makeover- the Swedish Legends series, as you call them. How do you choose the songs, and how do you reshape them?
The plan was to release five EPs with four songs each in the series Svenska Legender (Swedish Legends) 1-5. Someone suggests a song, and then we discuss together how to rework it with a rockier, heavier, 80s-style sound. HISTORY has its own studio and does all the recordings themselves, and since the start we have worked with Andreas Sjöö Ebringer, who mixes and produces together with the band. Along the way, Peder Fransson has joined on vocals and Marcus Antemar Lind on guitar.
And specifically, ‘Lilla Fågel Blå’, can you tell me about that song and why you chose it?
‘Lilla Fågel Blå’ was a song we had talked about for a long time, but we weren’t quite sure how to arrange it. Everyone in HISTORY thought it was a great song, and we really wanted to do it because it was written by another guy from Nyköping, Staffan Hellstrand, who recorded it in 1993, when it became a big hit. In the end, we agreed on the arrangement, and today we are very happy with the result. It has been very well received, with lots of streams on Spotify and some radio play as well.
Is this a touring band that gets to deliver these new versions to a live audience, or more of a studio project?
HISTORY has chosen to build an audience before starting to play live, since people recognising the music gives us a better chance to succeed. And we had all already done the “dog years” of playing small venues back in the 80s. Now the plan is to meet the audience live in 2027.
What plans do you have for the future, and what classic songs would you like to take on next?
The plan is to release more of our own material. HISTORY has also released four singles of original songs, which have been very well received, with lots of plays on streaming services like Spotify and on the radio. Next up is a new original single, ‘Juletid’, out in mid to late November. That will be followed by a couple of original singles in the spring, and then those and a few more songs, 12 in total, on an LP of original material in summer 2027.
Later in 2027 it will be time to think about Svenska Legender 4 and which songs to include. There are a few suggestions, such as ABBA’s ‘Ring Ring’, among others. ABBA is Sweden’s biggest music export of all time, so of course they have to be on one of the EPs in the Svenska Legender series.
HISTORY is looking forward to an exciting 2027 and is extremely happy, proud and humble that things have gone as well as they have so far. Our expectations have been exceeded by far, and HISTORY now has more than 15,000 monthly listeners on Spotify!
Lilla Fågel Blå on Spotify
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