Music: One to Watch - First Aid Kit

Photo by Josefin Klavus

This spotlight feature on upcoming band, First Aid Kit, was published in my university newspaper, Exeposé, on Monday.

ARMED with only an acoustic guitar, their own exquisite voices and a handheld camera, sister duo First Aid Kit recorded their cover of Fleet Foxes’ ‘Tiger Mountain Peasant Song’ surrounded by pine trees in the summer of 2008.

Swedish sisters Klara and Johanna have mature and soulful voices, as well as an ability to harmonise perfectly with one another. These would be qualities celebrated regardless of age but First Aid Kit become something remarkable when you consider they recorded their cover version of the Fleet Foxes’ song when Johanna was 18 and Klara only 15.

It was not until early 2009 with the UK release of the folk duo’s first EP, Drunken Trees, that the folk duo gained any recognition in Britain. The EP is a strange mix of unoriginal and insipid lyrics, such as ‘Pervigilo’’s “I lie awake at night/Picturing me and you,” and mature themes of adultery, mundane domestic life, and tired marriages in ‘Tangerine’ and ‘You’re Not Coming Home Tonight’. Despite the EP’s inconsistency, Klara and Johanna’s hauntingly beautiful harmonies more than make up for the uneven tone of Drunken Trees.

A more sophisticated and focused offering arrived in the form of their 2010 debut album, The Big Black and the Blue. The 11-track disc opens with a cappella harmonies that are so carefully synchronised the cliché of sending shivers down your spine becomes a reality. The duo’s vocals are never overshadowed by instrumentation and remain centre stage for the entirety of the album. The strength of First Aid Kit’s vocal lines is best exemplified by standout track, ‘Ghost Town’, which was released as a single in September 2010.

Despite releasing an internationally acclaimed album, First Aid Kit are still relatively unknown to mainstream UK audiences, although they have gained a large following in folk circles. After admiring First Aid Kit’s music for over a year, I was lucky enough to see them play at Latitude festival in the summer of 2010. Live, the duo often improvised which added a light-hearted touch that was missing from the album. The harmonies were flawless and as the band made its way through song after song, the sisters didn’t compromise on quality and gave a stunning live performance.

Critics predict the Swedish duo will become future stars of the folk-pop scene. If the band can fine-tune their song writing skills, First Aid Kit will no doubt match the successes of Fleet Foxes, Mumford and Sons and Band of Horses a few years down the line. After all, folk is trendy at the moment.

First Aid Kit’s cover versions of ‘Universal Soldier’ and ‘It Hurts Me Too’, recorded as part of Third Man Records’ Blues Series, are now available on 7” vinyl.

Photo by Angel Ceballos

IB