Den Svenska Björnstammen (The Swedish Bear Population) is a six-piece Swedish pop group that first rose to fame in their home country in 2011 with the song “Vart jag mig i världen vänder” (“Wherever I Turn In The World”), which topped the national chart for six weeks. Since then, they have steadily gained a loyal fan base with upbeat music that incorporates elements of techno, synth-pop and even some indie rock.
The band has released four albums, the latest album being 2019’s Iskanten (The Edge of Ice), along with a handful of EPs. Their newest single, “Drömmer om andetag” (“Dreaming of Breathing”), features a mix of a more baroque, psychedelic sound with the more dance-oriented vibe of their earlier releases. A popular live act, Den Svenska Björnstammen, have recently returned from a tour of sold-out venues across Sweden. Now they’re heading back into the studio to work on new music.
Below, the group’s Åke Olofsson and Ambjörn Göransson answer some questions about what the band has been up to recently, what they’ve been using in the studio, and what is next for the group.
Q: You just got back from tour! Any fun memories you can share?
A: One of the concerts was in a place called Österbymo. Have you heard about it? Us neither. The small village was in the middle of a large forest. The place had no grocery store, but it did have a concert hall. People of all ages came to listen and it was a very memorable evening.
Q: Can you share anything about the new music you’re writing/recording right now?
A: At the moment we are using our new mics to record with all the broken old instruments we’ve collected over the years. It’s very inspiring.
Q: What can you tell us about your latest single?
A: “Drömmer om andetag” (“Dreaming of Breathing”) is a mid-tempo pop song. We put a lot of thought into the structure of the song—trying to make smooth transitions between the different parts, which have very different levels of energy. It’s about the feeling of revelation when you can show and stand up to your own weaknesses.
Q: How have you been using the Revelation II and DX-2 mics to help you achieve the sound you want in the studio?
A: We have been using the DX-2 turned to 50/50 with half room mic, half speaker mic. We mostly record a Korg MS-20 Mini Analog Monophonic Synth through a guitar amp, and then add tons of plate reverb. The big roomy, distorted sounds we get from this technique are very well suited for leads in big choruses.
We use the Revelation II microphone for everything that we want to sound as “real” as possible: guitars, flutes, and vocals, etc.
Q:What do you do when you’re not in the studio or on tour?
A: Some of us are home taking care of kids, others have other work and projects going on. I am writing this from a train trip to Spain together with my family.
Q: What do you like to snack on when you’re on the road or in the studio?
A: Crisps.
Q: What’s your favorite part of being in a band?
A: Sharing setbacks and success together with a group, and having the joy of working together with your friends.
Q: What’s coming next for your band?
A: More music coming and more concerts too—the music when it’s ready and concerts probably this summer.
Listen to Den svenska björnstammen on Spotify