Josefin Öhrn was in the psych band Josefin Öhrn & the Liberation who were nominated for a Swedish Grammy for Best New Artist.
After a while away she returns with a debut solo album, ‘Cherry’, which will be released on 25th September,a 10-tracker containing a couple of covers, one of them being Elvis Presley’s ‘You were always on my mind’. Her fans would no doubt point out that she has been on theirs!
The album includes contributions from Bobby Gillespie (Primal Scream), Anton Newcombe (The Brian Jonestown Massacre), Andy Bell (Ride) and Björn Yttling (Lykke Li/ Peter, Bjorn and John). Quite a crew.
She’s living in London now and has done for nine years, specifically East London, where the accompanying video for the single was filmed. I’m guessing Shoreditch or Dalston. Jellied Eels, pie & mash and curries; Contemporary art; massively cosmopolitan population; hopelessly overpriced apartments; The Kray Twins and Jack the Ripper. A unique place.
I wondered if her locale might have influenced the video in any way, especially as the album was actually recorded in Gothenburg. It is certainly a very good advert for it and portrays a sensuality that you wouldn’t automatically associate with it.
And sensuality is what it’s all about.
Josefin wrote the songs on ‘Cherry’ during a new phase of her life and it captures the sense of liberty, excitement and vulnerability that comes with such a re-birth. At its core lies the female gaze – not as a concept, but a lived experience with a sense of longing for connection and for freedom. And we get plenty of gaze in the video, from eyes that can only be described as alluring and which complement the captivating smile.
And that goes for ‘Cherry Tree’ too; on which she relays the universally experienced and bittersweet pain of unrequited love in the saddest refrain:
“When we lay down in the sunshine under the cherry tree, and you kissed my lips and you kissed my soul and you’ll never be, never be mine”. Josefin, we feel for you. You deserve better.
Musically, well coincidentally we’ve had several new songs recently that channel Mazzy Star and you might argue that the sentiment is pretty similar to that of ‘Fade into you’. There’s a vigorous dash of Lana Del Rey too, in my view.
Psychedelic, melancholic, sweet and mysterious. The perfect combination for a summer in which too many vacation romances will reach the same poignant conclusion.
Give it a play. I challenge you not to put it straight back on again.
The band:
Josefin Öhrn – vocals
Kalle Gustafsson Jerneholm – bass
Ian Person – guitars & slide guitars
Fredrik Sandsten – drums & percussion
Oskar Lindberg – Steinway
Video directed by Laura Berbel.
Find her on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josefin_ohrn/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066837670752
