To Swedish band The Sounds, music is a natural instinct. Pushing aside technique and discipline, this posse’s inherent urge to create music is its most important aspect.
Hoping to honor their mission statement of sticking with gut feelings, The Sounds has traveled to the United States and on Tuesday night, the group will hit In The Venue’s stage.
This easy-going vibe traces back to the band’s founding days. In 1998, childhood friends Félix Rodríguez and Johan Bengtsson ran into each other, and realized not much had changed. They still had similar goals. They also felt the need to create a band.
With high hopes, Rodríguez took the role of guitarist, and Bengtsson the role of bassist. And holding true to the laid-back attitude of friends, the two approached Bengtsson’s neighbor, Fredrik Blond, who played drums. They eventually also added vocalist Maja Ivarsson.
“We connected from day one. I knew she was in the same scene as I was. We started to talk, and I asked if she wanted join this new band I formed,” Rodríguez said about Ivarsson.
While the band’s formation came naturally, so did its sound. By mixing the genres of indie rock and electronica, The Sounds has fostered a style reminiscent of Swedish pop groups and punk era rock n’ roll.
“If you are going to try to create a style, you are on the wrong side of the music industry,” Rodríguez said. “It has to come natural. It did for us, because we always listened to music that is energetic and dance-worthy, and rock-like — we had it in us.”
The Sounds doesn’t deny its influences. Its members compare their sound to the work of artists such as Blondie and The Cars. One of its major inspirations is drawn from the synthesizer waves of the 1980s. That is why the group added keyboardist Jesper Anderberg after a chance meeting at Sweden’s Hultsfred Festival.
Since the addition of Anderberg, The Sounds has released five albums. “Weekend” is its latest. In a style only true to The Sounds, the five musicians lived together while recording “Weekend.” They wanted to let the creative vibes flow and not force anything.
“Everyone was living under the same roof,” Rodríguez said. “We would go down to the studio to record. It was fun because we were living in the recording 24/7.“
The track “Outlaw” is Rodríguez’s pick from “Weekend.” He likes to play the song live. It also relates to the band’s idea of letting success happen. By not forcing triumph, the band has lived its dream.
The lyrics, “Go ahead and hate me / You can never change me / Cause I’m an outlaw,” describe the path The Sounds walked.
Rodríguez give songs such as “Outlaw” a lot of credit. Because of its dance rhythm, “Outlaw” entrances the audience, and this enchantment intoxicates its listeners.
“There is a different way of going to shows in the U.S. People travel to see their favorite bands. There are a lot of people who want to discover music by themselves,” Rodríguez said.
Because many Americans enjoy discovering music not fitting with the mainstream, The Sounds feels their popularity will grow as they tour. In fact, the band feels their success would not be possible without its American fans. They also hold a deep connection the U.S., because the country’s music-lovers fall into a rebellious mindset shared by The Sounds.
“It’s a bigger live scene here. People want to discover their own music, instead of being forced to listen to it through radio,” Rodríguez said.
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