Den Du Ser Det Är Jag
A lot of the time, relationships don’t feel like a logical sequence of events. They’re more like a blurry watercolor painting: You can’t always pinpoint how emotional states changed from one color to another. In this sense, “Den Du Ser Det Är Jag”, Feniks’ latest EP, is rather a gallery of relationship stages than a story with a defined timeline.
The EP gives closure to a series of single releases the Swedish pop act from Gothenburg gave us in 2017 and the beginning of 2018. In a style that could be defined as “What you hear is what you feel”, Feniks’ honest, down-to-earth approach to songwriting resulted in this collection of 5 songs depicting the different phases of a romantic experience.
The musical mood of this EP is strongly influenced by a wave of Swedish pop that blends an uplifting, catchy sound with gloomy lyrics (think Håkan Hellström or Oskar Linnros). This characteristic contrast, as the band explains, might arise from the need to get a bit of hope in the middle of the emotional fog a dysfunctional relationship drags you into.
And hope it gives: The sense of belonging evoked by Feniks’ sound has previously captured the attention of audiences all over Scandinavia and gotten them features in Drefvet, Qanda and Popmuzik. The band’s creative intentions on this EP were enhanced by the postproduction of Jonathan Thorpenberg, otherwise known as lead singer on The Unguided.
Theo, Gustav and Daniel, three musicians from Gothenburg, started Feniks in 2015, but released their first single, “Besviken”, in 2016. The idea behind their music is simple: Reaching the broadest of audiences with the upbeat deeper-meaning vibe of Swedish pop.
After the release of their EP in March, the band is planning to hit the road again. We’ll most likely see them play in the midst of a Swedish summer evening, when, in their own words, “the air is a bit lukewarm, right after the sun has gone down, where the audience creates a fantastic atmosphere.”. For the dreamers out there going through though times, this one is for you.
Cover art by: Emanuel Mårdsjö