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Club 8 was formed in 1995 by Karolina Komstedt (from the band Poprace) and Johan Angergård (Acid House Kings, Poprace). They made simple bedroom recordings of their three first songs and sent them to their ten favourite labels. The response was just as immediate as it was good with half of the labels wanting to release the band. Club 8 chose the Spanish label Siesta where they released their debut single »Me too« later the same year and the debut album »Nouvelle« the year after..
The sound on the debut album was definitely a bit naive and twee. And as charming as a lot of people found the debut the follow up »The friend I once had« (1998) felt like a big step forward for the band. Their mix of bossa nova, glittery guitars, shiny pop melodies and small hints of dance music made this album an indie-success. They also debuted as a live act with a performance at CMJ in New York in 1999.
Striving for constant change and improvements Club 8 moved away from the bossa nova influences and direct pop songs of »The friend I once had« with the self-titled follow up. »Club 8« (2001-Parasol/Labrador/Flavour of Sound) was both darker and slower. Still, they managed to expand their audience and had somewhat of a hit with »Love in december«. The only real problem the band had experienced was the fact that recording on limited studio time was a hindrance to their experimental lusts. Late 2001 Club 8, along with fellow band Acid House Kings, set up their own recording studio – Summersound Studios.
With 24/7 access to a recording studio of their own Club 8 enterered their most creative and productive phase to date recording the diversified, semi-electronic and slightly experimental, but intensly emotional »Spring came, rain fell« in 2002 (Parasol/Labrador/Dodgie Disc) and the more guitar-based and kept together follow up »Strangely beautiful« (2003-Parasol/Labrador/Quince). The latter contained the song »Saturday night engine« which was, very accuately, described as " a storming (very) Northern soul-inspired track bursting with an excitement that sounded quite out of place in that quiet group's discography” and a forerunner to Johan’s band The Legends according to All Music.
After the release of »Strangely beautiful« Club 8’s activity slowed down while Johan formed The Legends and released three albums with the band between 2003 and 2006, plus the album ”Sing along with Acid House Kings” with Acid House Kings in 2005. During this period Club 8 only did a few minor tours in Asia and Europe.
Summer 2006 Club 8 was about to burst of creativity and urge to start recording again and in September they started recording their 6th album.
»The boy who couldn’t stop dreaming« is Club 8s most profound to date, balancing perfectly between sunshine and melancholia. Twelve songs that’ll make you sing along about death to while dreaming of summer days. A glorious return to say the least. |
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