Logging on to Baskery’s MySpace page, the band describes their sound as “high voltage”, “killbilly”, “banjopunk” and “blues-grass”. Albeit tongue and cheek descriptions, they exemplify the fact that this trio that hails from Stockholm, Sweden doesn’t play by anyone’s rules when it comes to creating a sound that is pure and unique and not bound to a specific genre.
The Bondesson sisters – Greta, Stella and Sunniva, evoke a rebellious attitude that is more punk in attitude than most of their contemporaries that play roots infused music. Their incendiary sound is ignited by Greta’s six string distorted slide banjo playing, all while providing beats with her feet on kick and snare, Sunniva’s emotive twangy vocals and frenetic rhythm guitar playing and Stella’s hard driving slap driven upright bass. All this is further highlighted by their tight vocal harmonies.
A combination of alternative country, blues and rock and roll, their emotive sound is reminiscent of a jam taking place in a dusty saloon in Tennessee between Johnny Cash, an acoustic blues Led Zeppelin with the Andrew sisters sweetening the pot with the melody on top.
Their debut album, “Fall Among Thieves”, released in 2008, is a collaborative effort with newly formed label, Veranda Independent Records, produced by Lasse Mårtén (Peter Bjorn and John, Lykke Li, Pink) at Decibel Studios in Stockholm. The album was recorded the same way albums used to be recorded in places like Sun Studios and Muscle Shoals, where getting the perfect live take in the studio was essential to capturing the emotional essence of a song. No overdubs were done- all playing is live and what you hear is what was recorded just like being there in the front row of one of the band’s truly electrifying performances.
Although Baskery’s hard driving honky tonk has people leaving shows amped and in a frenzy, their softer tracks give you something to think about. Such profound and beautifully melodic songs such as “The Wise” and “The Brave” (which incidentally are different versions of the same track that start and end the album), have lyrics that paint pictures of social consciousness and give the listener something to escape to while coming down from tracks such as “One Horse Down”, “Here to Pay My Dues” and “Haunt You”, which go straight for the jugular.
In essence, Baskery is all about putting on a killer show. The material on their debut album enables them to do that.
Baskery has traveled to 14 countries around the globe in support of, “Fall Among Thieves”. Mojo Magazine in the UK calls their debut, “Absurdly wonderful” and Q Magazine hits the nail right on the head saying that “Baskery has turned in a stunning debut album of mountain music laced with a self-proclaimed punk attitude”.
Watch out for Baskery kicking up dust on the road in 2010!
69 Mavety Street
Toronto, Ontario
M6P 2L7 Canada
Tel: (647) 351-6644
Fax: (647) 351-4403
info@cominoproductions.com