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Robert Johnson on the new album with Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks, ‘Surf på svenska’

Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks: Surf på svenska


Today sees the release of ‘Surf på svenska’ (Surf in Swedish), the new album by Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks. The leading exponent of distorted, guitar-based surf rock continues to surprise. Here, Robert Johnson talks about the album himself.

It has always been a question of when rather than if. Around the time of ‘Aloha from Havana’, Per Thorsell even designed a cover for ‘Surf på svenska’, which was called ‘Aloha from Hälsingland’ at the time. That was in 1997. The project never got further than the cover, which we translated literally into Swedish. However, Thomas Öberg and Jonas Jonasson from Bob Hund then came up with other ideas and the original plan was forgotten.

It would take 20 years before the idea resurfaced. At that time, I was a big fan of Tonbruket and went to all their gigs. Johan Lindström from Tonbruket was working on his newly formed septet and wanted some feedback. Strange, in hindsight. I spent a whole day in his studio listening to music and taking files home with me. I also helped out with a couple of tracks. I remember us knocking over SJ stools in the entrance hall of the studio. I told Johan that I thought his titles were weak and gave him lots of suggestions, such as ‘Lugnets Industriområde’ (The Lugnet Industrial Area), ‘Ålkistan’ (The Eel Chest) and ‘Kräftriket’ (The Crayfish Kingdom). I remember him seeming to agree, but when the album finally came out, the songs had ordinary titles and there was no mention of my help. I didn’t care that much though. I had got to see my favourite guitarist in action. That was enough.

Then, Johan played on one of my records, so we were even.

Instead, I contacted Martin Hederos from the same band to ask if he would be interested in playing what I had seen. He was cautiously positive, but he already had a thousand projects in the pipeline, so it didn’t go beyond being a fun idea.

Another year passed before I approached Mattias Bärjed from The Soundtrack of Our Lives. It took him a year to respond, and he gave me the same answer as Martin. I also realised that it would be time-consuming and costly, and that he lives on Gotland, which would make logistics complicated. Much as I love his film music for Mikael Marcimain’s films, I decided not to pursue it.

It was now 2024, and I decided to make the album myself. I only had two requirements. 1. It would not feature any guitars. 2. It would feature the accordion. This was a difficult starting point, given that I’m a guitarist and I definitely can’t play the accordion. But I love the accordion. I love folk music, and Jan Johansson’s ‘Jazz på svenska’ is the best album ever produced in this country. No one else comes close.

It all started with the titles. Then came the music. I knew it was going to be beautiful. And it turned out that way. I devoted more time to this album than I would like to publicly admit. More than to any other project I have worked on. I worked hard, received help, and resorted to both traditional tricks and modern technology. In other words, I did everything that other musicians have time for, or that record companies are willing to pay for, at Atlantis Studio. I care as little about moralising as I do about deliberately playing the wrong notes on records and releasing versions that no sane person would keep. I have images and sounds of songs in my head twenty-four hours a day. They don’t sound or look like other musicians’ songs. How do I know that? I just know. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything that sounds like my music. Never have. I’ll never hear anything like it either. No awards. No money. Just the occasional good review. Nothing more. I’ve had to explain this to everyone except Magnus Nilsson at my record label, Fanfar! I think he trusts my musical judgement. But I’m not sure. So I’ll keep making records until he tells me to stop. Then I’ll stop. Then I’ll just box.

It’s Magnus who wants this to be a Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks album. I don’t get involved in things like that. I love this music, but I’ll never perform it live. It’s just not that kind of music. In fact, I don’t think you can even drive to it. You might be able to listen to it on headphones during endless train and plane journeys though. I don’t do that either.

Beautiful.

Listen to and download “Surf på svenska” at Bandcamp.

The Yngsjö Murder

‘Yngsjömordet’ is about the last woman to be executed in Sweden. A fantastic 1960s film starring Gunnel Lindblom, Gösta Ekman and Christina Schollin. No, ‘Skånska mord’ with Ernst-Hugo Järegård is not better.

Tattooed Johansson

A little gangster romanticism is nothing new; it has always existed, and I have read countless stories about Salaligan (The Sala Gang) and dynamitards. The Swedish title is ‘Tatuerade Johansson’.

The Lugnet industrial area

‘Lugnets industriområde’. Before Hammarby Sjöstad, people used to go to underground clubs in Lugnet. Motorcycle clubs held parties there, and people played pool for money. Me included.

The glimmer of Handsome Bengtsson

‘Bildsköne Bengtssons glimt’. See ‘Tattooed Johansson’ above.

Alkeby in Dragonhagen

Dragonhagen was a dance hall in Brottby, Roslagen. I once met Djurgården’s goalkeeper Björn Alkeby there in the early 70s. He was bigger than any musician I had ever met.

Säter’s permanent pavilion

In Stockholm, we had ‘Beckis’, or the formal Beckomberga Hospital. In Dalarna, it was Säter with its ‘Säters fasta paviljong’, where the notorious Lars-Inge Svartenbrandt and others ended up. I think the name is mainly so eerie.

Sup i Ålkistan

A drink in the eel box… On the way from Brunnsviken to the Stockholm archipelago, boat owners would stop for a drink. It’s unclear why.

Sista vilan i Jomala kyrka

The final resting place is in Jomala Church. On my mother’s side, I have relatives from Åland. They are buried in Jomala Church. People from Åland are different. They are all sailors and don’t think it’s ever windy. Since reading ‘The Old Man and the Sea’, I have been afraid of the sea.

The Forsby-Köping cable car

‘Kalklinbanan Forsby-Köping’. That would have been a boy’s dream come true. The Forsby-Köping cable car was a cable car that suddenly appeared when driving to Gothenburg on the old E3 motorway. I would have done anything to ride in one of the baskets.

Kräftrikets förbannelse

The curse of the crayfish kingdom. I don’t actually know if there is a curse, but there should be!

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‘No Quietus’: The Mommyheads’ Most Hopeful Album About Death Yet

The Mommyheads: No Quietus

The Mommyheads confront mortality head-on with No Quietus — their 17th album and perhaps most vital work yet. Out 7 November 7 2025, this defiant, danceable record turns death into a celebration of life, blending prog-rock ambition with raw emotional honesty. It’s an album about endings that feels like a beginning.

The Mommyheads releases their 17th record on 7 November 2025. Entitled ‘No Quietus‘, the LP is Latin for ‘no death’. While avoiding the clichéd character narratives and fantastical story arcs of classic rock, this record does have a core theme that weaves its way through every pulsating rhythm and guitar strum. Death is the main protagonist on this sonic journey, and it is far more pleasing to the ears than one might imagine.

‘Triumph and Crash’ barrels in like a prog-rock funeral march for the current geopolitical situation and/or any fallen empire in its final days. In the track ‘Black Veins’, our protagonist reveals a sense of vulnerability that continues throughout. ‘Take these black veins and turn them blue; I gave all my oxygen to you’ is a heart-wrenching reflection on the co-dependency that develops in any relationship. The title track, ‘No Quietus’, sees the protagonist grappling with the possible final days of the most important person in his life. ‘I’m Your Apocalypse’ sees the band at their most rebellious and angst-ridden, channelling edgy, dissonant synths that rub and gyrate against a deep 7/8 groove. ‘Always Reaching’ juxtaposes heady lyrics with danceable grooves, achieving this flawlessly within a 4:40-minute song. By the end of side one, we are eased into a late-70s Bee Gees groove, with the lead protagonist asking us to consider where heaven and religion might fit into this grand narrative.

Side two continues this theme with songs such as ‘Finally Free’, ‘Strong’ and ‘It’s Only Life’.

We are carried along this path, hearing the dreaded concept of how to deal with the inevitable topic that we never seem to have enough time for. Yet here is a musical document that tackles this delicate concept from multiple points of view. Like a prize fighter looking for any weakness in his opponent’s body, ‘No Quietus’ examines the death of society, loved ones, egos, relationships, religious beliefs, and one’s identity through song. The end result is a unique and refreshing musical collage that will stand the test of time. This record might just be the most hopeful LP of this band’s career.

In this band’s long and successful career, releasing a concept album about death has never seemed so vital.

The Mommyheads: The Beast Is Back
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Ola Backström’s hidden treasure: Gråton.

Ola Backström

A selection of Ola Backström‘s posthumous recordings, ‘Gråton‘ is now available. Ola Backström (1953–2004) was something of a hidden gem in Swedish alternative popular music, yet simultaneously an important and idiosyncratic artist. Until now, his solo music has only reached a small circle of friends and family. Now, more people will have the opportunity to discover his work: songs that, in another era, could have become Swedish classics.

Backström was a guitarist in Dag Vag and Stockholm Norra and played on Torkel Rasmusson‘s solo albums. However, it was alone in his home studio that he created his most personal music. Armed with only a drum machine and a guitar, he explored sounds and feelings, free from any consideration of an audience or a market. The result is a collection of songs conveying both fragility and sharpness, humour and melancholy, and always displaying a curiosity about life.

‘Ola chose not to take the easy route. He found his own personal expression, emotional and ingenious,’ recalls Torkel Rasmusson. The recordings, found on overwritten cassettes and reel-to-reel tapes, were created purely for the sake of creation, amidst babysitting duties and everyday chores.

“Gråton” contains both finished songs and sketches, ranging from instrumental synthpop to absurd depictions of stage fright and everyday moments. This was an artist who never stopped searching, and whose music is now being heard twenty years after his death.

‘For Ola, art and music were a playful adventure, but also a very serious endeavour,’ says Torkel Rasmusson. ‘You can hear that in every note on this album.’

Ola Backström: Gråton

Ola Backström: Gråton

Gråton is the first and only solo album by artist Ola Backström (1953-2004). It is an unexpected album from the guitarist who helped start bands such as Dag Vag and Stockholm Norra in the 1970s. His own recordings show a Swedish path between Swedish prog and American, bright post-punk.

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Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks at Kollektivet Livet Bar & Scen on the 1st of October, 2025

Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks

Robert Johnson and Punchdrunk return to the Kollektivet Livet Bar & Scen. Support: Bürner.

Kollektivet Livet favourites Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks are back at the bar and venue at Slussen in Stockholm. The group is always relevant, but even more so now with their brand new album, Box Office Poison, in tow. The band consists of Robert Johnson on guitar, Jonathan Doe (Samuraj Cities) on guitar, Johan Wallnäs (Dub Sweden) on bass and synth, and Robert Johansson (Fact of Novelty) on drums.

Mention Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks and thoughts immediately turn to style-defining instrumental rock and the theme tune for the TV series Kent Agent. For more than thirty years, the band has enjoyed a respected position as the number one in the genre.

Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks formed in 1992. Although their music and style are deeply rooted in the ’50s and ’60s, they are reluctant to look back. Puritans need not apply: Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks always forge their own path.

Support act: Bürner! Bürner makes classic hard rock music.

This is an 18+ event (under 13s must be accompanied by a parent or guardian).

Time

1st of October, 2025, 18:30

Location

Kollektivet Livet Bar & Scen, Stadsgårdsterminalen, 116 45 Stockholm

Entrance

220 SEK

Tickets

https://secure.tickster.com/sv/plv4jzf6yngk7lc/products

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KC BABY at Årsta Folkets Hus on the 4th of October, 2025

KC BABY (Photo: Emily Frick)

What could be more fitting than KC BABY releasing a new album and playing live again at Årsta Folkets Hus? This idyllic neighbourhood has grown and matured, gaining a new kind of beauty in the process. It was also in Årsta that Kajsa Magnarsson and Conny Nimmersjö moved in together and became parents. It was also there that their relationship ended, but not the band or what they continue to share. The duo’s second album, ‘Nästan Perfekt’ (Almost Perfect), tells the story of that journey. It’s about what rubs us the wrong way and what holds us together.

Don’t miss this unique gig!

Time

4th of October, 2025, 19:00 – 20:30

Location

Årsta Folkets Hus, Årsta Torg 5, Årsta, Stockholm

Entrance

180 SEK

Tickets

https://www.tickster.com/se/sv/events/wljmur053932by7/2025-10-04/kc-baby-live-pa-arsta-folkets-hus

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Release of the album Gråton by Ola Backström with guests Mattias Alkberg, Torkel Rasmusson and others

Ola Backström Gråton, Rönnells

Ola Backström (1953–2004) played a key role in forming bands such as Dag Vag and Stockholm Norra in the 1970s. He also played the guitar and synthesiser on Torkel Rasmussen‘s solo albums. In the early 1980s, he put his music career on hold to focus on visual art. However, free from expectations and demands, he continued to write and record his own music, which almost no one got to hear. Until now.

Join us to celebrate the release of the album Gråton with Ola Backström.

  • Mattias Alkberg and his band will perform live!
  • Torkel Rasmussen will sing and talk about Ola.
  • Siri, Frej and Måns Backström will perform some of the album’s songs.
  • There will also be an exhibition featuring a selection of Ola’s paintings.

Compiled posthumously from Ola’s remaining recordings, the album Gråton reveals a low-key and expressive songwriter with a unique style. While the music bears traces of influences from Brian Eno, Tom Verlaine, and Swedish prog rock, it also has a personal voice that is both self-assured and fragile.

The album will be released on LP and via streaming services on 3 October 2025. ‘Gråton’ is released by the record label Fanfar!

Date

Thursday, 9 October 2025, 7–10 p.m.

Location

Rönnells Antikvariat, Birger Jarlsgatan 32, Stockholm

Admission

SEK 50 on the door; no advance registration required. Seats are limited.

This event is presented by Rönnells in collaboration with Fanfar!, Rönnells Vänner, the Swedish Arts Council, the City of Stockholm and Humlegården Fastigheter.

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With ‘Box Office Poison’, Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks continue to break down all resistance

Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks

For over thirty years, Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks have been world leaders in the surf rock genre. Over the years, they have become less puritanical yet more incisive. ‘Box Office Poison’ is a fascinating work from a band that just keeps evolving.

Depending on whom you ask, the band Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks came into being either in Solna or in Stockholm more than thirty years ago. But it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that it is frontman Robert Johnson who has been at the centre of most things over the years, and his creativity and dedication that have carved the band’s history in stone. Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks don’t follow other people’s trends or the whims of the times; they are stubbornness personified.

As a record label, of course we like the artists we release — who wouldn’t? — but one has to be amazed by an artist who is so stubbornly independent. And continues to develop. Finds new paths and breaks new ground. Even if it goes against the expectations of their fans and risks losing their loyal supporters’ love. For Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks, there is no alternative. It’s their way or no way at all.

On ‘Box Office Poison’, Robert Johnson and the band’s former bassist take centre stage. The album sounds the way it does and the songs are constructed the way they are largely thanks to Tobias Einestad.

The result is impressive. Not least on vinyl. Rarely has pressed black vinyl crackled with such weight as on ‘Box Office Poison’. We have a vested interest in saying so, of course, but it’s still true. Bear in mind that there are only 300 copies of the vinyl. Once they’re gone, they’re gone for good.

This is a gift from the gods to all self-respecting rock DJs. ‘Box Office Poison’ is also a godsend for radio sports broadcasts. You know what I mean.

Buy the album today!

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Could this be a future Swedish classic? “2017–2022” with KC BABY

KC BABY: '2017-2022'

The duo KC BABY are releasing a summer single that packs big emotions into a condensed format. ‘2017-2022’ has the potential to become a Swedish classic.

When KC BABY formed in 2017, it was the result of two people’s intense shared passion for music. However, it was also a natural consequence of sound artist Kajsa Magnarsson and Bob Hund icon Conny Nimmersjö becoming a couple. When they parted ways five years later, they chose to maintain and develop their shared bond in the form of KC BABY.

The single ‘2017-2022’ is now being released from their second album, ‘Nästan perfekt’.

When a relationship ends, the reason is rarely clear-cut. In ‘2017–2022’ by KC BABY, Conny Nimmersjö sings his own lyrics. Jan Gradvall wrote in Dagens Industri: ‘In the clinical “2017–2022”, Conny Nimmersjö sings about a summer when they “suddenly were done with each other”, without a hint of bitterness.’ He gave the album a rating of four.

This is arguably the most powerful song ever written in the Swedish language about divorce. Additionally, the song has a memorable melody and arrangement. It is no exaggeration to suggest that ‘2017–2022’ will be considered a Swedish classic.

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KC BABY – back with even more pop for adults

KC BABY (Photo: Emily Frick)

When Kajsa Magnarsson and Conny Nimmersjö formed KC BABY around 2017, their motto was ‘the small band with big feelings’. Although the duo’s sound and focus have changed, their vulnerability remains. On 9 May, Fanfar! will release their second album, Nästan perfekt (Almost Perfect), on vinyl and streaming services.

The album took more than five years to make,” says Conny Nimmersjö. ‘Not because we had a creative crisis. There was a pandemic. We had children. There was a war. We separated. The album is a soundtrack to all that.’

Kajsa Magnarsson: ‘Everything that is sung is true. I am very grateful that it was finished. It might be a bit messy in form, but that’s okay. It came out that way, like so many other things.’

On ‘Nästan perfekt‘ KC BABY are joined by Mattias Alkberg and Insomnia Taxxi, who both sing on ‘Till Berlin’. Amanda Werne (known by her stage name Slowgold) plays the accordion and sings backup on ‘Nu är det så’.

It’s hard to resist ‘Nästan perfekt’. Lyrics, music and expression vibrate close to the nerves. It’s pleasant and disturbing. At the same time. That’s what KC BABY are all about. What we hear is pop music, but the lyrics – which move between tender observations of everyday life and bitter reckonings – give the music a more mature tone than we’re used to.

Conny: ‘When Kajsa and I started playing together, I was convinced that it was only a matter of time before Kajsa’s singing voice would become one of the most popular in the country. And it’s still only a matter of time.’

Photo

Photo of KC BABY taken by Emily Frick.

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“Till Berlin” is a strong return for KC BABY

KC BABY: "Till Berlin" ('To Berlin')

Finally, new material from KC BABY. Kajsa Magnarsson and Conny Nimmersjö follow up their strong debut with a single featuring Mattias Alkberg and Insomnia Taxxi.

The band KC BABY release the digital single “Till Berlin” (‘To Berlin’), a prelude to the album to be released in May. The song features guests Mattias Alkberg and Insomnia Taxxi. The latter is a pseudonym for Iryna Novikova, an experimental musician from Charkiv, Ukraine, with a style somewhere between Nico and Sisters of Mercy.

“Till Berlin” is a song about movement – away from something, towards something. The verses are about being stuck and looking for a way out – to a friend, to another place, to a better state. The lyrics could have felt out of date. They don’t.

The album “Nästan perfekt”, which will be released on 9 May, has evolved over five years – through a pandemic, separation, war and the toddler years.

“The songs have become a soundtrack to all this”, says Conny Nimmersjö, who forms the core of the band with Kajsa Magnarsson.

“Everything that is sung is true”, says Kajsa. “The record might be a bit noisy in its form, but that’s okay. It came out that way, like so many other things.”

Guests on the forthcoming album include Amanda Werne (Slowgold) on accordion and choir.

Release date for “Till Berlin”

“Till Berlin” is released on 4 April 2025. The song will initially be released as a digital-only track, but will be included on the LP to be released later this spring.

Listen to “Till Berlin”