Alberta Cross

Alberta Cross

Alberta Cross is an Anglo-Swedish rock band formed in London in 2005 by singer-guitarist Petter Ericson Stakee and bassist Terry Wolfers. The band is based between London and Brooklyn and has included Austin Beede in its line-up. Stakee is Swedish and spends his childhood touring and recording with his musician father before moving to London in his late teens. Wolfers is British. In 2013, Wolfers leaves the band, leaving Stakee as the only permanent member.

Early recordings and development

The band’s early material begins with the 2007 EP The Thief & the Heartbreaker, which has a folk-minded, acoustic sound and features Petter Ericson Stakee’s brother, John Alexander Ericson, on keyboards. It is first released in the UK on Fiction and later reissued on Ark Recordings. Stakee and Wolfers record the original demos in Wolfers’ apartment, using makeshift equipment, before the project develops further.

Stakee and Wolfers later move from London to Brooklyn and then New York, where they play acoustic shows and build a reputation before signing to ATO Records. Their early period is marked by losing a major-label deal, sleeping on friends’ couches, and rebuilding the band’s sound after a period of upheaval.

Broken Side of Time and expanded line-up

Broken Side of Time, the band’s ATO Records debut, grows out of an April 2008 jam session and becomes a fuller, louder version of Alberta Cross. After that session, the group quickly adds guitarist Sam Kearney, drummer Austin Beede and keyboardist Alec Higgins, creating a five-piece line-up around Stakee and Wolfers. The album is recorded in Austin, produced by the band with Mike McCarthy, and mixed by John O’Mahoney at Electric Lady Studios.

The record is described through its sound as combining driving bass lines, heavy guitars and a voice with an ancient, Appalachian quality. Its influences include Depeche Mode, The Band, The Verve, My Morning Jacket and Neil Young. Stakee writes much of it during a difficult period in Brooklyn, and the songs reflect frustration, anger and the band’s surroundings. Tracks mentioned from the album include “Rise From the Shadows” and “Ghost of City Life”.

Style, touring and associations

Alberta Cross is associated with rock, indie rock, folk and folk-rock, and is also described as an Anglo-Swedish rock band. The group tours extensively in the UK and shares stages with Oasis, The Shins, Bat for Lashes and Simian Mobile Disco. Its sound develops from a modest acoustic basis into a more electric, expansive style, while retaining a focus on direct, emotional songwriting.

Stakee and Wolfers say they aim to make honest, soulful music. Their stated references include Prince, My Bloody Valentine, Metallica and Ride, and the writing for Broken Side of Time also draws on Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen and the darker gospel material of Depeche Mode.