First Aid Kit

First Aid Kit

First Aid Kit is a Swedish folk duo from Stockholm, made up of sisters Johanna Söderberg and Klara Söderberg. The group is active from 2007 and is associated with folk, folk rock, indie folk, rock, and singer-songwriter music.

Formation and early release

The sisters begin writing songs in 2007 and take their name at random from an English dictionary. They start by uploading music to MySpace and sending songs to Swedish radio, which leads to live performances and record label interest. Their debut EP, Drunken Trees, appears on Rabid Records, the label owned by the Swedish electronic duo The Knife. It is produced by their father and includes songs that had already appeared online, including “You’re Not Coming Home Tonight” and “Tangerine”.

Breakthrough and albums

The duo gains wider attention after uploading a version of Fleet Foxes’ “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song”, which attracts the interest of Robin Pecknold and helps them reach an international audience. Their debut album, The Big Black and the Blue, appears in 2010 and includes the first single “Hard Believer” and “I Met Up With the King”.

In 2010, they also record a cover of Buffy Sainte-Marie’s “Universal Soldier” and perform “Dancing Barefoot” in honour of Patti Smith at the Polar Music Prize. Their second album, The Lion’s Roar, is produced by Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes and includes the singles “The Lion’s Roar”, “Blue”, and “Emmylou”. The song “Emmylou” is named among Rolling Stone’s best songs of 2012, and the album reaches number one in Sweden and enters the upper reaches of charts in several other territories, including the Billboard rock chart.

The third album, Stay Gold, also produced by Mike Mogis, is released in 2014. “My Silver Lining” is listed by Billboard among the year’s best songs, and the album appears on year-end best-album lists. It later wins Album of the Year at the Swedish Grammis. The album charts strongly in the United States, Europe, and Australia.

Later work and performances

After touring heavily in 2014 and 2015, the duo largely stops touring for a period, though it continues to play some festivals. In 2017, it releases “You Are the Problem Here” for International Women’s Day; the song is described as an angry response to the Brock Turner case, and its proceeds are donated to Women for Women International.

The fourth album, Ruins, appears in 2018. Its singles include “It’s a Shame”, “Postcard”, and “Fireworks”. The album is described as having a rougher, more rustic sound, while the harmonies remain a central feature. Laura Veirs appears on “Hem of Her Dress”, alongside the duo’s mother and brother. A later EP from the Ruins sessions, Tender Offerings, reaches number one in the UK.

Discography

The band’s albums include The Big Black and the Blue, The Lion’s Roar, Stay Gold, and Ruins. Its EPs include Drunken Trees, America, Live from the Rebel Hearts Club, and Tender Offerings.