Blues Pills Release New Album 'Birthday'
The album consists of ten tracks including the new single “Bad Choices."
By: Josh Sharpe Aug. 05, 2024
Swedish rock ‘n’ roll band Blues Pills have released their triumphant fourth studio album Birthday. Written and recorded in Sweden’s idyllic rural countryside as well as Recordia studios, Birthday took just ten days to record and was produced by renowned songwriter and studio guru Freddy Alexander.
The album consists of ten tracks including the new single “Bad Choices,” a ‘Motown-style stomp’ that encapsulates the approach of the whole album. Fabulous frontwoman Elin Larsson concurs “’Bad Choices’ is our attitude on this record – f*ck it, enjoy it!”
Guitarist Zack Anderson adds: “I think we can now say no regrets, too. For example, we don’t feel the pressure that we felt before in our career. This album is a lot more free, and this is epitomized in this song.”
Elin explains how “Bad Choices” came about: “I think Kribba (Kristoffer Schander) was hungover and we were discussing his bad choices in life…” Elin laughs, “and that’s how it started. Kribba started to then play some bass grooves and our producer started on the piano then I got the hook, you know? Bad choices! He may have been hungover, but he had soulful vibes in that bass groove. Basically, it’s a ‘do whatever the f*ck you want with your life’ song. People are going to have opinions, but you need to say ‘f*ck it!’”
The album which contains “genuinely jaw-dropping moments” (Classic Rock) delivers a manifesto for a Blues Pills who return more mature, no longer feeling the pressures or restrictions they felt as a younger, newer act but still with that brilliant irrepressible energy that is a defining of Blues Pills sound. Birthday is a clear statement that they are ready to take it to the next level.
There’s a live-feel to Blues Pills that states confidence in their ability to craft new compelling sounds without tampering with the explosive formula that got them their start – a sound that’s as eclectic as it is heavy as it is fun, and their continuity is testament to their determination to progress and evolve their sound.
“Our style of music is able to cross boundaries a little bit,” says co-writer and guitarist Zack Anderson. “Within very short time we went from being a band that no-one had heard of to playing giant festivals and bigger shows than we could have imagined. We were quite young so that came with a lot of pressure. Now that we're older it’s easier to see that you should just do music for yourself. And it’s a blessing that we grew up in a time before all the technology totally took off. When we first started – when we recorded our first songs – it was with one of those Tascam cassette recorders – so you couldn't fix anything. So, the only way to do it was to actually perform the thing for real. That's where we started off from. I guess that set the tone for the rest of our career.”
Elin Larsson explains, the band’s time in the studio saw the birth of more than just a record. “During the recordings of the album I discovered I was pregnant,” she says. “It wasn’t planned so I was a bit overwhelmed, but it actually made it easier for me to write for this album. It should be natural to be both a mother and an artist, and I want my son Loui to be on that journey with me.”
The band’s feminist stance has naturally grown too, drawing on the lived experience of the band online and while touring with a frontwoman.
“A lot of the years I’ve been taking s for being a woman in rock n roll, Zack sees it all first hand and it gives a new perspective,” Elin shares. “For everyone in the band it’s a constant driver.”
“We support each other,” Zack says. “It’s always been, since the beginning 12 years ago, Zack and Elin. We’ve seen it all. The band and I are happy to stand behind Elin and call ourselves feminists too, this doesn’t seem controversial to us. It’s not a radical thought or a major statement. It’s just the right thing.”
Majestically featuring her pregnant body front and center in the photoshoot for Birthday, Elin has naturally and unashamedly stepped into her power. “I need to do this for myself and for other mothers, so they don’t abandon their own passions after becoming mums,” she shares. “It’s going to take time to combine the two worlds I love, but I can only think it will do my son Loui good to experience other cultures, countries and music. I really think it’s important that I can do this. To empower other women, and to meet this new state proudly and enjoy”.
And, as Eilin explains, the creation of Birthday wasn’t just an affirmation of Blues Pills’ exceptional talents on and off the stage. It was a bonding experience for them as well. “I felt all the love for my bandmates that they were so supportive to me,” she says. “Everyone was like, ‘we're so happy, we will figure it out.’ So, we became even closer as band members and friends. I’m grateful for that.”
Birthday track listing:
- Birthday
- Don't You Love it
- Bad Choices
- Top Of The Sky
- Like A Drug
- Piggyback Ride
- Holding Me Back
- Somebody Better
- I Don't Wanna Get Back On That Horse Again
- What Has This Life Done To You
Blues Pills Summer Festival Dates:
August 2, 2024: Wacken Open Air 2024, Wacken, Germany
Blues Pills Birthday Tour Dates (support: Daniel Romano’s Outfit) :
October 4, 2024: Hamburg, Germany - Gruenspan
October 5, 2024: Cologne, Germany - Luxor
October 6, 2024: Brussels, Belgium – Botanique - Museum
October 8, 2024: Nottingham, UK - Rescue Rooms
October 9, 2024: Glasgow, UK - Garage
October 11, 2024: London, UK - Lafayette
October 12, 2024: Manchester, UK - Band On The Wall
October 13, 2024: Dublin, Ireland - Opium
October 15, 2024: Bristol, UK - Thekla
October 16, 2024: Paris, France - Maroquinerie
October 18, 2024: Frankfurt am Main, Germany - Das Bett
October 19, 2024: Karlsruhe, Germany - Substage
October 20, 2024: Utrecht, Netherlands - Tivoli Vredenburg
November 1, 2024: Helsinki, Finland - Tavastia
November 8, 2024: Gothenburg, Sweden - Pustervik
November 9, 2024: Stockholm, Sweden - Kägelbanan
November 21, 2024: Copenhagen, Denmark - Pumpehuset
November 22, 2024: Oslo, Norway - Vulkan Arena
November 29, 2024: Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra
November 30, 2024: Warsaw, Poland - Niebo
December 1, 2024: Prague, Czech Republic - Rock Café
December 3, 2024: Berlin, Germany - Hole 44
December 4, 2024: Vienna, Austria - SIMM City
December 6, 2024: Munich, Germany - Backstage
December 7, 2024: Rubigen/Bern, Switzerland - Mühle Hunziken
December 8, 2024: Milan, Italy - Circolo Magnolia
December 10, 2024: Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz
December 11, 2024: Madrid, Spain - Mon
December 13, 2024: Toulouse, France – Metronum *without Daniel Romano’s Outfit
December 14, 2024: Lyon, France - Marche Gare *without Daniel Romano’s Outfit
Photo credit: Dana Trippe
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