Gustav and The Seasick Sailors

Artist Information

Biography

Searching for Brilliant Hands

In 2004, when Gustav released his first album Vagabonds Polka, he wrote about the dream of traveling. This time he conveys his experience of making those dreams come true. All 10 tracks on Brilliant Hands were written on the road and the track Tigers and Kittens was even recorded while touring - in Pittsfield, New Hampshire USA.
The sound of the album is bright and folky, somewhat resembling the approach of his debut. But Brilliant Hands, also produced by Gustav himself, clearly displays a more serious and mature songwriter; one who can unravel the finer nuances of heartache as well as expressing the simple joy of being alive. By fully trusting the strength of his material and effectively stripping the arrangements, he manages to let the songs speak for themselves. And thus the album recounts the different handshakes, voices, smells and people that Gustav has ecountered during his travels.
In January 2007 Gustav left his sailors back home and went to USA and Canada for a 3-month tour with vocalist and cellist Helena Arlock. This was the starting point of the tour project Indienational Tour. They performed 52 shows all over the continent, starting off in New York, and managed to drive coast to coast in less than three days.
As Gustav returned to Sweden he gathered The Seasick Sailors and began working on the new record. But things did not go smoothly. Trumpet player Johan Olsson left the group. And meanwhile Gustav felt that the material did not come together as a whole. The songs were written the year before and now they seemed out of place. So instead of banging his head against the wall he dropped the recording sessions and instead went on another 3-months tour, in Europe this time. New songs were written and perspectives gathered.
Back home in December 2007 Gustav threw away most of the material already recorded and replaced it with newly written songs. Gustav invited some guest musicians to the studio; like Malissa Larson from USA (who found Gustav on the streets of New York and let him crash on her floor), and Swedish Singer/Songwriter Thomas Denver Jonsson, as well as the bunch of friends who are singing along on the track Sing it out. And this time it all came together perfectly. The missing pieces had been found.
Brilliant Hands was released in Scandinavia September 26 on the label Marilyn Records. In March 2009 the album was released in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. GATSS keep touring the world and Gustav continues his search for brilliant hands.
. Background
- Gustav and the Seasick Sailors are a collective of musicians run by the singer and songwriter Gustav Haggren from Helsingborg, Sweden.
- GATSS was formed in 2004 when the album Vagabonds Polka was released on the record label Marilyn Records. The singles Nightlife and Vagabonds Polka was aired on MTV and the Swedish media announced Gustav to one of Sweden's most promising singer/songwriters. The award-winning photographer Paul Hansen joined the band on tour and published a 5-page article in Sweden's largest newspaper Dagens Nyheter.
- GATSS has appeared on several big Swedish festivals and has supported bands like Tiger Lou, Christian Kjellvander, Sugarplum Fairy and Eskobar.
- In 2006 their second album Sirkus was released and Groove Magazine wrote: "Even if you are a tango-dancer, indie girl or you just have a thing for singer/songwriters - Gustav & the Seasick Sailors is a band that works. At least I'm having a hard time holding my crush back".
- Gustav was one of the founders of the tour project Indienational Tour which is a tour network where indie artists help eachother on tours and booking. 104 shows was performed in 2007 in USA, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, England, Ireland, Spain, Italy and Slovakia.
- GATSS third album Brilliant Hands was released September 26, 2008. In March 2009 the album was released in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Instrumentation

Gustav Haggren - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar & Mandolin
Helena Arlock - Cello, Keys & Vocals
Victor Widerberg - Electric Guitar
Patrik Anderson - Drums
Jon Mattsson - Bass & Back Vocals

Discography

LP
Vagabond's Polka (2004)
Sirkus (2006)
Brilliant Hands (2009)

SINGLES
Nightlife (2004)
Charlie Fay (2006)
Devil When You Cry (2006)

Links

• Myspace
• GATSS.COM
• You Tube
• Marilyn Records (Sweden)

Audio

• Sadie Says
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• 6 am
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• Fingers Crossed
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• Homesick
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• Shake Brilliant Hands
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• Don't Stop (to let it die)
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• Sweden Slow
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• Vagabonds Polka
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• Devil When You Cry
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• Something Weightless
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• Nightlife
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Lyrics

• Something Weightless
• Charlie Fay
• Devil when you cry
• Angels Fable
• Vagabonds Polka
• Sweden Slow

Video

Fingers Crossed

Photo Gallery

Press

• Quotes: Brilliant Hands 2009 [+ Show ]
  

  Lira Magazine "Gustav Haggren has a voice that wipes the floor with most people in his genre." - La...Lira Magazine
  "Gustav Haggren has a voice that wipes the floor with most people in his genre." - Lars Lind
  
  Helsingborgs Dagblad 4/5
  "The third album 'Brilliant Hands is soft, cosy and free-flowing americana folkpop on the top of Haggren's ability" - Peter Fällmar Andersson
  
  Värnamo Nyheter 4/5
  "It's tranquil, easy, sometimes magnificent - and terribly gifted.There is a variation and a dignity on Brilliant Hands that impresses me." - Johan Wallesjö
  
  Groove Magazine 3/5
  "A groovy folkpop album that is swinging in a pleasant beat" - Maria Petersson
  
  Extended Mix 7/10
  "GATSS is without a doubt the best americana act that you can find in Sweden. And they are from Helsingborg! - Fabian
  
  Sundsvalls Tidning 4/5
  "Gustav Haggren sings insanely well and creates such an atmosphere that I almost start crying with happiness"

• On stage he is a master (5/5) [+ Show ]
  

  Live Review 5/5 The Amazing Gustav and the Seasick Sailors reaches the stage and also the list of...Live Review 5/5
  
  The Amazing Gustav and the Seasick Sailors reaches the stage and also the list of my all-time favourite live acts. They are all important but the main character is Gustav Haggren and on stage he is a master. Only his stories between songs makes it worth to come see the show.

• Good music under strong sun! (4/5) [+ Show ]
  

  Live Review I feel sorry for everyone who was not there, because they missed out on mature and we...Live Review
  
  I feel sorry for everyone who was not there, because they missed out on mature and well-played pop with variation as the key-word. Not many songs sounds like each other, there are many different genres mixed in the show. We get to hear polka, rock, pop, melancholy and happiness.
  
  When it comes to the visual, the band is playing in matching outfits with a joy that despite the heat feels honest and real. Gustav is jumping and playing around and when he starts to sing it feels like the songs really have a meaning to him.
  
  If you had planned on discover something new you should have gone to at least one of Gustav and the seasick sailors concerts at Venfestivalen.

• Sparkling Sailors (7,5/10) [+ Show ]
  

  Live Review, taken from Arvikafestivalens webpage You can look for influences forever. Instead yo...Live Review, taken from Arvikafestivalens webpage
  
  You can look for influences forever. Instead you should just state that this is Gustav and the Seasick Sailors, and they sound like everything and nothing else. The young guy from Helsingborg have a great presence on stage and a charisma that is hard to find. Gustav is definitely a star on the way up.

• Alt Country Gods (4/5) [+ Show ]
  

  “GATSS came as a true sensation 2004 and immediately became the Alt. Country gods of Helsingborg. No...“GATSS came as a true sensation 2004 and immediately became the Alt. Country gods of Helsingborg. Now, when the follow up is here I don’t get as surprised. But it is still consistently really good. Gustav sings like early Ryan Adams before he got too hyped and when the seasick sailors joins in the result is really powerful.”

• Should be number one on every chart (5/5) [+ Show ]
  

  With an almost inhuman captivating force, vocals like nothing else and discreet piano-licks that gra...With an almost inhuman captivating force, vocals like nothing else and discreet piano-licks that grabs your attention like a Zeavon-tune, the 20-year old Gustav Haggren puts every challenger in their place. Gustav and the Seasick Sailors should be number one on every chart on earth!

• Chrystal-clear Tangorock (4/5) [+ Show ]
  

  Tomorrow is the release of Gustav & the Seasick Sailors second album 'SIRKUS' that includes the happ...Tomorrow is the release of Gustav & the Seasick Sailors second album 'SIRKUS' that includes the happiness that we all want in our every-day life. The album provides complete hopefulness and soothing, swinging tangorock.
  
  The 22 year old guitarist and singer named Gustav is born without his right hand but he won't let his handicap stop him - neither personally or musically. He is the one that has created this new genre, that's right, Tangorock. His bandmemebers plays with energy on electric guitar, tuba, piano chrystal-clear drums and most of all the rolling organs and the characterising trumpet.
  
  With songs like 'Charlie Fay' with an impressive spanish guitar, 'Angels Fable' with amazing lyrics and the sadness in 'Movie about solitude and grace' I feel confused and happy! �The only thing that feels right is to get up and dance like crazy, which I, without knowing it, also do.� (Hannes Knutsson-Hall)
  

• A band that works (4/5) [+ Show ]
  

  'Even if you are a tango-dancer, indie girl or you just have a thing for singer/songwriters - Gustav...'Even if you are a tango-dancer, indie girl or you just have a thing for singer/songwriters - Gustav & the Seasick Sailors is a band that works. At least I'm having a hard time holding my crush back. A six-piece band from the south of Sweden that plays groovy, country-inspired indierock makes me warm inside. And SIRKUS is a very charming album. Gustav & the Seasick Sailors second album makes me calm, satisfied and in love." (Gabriella Ryd)
  

• Singer/songwriter meets Soul/Indie/Rock (4/5) [+ Show ]
  

  For you who never has heard of Gustav and his band before I can tell you that it's about one guy and...For you who never has heard of Gustav and his band before I can tell you that it's about one guy and a guitar, he is born without a right-hand but plays better than most with two hands.
  
  GATSS is back with an album that is quite different from the last one. 'Vagabond's Polka' was a singer/songwriter record and the band was was only in the background. Now Gustav has come to his senses and allows his band take up more space.
  
  The track 'Devil When You Cry' will definitely be a radio-hit, it has that special thing that decides if a track will be a single or a b-side.
  
  SIRKUS has more soul, more indie and more rock. (Matilda Ström)

Setlist

SET I
Shake Brilliant Hands
Fingers Crossed
Sweden Slow
Charlie Fay
Distant Mornings
Devil When You Cry
Slightly Different
Nightlife

SET II
City Light Moments
Homesick
Don’t Stop (to let it die)
Lovely G
Lie to me
Tigers and Kittens
Something Weightless
Angels Fable
Vagabond's Polka
- - - - - - - - - - -
Minnie D
Sing it out

Covers:
Bullet with Butterfly Wings
Seven Nation Army

GATSS usually play 45-60 minutes or 2x 45 min sets. Although the band can basically play on forever.

Basic Requirements

Calendar