LYY
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LYY

Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden | MAJOR

Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden | MAJOR
Band Folk Acoustic

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"LYY"

LYY
Lyy
Dimma Sweden DIS007

In the middle of the current northerly wintry cold spell, a CD by young, vibrant Swedish band Lyy (dialectal word for ‘sound’) arrived as fresh as a warm summers breeze. Fourteen tracks that make you smile due to the sheer enjoyment and energy in sound this band produces. Occasionally a hint of inspiration by Väsen can be detected. All arrangements are uniquely their own, and comparisons are more to do with similarities in instrumentation – nyckelharpa, fiddle, hurdy-gurdy, guitar and percussion with the added beautiful singing voice of Emma Björling.

What comes across is a ‘live’ sound that is not over-produced and well reflects personal arrangements of traditional material and self penned melodies and lyrics. The band was formed in 2006 take their musical inspiration from traditional, pop and rock musics. As a live band they are energetic and fully entertaining, often poking fun at themselves. Their music has a swinging flow and lift, taking a ‘Swedish sound’ to new levels. Lyy are a must see band and will be playing at Celtic Connections in Glasgow in January 2011. Check them out at www.lyy.se as website is in English and Swedish.

Mats Melin - The Living Tradition


"Review: Lyy, Lyy"

Lyy
Lyy
[Dimma DIS007 (2010)]

Lyy reminds you what it is about Swedish folk music that is so appealing. The musicians are young, but have played together since 2006, so their sound is honed and tight. The band reminds me of Ranarim in their prime. They’re built around charismatic singer Emma Björling’s crystal clear, personable voice. Björling is also responsible for writing or researching much of the material the band performs. The group features both nyckelharpa (by David Eriksson) and violin (by Anna Lindblad), an unusual combination, and guitar (Petrus Johansson) and percussion (Martin Norberg). The opening two tracks, “Segertag” and “O hor I flicktor alla,” are as good as anything that’s come out of Sweden in years. While the rest of the material doesn’t quite rises to that level, there’s an undeniably appealing mixture of rock and folk influences in their music. If you’ve grown bored with Celtic music (and haven’t we all?), and are looking for something new, exciting and modern, take a chance on this one. You won’t be disappointed. [www.lyy.se] - Driftwood Magazine


Discography

LYY, LYY, 2010 Dimma Sweden

LYY, två 2012 Dimma Sweden

LYY's songs have been broadcasted on Swedish, Brittish, German, Austrian, Belgian, and Australian radio.

LYY performed at BBC Scotland in 2011

Photos

Bio

LYY is a Swedish folk music band formed in 2006. As soon as they started, they realized that they were on to something extraordinary. With a guitarist who began as a bassist and a percussionist who began as a saxophonist, they created a unique groove and sound. At LYY’s first festival performance, one member of the audience described it as “Swedish traditional music in a lively conversation with jazz and pop at a fashionable cocktail party”. Since then they have graduated from opening for some of Sweden’s top folk bands to heading the bill. They have performed at all of the major folk music festivals in Sweden, including the Korrö folk music festival, Umefolk, the Linköping folk music festival, Ransätersstämman, the Saltö folk music festival and more. They have also performed at Celtic Connections in Scotland, and have toured extensively in Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Canada and Norway. During 2013 and 2014 LYY will keep on touring and will, at least, visit Norway, Finland, Belgium, UK, Denmark, Germany, Canada and the US.

LYY has been nominated for the Swedish Folk Music Awards and was selected as “Best Swedish Album of the year” by Baltic Briefing. Their second album "två" was released in May 2012 and both CD's has recieved great reviews, both in Swedish and international press. They are currently working on the material for their next CD.

LYY’s performance is characterized by their playful communication, and joyful and humoristic way of looking at music and themselves. The songs are a blend of traditional and self-penned material stretching from medieval times to modern life. They often choose or write lyrics with a positive message and a bright way of looking at life. While Emma tells tales of lives past and present, and Anna and David emphasize the dynamics of the storyline, Petrus and Martin build the rhythms and grooves around the songs. In that way they all tell the stories together.

The name LYY means “listen” or “listen up!” in several older Swedish dialects.

Members:
Emma Björling – lead vocals,
Anna Lindblad – fiddle and vocals,
David Eriksson –nyckelharpa (keyed fiddle) and vocals,
Petrus Johansson – guitar and vocals
Martin Norberg – percussion and vocals.Band member bio:

Emma Björling has been singing in choirs since the age of six, and studying both jazz and classical music before following her heart back to the traditional music she first heard her grandfather play on the fiddle. She holds university degrees in Swedish traditional music (Royal College of Music in Stockholm), voice pedagogy, music theory and ensemble teaching (Ingesund College of Music). Besides singing with LYY, Emma teaches at a folk music
college and at The Department of Music and Media in Piteå, holds workshops in traditional Swedish music, writes arrangements for choirs and vocal groups, and is a member of the vocal groups Kongero and BaraVox. She has also toured extensively with the Swedish folk band Ranarim. Emma recently received a eminent award for her compositions and arrangements.

Anna Lindblad developed an interest for the Swedish traditions through her parents at an early age. When she started playing the fiddle at age 9, she had already been doing traditional Swedish dancing for several years. In 2003 Anna received the honorary title Riksspelman for her traditional fiddle playing. She now holds a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree in Swedish traditional music, both at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. During her Bachelors degree Anna spent a year as an exchange student at the Irish World Academy of Music in Limerick, Ireland and has also travelled several times to Quebec,
where she nurtures her great love for Quebecois traditional music. She also plays in the Swedish/Finnish trio Pelios and with the Swedish bluegrass act Lily Mountain Band.

Martin Norberg grew up in a family where folk and world music played a large role. His father is a famous Balkan clarinet player, and Martin started playing saxophone and
percussion at an early age. Martin studied at Ingesund College of Music, he holds university degrees in saxophone, both jazz and folk music, and percussion. Martin works as a teacher at Ingesund College of Music, at a music school and also as a freelance musician. He has played with musicians such as Orientexpressen, Lasse Sörlin, Nils Landgren and Lagayla Frazier.

Petrus Johansson got his interest in music from his father, who was a professional flute player. Petrus started playing guitar and bass, mostly jazz and rock, when he was quite young. During his University studies he met Emma, and together they started playing Swedish traditional music. This led to a greater interest in the guitar as a folk music instrument, using it to provide bass lines. He is a trained guitar and bass teacher and has worked at Ingesund College of Music and several music schools. He also works as a freelance musician and has played with Mats Berglund, Svante