Teenage sisters First Aid Kit provide bruised soul folk on The Big Black and the Blue

The spur-of-the-moment siblings suggest old-world souls, a musical father figure, and blood-harmonies are your best bet

By Amy Strauss
Published: July 3rd, 2010 | 11:30am

Waiting for a night train in Norway, sisters Klara & Johanna Söderberg, age 17 and 19, sat stationary as the clock neared 6:00 a.m. It was a stripped, sombre scene that, for these aspiring songwriters, stirred extensive and emotional imagery. This scene would later help shape the most mournful tracks on the Swedish teens' recent record release, The Big Black and The Blue (Wichita), under their moniker First Aid Kit. Such is the case with the song “Ghost Town,” which reflects that through a steady and slow accordion, babbling xylophone and weathered vocals, the serenading siblings could, quite possibly, possess old world souls.

Through sentimental slews of lines like, “If you got visions of the past, let them follow you down / For they will come back to you some day / And I found myself attached to this railroad track / But I will come back to you some day,” First Aid Kit promotes pastoral, traditional folk that is almost uncanny to be unveiled by two teens.

The darling Söderbergs—with full wisps of brunette bangs and a standup collection of cozy flannel—surfaced two years back, when they introduced themselves to the approachable online world. Via YouTube, the fierce females unleashed their vivid version of the Fleet Foxes' “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song,” as captured outside their suburban Stockholm household, beneath a grand woodland canopy.

“The forest is literally two steps from our house,” says Klara during a recent interview. “It's beautiful sitting there, it's so peaceful and not disruptive. Johanna and I decided one day to just go out and perform the Fleet Foxes' song in the forest.”

The astonishing video, one that notched over one million viewers, showcased that the forest-floored taping paved a potential future for the then very young Klara and her older sister, Johanna.

“The Internet lets people connect with music all over the world,” Klara notes of the medium's assistance in their own success. “It definitely helped us get much further than where we were at the time we taped the video."

Another Swedish band, the Knife, took notice and released the woodsy indie sisters' gentle debut, Drunken Trees, on their own Rabid Records in 2008. One year later, English label Wichita Records followed suit and re-released the ambitious EP with the Fleet Foxes cover and three extra songs recorded in the Swedish forest. The second helping proved one thing—that the original sisterly compositions were superior to their successful attempt at performing another act's material.

Established as a family act, what makes the folk-pop duet even more brood-appropriate is the assistance of their father—a professional guitarist—both in production and on tour.

“For our EP and our recent record, we recorded both with our dad,” says Klara. “He also accompanies us on tour, doing the sound during our shows.”

Having a musical father figure never pressured the talented go-getters to follow in their family's roots, but with an upbringing deeply routed in music appreciation, such a talent was easily embraced.

In the recent release The Big Black and The Blue, the timid troubadours knew where they wanted to mosey along to, marveling in their now-iconic lyrics that they say “appear kind of sad but are combined with a very happy sound.”

The young spirits, far matured beyond their years, already acquainted folk fans with their melancholic skill of storytelling, but their blood ability to harmonize is where the females are masters.

“Our harmonies usually happen naturally,” said the younger Söderberg. “I don't understand how Johanna does it, but it is very special and I am always impressed by her.” Pleased with the partnership with her older sibling, Klara suggests that, in musical outputs, “family is easier to work with because you know each other so well.

“Johanna and I are really honest with each other,” she says. “We know that we are both doing exactly what we want to do through every decision with our band.”

The bandmates, sisters, and friends live for stimulating, spur-of-the-moment decisions that then become drenched in their songwriting. This includes their overnight rail ride, a film viewing of Into the Wild (track: “Will of the River”), a religious conversation with a friend (track: “Hard Believer”), and a close comrade (track: “Josefin”).

“I don't want to analyze too much when I write songs,” concluded Klara. “I want to write a lot in the moment, spontaneously.”

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First Aid Kit MySpace page

Wichita Records