Kent (band)
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Kent was a Swedish alternative rock band formed in Eskilstuna in 1990.[1] With members Joakim Berg, Martin Sköld, Sami Sirviö and Markus Mustonen, the band had numerous radio hits throughout Sweden and Scandinavia and consecutive number-one studio albums on the Sweden top list (Sverigetopplistan) beginning with the release of Verkligen (1996) and led by the single "Kräm (så nära får ingen gå)".[2] With origins rooted in distorted rock, they found mainstream success through their alternative rock albums of the mid-1990s, 2000s and 2010s, the latter decades during which they adopted elements of synthpop.
With eleven number-one albums,[3] five number-one singles,[4] 23 Swedish Grammy Awards,[5] and over three million record sales, Kent is considered the most popular rock/pop group within Sweden and throughout Scandinavia. Vapen & ammunition (2002) topped the Swedish charts for eight weeks.[6] Kent is often compared to bands like U2 and Coldplay. Kent's song "VinterNoll2" is an unlockable track in career mode on the video game Guitar Hero World Tour.[7] They have their own SingStar called SingStar Kent, released on PlayStation 2 and 3.[8]
As Kent's songs are primarily performed in Swedish, they are unfamiliar to most English-speaking audiences.[9] Kent briefly attempted an international career with English versions of the albums Isola (1997) and Hagnesta Hill (1999) and an accompanying American tour for the former, but stopped after finding less success than they had in Scandinavia. Joakim Berg, the lead singer and lyricist, says "there are two kinds of lyrics I write. One kind is based in places and the other is based in feelings. You move between those two whether you want to or not."[10]
The band announced on 16 March 2016 that they would release their final album, titled Då som nu för alltid, after 26 years of performing.[11] The album was released on 20 May 2016.[12] The band's announcement noted that the dissolution of the band is voluntary and is despite their continued success. Kent's final concert was held at Tele2 Arena in Stockholm on 17 December 2016,[13] ending a months-long farewell tour that covered Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark.
History
Formation and first years (1990–1994)
The band Jones & Giftet (Jones & the Poison) was formed in 1990 with members Joakim "Jocke" Berg, Martin Sköld, Markus Mustonen, Sami Sirviö and Thomas Bergqvist (synthesizers). It all started with Berg going to London and buying two guitars, one for Sirviö and one for himself. At first it was Sami Sirviö and Joakim Berg who had the band together, later Sköld, Bergqvist and Mustonen joined. The first gig was played in Lindesberg in Västmanland, and the second at Knegoffs in Eskilstuna. In 1991, Jones & Giftet won the contest Cult 91 at the Skylight in Eskilstuna.[14]
1992 is the year that Martin Roos plays with Jones & Giftet for the first time at Cult 92. Soon thereafter Thomas Bergqvist was replaced by Martin Roos. On 30 September 1992 Jones & Giftet changed their name to Havsänglar (Angelshark, lit. Sea angels). Gigs at the "Spaghetti Companiet", Hannas Krog and the Pet Sounds Bar followed.
In 1993, Martin Roos moved up to Stockholm, and soon the rest followed. Jocke Berg's brother Adam Berg, came up with the new name Kent.[15] Kent played at Stockholm venues Tanto, Hyndans Hörna and Uppsala venue Kalmar Nation.
In March 1994 Kent recorded a 10-track demo under very simple conditions in an 8-track studio at Nytorpsskolan near Blåsut in Stockholm. The demo was given to Peter Ejheden at Pet Sounds who back then was working as a booker for a club (Pet Sounds Bar). In the same chain of events where he got the tape, Ejheden quit Pet Sounds and started working at
Kent and Verkligen (1995–1996)
In March 1995, Kent released their
Just one year later, in March 1996, Kent released
Isola (1997–1998)
In November 1997, Kent released Isola. Verkligen had been heavily toured, gaining some reputation for Kent. The pre-release single, "Om du var här" (If You Were Here), became a radio hit. Musically the album changed a lot from Verkligen, going a lot in the direction of slower, more thoughtful songs with more emotion. The last song on the album, the 7 minute, 47 second-long "747", with a characteristic keyboard riff and a long instrumental outro, became the band's closer for every show for the next 8 years. It was also released as a single, cut down to four minutes and with an added short chorus.
In 1998, Kent released an English version of Isola, featuring an extra song only available on the English version, "Velvet". Kent embarked on two accompanying US tours to promote the album. The first was in support of fellow Swedes, The Cardigans,[17] and the second was a double-bill with American band, Papa Vegas. The band would close the shows for the second leg of the tour with what they described as their "only cover song", a version of Depeche Mode's classic single, "Stripped". Singles were released in various territories for three of the album's songs, "If You Were Here", "Things She Said" and "747". The English version of Isola sold poorly.
Hagnesta Hill and B-sidor 95-00 (1999–2000)
In December 1999, Kent released Hagnesta Hill, named after Hagnestahill, a part of Eskilstuna where the band had had their first studio. The first single from the album, "Musik non stop" (Music Non Stop), a disco-rock song, became a huge radio hit. The album was, for the most part, faster and less ballad-focused than Isola, and also mildly experimental with drum-machines and electronics. Two more singles were released, the industrial-esque "En himmelsk drog" (A Heavenly Drug) and the power-poppy "Kevlarsjäl" (Kevlar Soul).
In April 2000, an English version of Hagnesta Hill was released, featuring two songs from the Swedish version replaced with two new English tracks ("Just Like Money" and "Quiet Heart"). The album was also released in a limited digipack with one of the excluded songs, "A Timekill to Die For", included as a hidden bonus track. The album was accompanied by the release of the single, "Music Non Stop", featuring the other omitted song, "Insects", as a b-side. A planned US release of the album was shelved, resulting in only "cut-out" promo copies floating around. Likewise, a US tour never materialized, as there was officially no album to promote. In connection with the release of the English version of Hagnesta Hill, Kent went on a European tour. They finished the tour at the Roskilde Festival.
Since their debut, Kent had recorded a large number of b-sides. Since most of these singles had long gone out of print, it was very hard to get these legally, so in 2000, Kent released the 2CD B-side collection B-sidor 95–00 (B-Sides 95–00). It featured 21 b-sides and two totally new songs. A documentary was also shot the same year, Så nära får ingen gå – ett år med Kent. The documentary was produced by Per Sinding-Larsen and Mathias Engstrand.[18]
Vapen & ammunition and the White Concert (2002–2003)
After a seven-month timeout, Kent started to work on their next full-length album during the summer of 2001. Later that year they reported from the studio that they tried to make an album consisting of almost just singles. The first single "Dom andra" (The Others) released on 18 March 2002 became a huge hit on Swedish radio. When the album Vapen & ammunition (Weapon(s) & Ammunition) came out, the next two singles "Kärleken väntar" (Love Awaits) and "FF" (from the double A-side FF / VinterNoll2), plus the album track "Pärlor" (Pearls) became huge radio hits, resulting in album sales over 600,000, more than twice as many as any other Kent album to date. The definite proof of the album's success was evident when the band received seven Swedish Grammy Awards in 2003.
Kent had not toured for several months when it was announced that they would only do one single performance in Sweden in 2003, on 6 June, the Swedish national day, in
Du & jag döden and The hjärta & smärta EP (2005–2006)
After taking a one-year timeout, Kent returned to the studio to record their sixth album in 2004. Studio reports said it would be "a very dark album". The first single released, "Max 500", was well received by both fans and critics. When the album Du & jag döden (You & me death) was released, it was very well received and was considered by most fans to be one of their best albums. Two more singles were released, "Palace & Main" and "Den döda vinkeln" (The Dead Angle) – the last one stirring up some controversy among Kent fans because Kent did not release any b-sides along with it (but still the single has a shorter version of the song). The last track on the album, "Mannen i den vita hatten (16 år senare)" (The Man in the White Hat (16 Years Later)) was very well received and is seen by many fans as Kent's best effort. It also became the first song ever to replace "747" as the finale of a Kent concert.
During 2005 they embarked on "Turné 19" (Tour 19), doing 12 gigs in Sweden, one in Norway and one in Finland. The concerts took place in huge tents with a capacity of up to 18,000.[21] This was the only tour that followed the release of Du & jag döden. After "Turné 19", Kent played once more at the Roskilde Festival.
There were rumours about Kent releasing an EP, as they had been spotted in studio and guitarist Sami had said, "We might release an EP, but if we do it will only be digitally released." Just one month before the November 2005 release, The hjärta & smärta EP (The Heart & Pain EP) was confirmed, as a CD as well as a digital release. It was well received and contained five tracks, "Dom som försvann" (Those Who Disappeared) becoming the radio single and having a video recorded. The EP made No. 1 in Sweden and remained on the charts for 33 weeks.[22]
During 2006, the band played only once in
Tillbaka till samtiden and Box 1991–2008 (2007–2008)
During December 2006 – 2007 the band announced—on two different occasions—that they had started recording their seventh Swedish studio album, and that guitarist Harri Mänty had decided to leave the band.[26]
On 18 July 2007, the band announced the title and release date of their new album,
In October 2008, their 2002 song "VinterNoll2" was included in Guitar Hero World Tour, becoming the first and to date only Swedish-language song to be included in a Guitar Hero game.
On 23 December 2008, Kent released a new song, "På drift?". "Kent wishes you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year by offering a brand new song for free," the band writes on the website (kent.nu).[27]
Röd and En plats i solen (2009–2010)
On 4 October 2009, Kent announced their eighth
On 2 November 2009, Kent auctioned off 100 limited physical copies of the song "
Kent's Röd tour started in Stockholm on 25 February 2010, with four shows in Globe Arena Annexet during that week.[30] They did 18 shows in total around the Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland) for this tour.
On 14 June 2010, Kent announced their ninth studio album, En plats i solen (Swedish for "A Place in the Sun") due for release on 30 June, only seven months after the release of their previous studio album, Röd. Joakim has said about the recording of En plats i solen: "We had a kind of idea that we were going to record an album very quickly this time, we had already some demos ready. We wanted to go into the studio, record and mix the album and then distribute it directly." Unlike the two previous albums, which were produced with Danish producer Joshua, En plats i solen is produced with Swedish producer Stefan Boman who worked with the band on Du & jag döden (2005). The band also released the first single from the forthcoming album, featuring the two A-sides "Gamla Ullevi" and "Skisser för sommaren".
Kent embarked on a summer tour in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark, starting at the Peace & Love festival in Sweden and finishing on 8 August at the
Jag är inte rädd för mörkret and Tigerdrottningen (2012–2015)
On 22 June 2011, Kent signed a recording contract with
During the summer, Kent toured Scandinavia, first with a short spring tour at the end of May (24 May–2 June) and then at festivals and own concerts in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark during June, July and August. During this summer tour they started their concerts with an old unreleased song named "Ögon" from the early 1990s, with a new version of the song.[33] The song was included in the 2008 compilation Box 1991–2008, but only as a demo from the early 1990s.
In December 2012, Kent announced on their Twitter account that they were to release a track on New Year's Day called "Ingen kunde röra oss".[34]
In the fall of 2013, Kent went to Los Angeles and recorded their eleventh album, Joakim said in an interview: "We wanted to do this kind of Fleetwood Mac thing and go to LA and dream under the sun. Now the dollar is so low, in addition – all the big studios are empty, no one uses them anymore."
In 2015, Kent played at three festivals in Scandinavia, Joakim Berg announced at the
Då som nu för alltid and the final tour (2016)
In February 2016, Kent was elected to Swedish Music Hall of Fame.
From the spring of 2015 until the band's very last concert, Per Sinding-Larsen followed Kent's last time together to record a documentary called Vi är inte längre där (Sista åren med Kent), which was shown on SVT in two parts on the 26 and 27 December 2016.[42] The documentary revealed, among other things, that Harri Mänty was fired from the band due to excessive partying and not that he left off his own accord as has been previously stated.[43]
Musical style and influences
Kent have been grouped with various genres, including alternative rock, indie rock, pop rock, synth-pop, pop, and arena rock.
Kent's first and perhaps most significant influences for the band's sound were My Bloody Valentine and The Cure. Kent has been referred to as Sweden's biggest rock band,[44] but has always put pop melodies in focus. Kent's biggest change in musical style came with the band's seventh studio album Tillbaka till samtiden, which marked a clear shift from alternative rock to synthpop/rock.[45][46]
Band members
Members
- Joakim Berg – lead vocals, guitars (1990–2016)
- Martin Sköld – bass, keyboards (1990–2016)
- Sami Sirviö – guitars, keyboards (1990–2016)
- Markus Mustonen – drums, backing vocals, keyboards, piano (1990–2016)
- Harri Mänty – guitars (1996–2006)
- Martin Roos – guitars (1992–1995)
- Thomas Bergquist – keyboards (1990–1992)
Touring musicians
- Andreas Bovin – keyboards, piano, guitars (1996–2016)
- Max Brandt – guitars (2007–2016)
- Ida Redig – backing vocals (2014–2015)
- Miriam Bryant – backing vocals (2014–2015)
- Naomi Pilgrim – backing vocals (2014–2015)
- Carolina Wallin Pérez – backing vocals (2015–2016)
- Daniela Rathana – backing vocals (2016)
- Malin Brudell – backing vocals (2016)
Discography
Albums
- Kent (1995)
- Verkligen (1996)
- Isola (1997)
- Hagnesta Hill (1999)
- Vapen & ammunition (2002)
- Du & jag döden (2005)
- Tillbaka till samtiden (2007)
- Röd (2009)
- En plats i solen (2010)
- Jag är inte rädd för mörkret (2012)
- Tigerdrottningen (2014)
- Då som nu för alltid (2016)
EPs
- The Hjärta & Smärta EP (2005)
Compilations
- B-sidor 95–00 (2000)
- Box 1991–2008 (2008)
- Best of(2016)
Awards
- 1996
- Grammis - Best Pop/Rock Group
- 1997
- Grammis - Best Music Video (Gravitation)
- Grammis - Best Producer (Nille Perned)
- Rockbjörn - Album of the Year (Verkligen)
- 1998
- 2000
- Grammis - Best Pop/Rock Group
- Rockbjörn - Best Swedish Group
- Rockbjörn - Best Swedish Song (Musik Non Stop)
- 2002
- MTV Europe Music Award - Best Nordic Act
- MTG Radio Airplay Award
- 2003
- Grammis - Best Song (Dom andra)
- Grammis - Best Artist
- Grammis - Best Group
- Grammis - Best Album (Vapen & ammunition)
- Grammis - Best Songwriter (Joakim Berg)
- Grammis - Best Composer (Joakim Berg)
- Grammis - Best Producer (Kent, Martin von Schmalensee, Zed)
- Rockbjörn - Best Swedish Group
- Rockbjörn - Best Swedish Album (Vapen & ammunition)
- P3 Guld - Best Group
- P3 Guld - Best Song (Dom andra)
- 2005
- Nordic Music Awards - Best Nordic Artist
- 2006
- Grammis - Best Rock Group
- Grammis - Best Music Video (Dom som försvann)
- P3 Guld - Best Group
- Rockbjörn - Best Album (Du & jag döden)
- 2008
- Grammis - Best Group
- Grammis - Best Album (Tillbaka till samtiden)
- P3 Guld - Best Group
- Rockbjörn - Best Swedish Album (Tillbaka till samtiden)
- 2010
- Grammis - Best Rock
- Grammis - Best Producer (Kent, Joshua)
- P3 Guld - Best Group
- Rockbjörn - Best Live Band
- 2013
- P3 Guld - Best Group
- 2015
- Grammis - Best Rock
- Grammis - Best Songwriter (Joakim Berg)
- 2016
- Hall of Fame - Swedish Music Hall of Fame
- 2017
- Grammis - Best Rock
- Grammis - Best Album (Då som nu för alltid)
- P3 Guld - Best Group
- Rockbjörn - Best Live Band
See also
References
- ^ "Biografi". Kent.nu - Officiell hemsida för Sveriges största rockband - Kent (in Swedish). 6 July 2009. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
- ^ Hung, Steffen. "swedishcharts.com - Swedish Charts Portal". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
- ^ "swedishcharts.com - Swedish Charts Portal". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ "swedishcharts.com - Swedish Charts Portal". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ Grammisvinnare genom åren Grammis
- ^ "Kent – Vapen & ammunition". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
- ^ Kent med i nya "Guitar hero" Aftonbladet
- ^ Nu satsar Kent på tv-spel Aftonbladet
- doi:10.11143/7337. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
- ^ "Kent Have Always Wanted to Be Big". kentfans.com. 26 June 2008. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
- ^ "kent går i graven – startar sista färden med Egoist | Kent.nu - Officiell hemsida för Sveriges största rockband - Kent". 14 March 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
- ^ "Då Som Nu För Alltid – 20 maj | Kent.nu - Officiell hemsida för Sveriges största rockband - Kent". 17 April 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
- ^ Så bra var Kents sista spelning någonsin Expressen
- ^ Historien om Kent Sveriges Radio
- ^ Fansen som följt Kent i 20 städer – på 83 dagar Expressen
- ^ "Det är halva tiden av mitt liv, som jag har spenderat med Kent"
- ^ Pressmeddelande Cardigans Kent.nu
- ^ SVT gör film om Kent Aftonbladet
- ^ "Känt om Kent under konserten". www.expressen.se. 7 June 2003. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ Parkfestivalen 2003 - MIC Norsk musikkinformasjon Archived 21 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine Musikkinformasjonssenteret
- ^ Kent och döden på tältturné Aftonbladet
- ^ The hjärta & smärta EP Sverigetopplistan
- ^ Hultsfredsfestivalen 2006
- ^ Perfekt punktum på Norwegian Wood
- ^ Kent släpper exklusiv singel
- ^ "Harri lämnar Kent". www.expressen.se. 10 January 2007. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ "Kents julklapp till fansen". www.aftonbladet.se. 23 December 2008. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ New York faller för Kent Aftonbladet. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
- ^ "Kent engagerar sig för hemlösa". Sveriges Radio. 13 October 2009. Retrieved 11 August 2022 – via sverigesradio.se.
- ^ Exploderar till slut Aftonbladet
- ^ Kent klara för sex festivaler 2010 Expressen
- ^ "Kent skriver avtal med Universal Music". Kent.nu. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ Glödhett, Kent
- ^ "Kents julklapp: Vi släpper en ny sång". www.aftonbladet.se. 25 December 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ "Jocke Berg: Sjukt nöjd med alla låtarna". expressen.se. 30 April 2014. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
- ^ Kent spelar in ny skiva till hösten Expressen. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
- ^ Kents 10 första album på vinyl – release 20 november
- ^ "Nu är Kent och Leila K odödliga". Dagens Nyheter. 11 February 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2022 – via www.dn.se.
- ^ "kent går i graven – startar sista färden med Egoist". Kent.nu. 14 March 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ Kents första hitsamling rymmer en sista kanon-ep
- ^ Grammisgalan 2017 – alla vinnare
- ^ Axelsson, Eva (23 December 2016). "Sinding-Larsen om sista året med Kent – Ekuriren". ekuriren.se. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ "Pressades att lämna Kent – på grund av festandet: "En sorg"". www.aftonbladet.se. 27 December 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ "Kent: Exploderar till slut"
- ^ Kent - Tillbaka till samtiden
- ^ Mäktigt, Kent
External links
- Official website
- Kent at AllMusic
- Kent discography at Discogs