If you’ve not acquainted yourself with the music of Loney Dear yet, then the opening night of Indiestad 2012 is the perfect time to do so. The atmospheric setting of Vondelkerk in Amsterdam is an ideal backdrop for his carefully crafted sounds – which can be melancholic, tragic, uplifting and heartwrenching – intermingled with some lighthearted pop tunes, always with impeccable songwriting.

Hailing from the small city of Jönköping in Sweden,  the man behind Loney Dear is Emil Svanängen and he is already onto his sixth studio album Hall Music, which was released by Polyvinyl in autumn 2011.  Svanängen is somewhat of a troubadour, a multi-instrumantalist who has a penchant for layering and vocal looping, often surrounded on-stage by banks of effects pedals. From the video for ‘Largo’ you might think he was a bit of a one-man-show, but he tours with a full band and is quite familiar to also being accompanied on stage by a mini – or even a full blown – orchestra.

On this latest album, there is still a fragility in the vocals but they are wrapped up with a more tonal, orchestral and synthesised sound, taking a grander voyage whilst staying true to Svanängen’s folk pop roots.

To check out the latest work of Loney Dear for yourself, get along to the gig on Monday 14 May in Vondelkerk.  For sure it will indeed be a perfect setting and a perfect way for this Nordic Vibes-er, along with plenty of other music lovers, to kick off this year’s edition of Indiestad!

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Hall Music – album. Released 2 October 2011