Pale Honey – Over Your Head
Pale Honey – Over Your Head (2015)
Directed by: Jonas Bang
Sweden’s Pale Honey, comprised of Tuva Lodmark (guitar/vocals) and Nelly Daltrey (drums), released their self-titled debut album this spring with Instant Records. The follow up to the Gothenburg duo’s well received debut EP, Pale Honey has garnered accolades from the likes of Stereogum, Consequence of Sound, KCRW, and NPR Music, who noted that the pair reminded them of “The xx with a slightly elevated pulse.” The favorable comparisons don’t stop there, with Q Magazine writing that, “fans of PJ Harvey and Sleater-Kinney will find a lot to love.”They have spent this summer touring Europe and now bring us the captivating Jonas Bang directed music video for their song “Over Your Head”, which was released as a single last week with the previously unreleased b-side “On Your Mind”.
Pale Honey’s minimalistic rock is intense and direct, calling to mind the sonic textures of Alvvays and Beach House, or perhaps Electrelane. Aside from work in the studio, many of the sounds on Pale Honey were also recorded in the kitchen of producer Anders Lagerfors, who perfectly captures the group’s shifting intensity and spontaneity. Returning regularly to themes of disheartenment and melancholy, they describe the album as being, lyrically, very state-of-mind. It’s also about empowerment and, simply put, strength. The songs routinely flirt with the polite, before exploding into fits of distortion.
Self-taught musicians, Tuva and Nelly first began playing songs together in their elementary school music room, something they described as a “mischievous” thing to do when sneaking out of class. Undoubtedly there are many less constructive ways to rebel against authority, but the two friends were drawn to music. They bonded over their love of Queens of The Stone Age, and later, their shared discovery of PJ Harvey. Their initial lack of technical virtuosity on their instruments lent itself to a stripped down approach to songwriting. Over the years they have continued to push the boundaries of that sparse aesthetic as their skill as musicians has grown considerably.
