Kolonien

In the borderlands between folk, pop, and traditional Swedish ballads (visa), Kolonien has carved out a unique musical universe. Their sound is driven by energetic guitar and fiddle playing, powerful vocal harmonies, and lyrics often described as a hopeful reflection on some of the greatest challenges of our time — climate change and human connection, or perhaps more accurately, the lack thereof.

At the heart of the band are brothers Erik and Arvid Rask. Heavily influenced by The Beatles, Swedish folk music, and their upbringing in the Swedish environmental movement, they began writing songs together as teenagers in their family’s living room in Järna. Now, nearly 20 years later, with three internationally acclaimed albums and countless tours across North America and Europe, they’re still writing songs side by side. Internationally, they’ve been dubbed the “Fleet Foxes of Scandinavia” and have been signed to the acclaimed American label Cumbancha since 2022.

Kolonien has never let themselves be confined by genre boundaries, and over the years they’ve collaborated with artists like Eric Bibb, Syster Sol, Rigmor Gustafsson, Tomas Ledin, and many more — as well as musicians from India, Senegal, Trinidad, and Lebanon.

Their debut album Clockwise was released in 2012 and earned them the Newcomer of the Year award at the Swedish Folk and World Music Gala. The following year came the EP Sammanhang, and in 2015 they released Drömmarnas Land, which Lira Musikmagasin hailed as a showcase of future stars. After a longer hiatus, their 2022 album Till Skogen marked a powerful return — and their first release on the prestigious U.S. label Cumbancha.

On stage:
Erik Rask – bass and vocals
Arvid Rask – guitar and vocals
Thea Åslund – fiddle and vocals
Jonathan Kabell – drums and vocals
Albin Lagg – trumpet