The Nordic folk music band Floating Sofa Quartet releases their third album Sofa Songs, featuring an impressive line-up of Danish, Finnish and Swedish singers and songwriters.
Floating Sofa Quartet is an internationally acclaimed folk music band with members from Denmark, Finland and Sweden. Usually known for their pin-point precise instrumental arrangements and virtuose playing, the Sofa Songs album shows a new side of the ensemble.
”We all love a good song and we feel lucky and privileged that some of our favorite singers wanted to be on board for this!” says the flutist of FSQ, Mads Kjøller Henningsen from Denmark. The Sofa Songs album shows what a wide range of different things the term ’folk song’ can mean in the Nordic context. It can be a medieval ballad, a newly written protest song or a tango composed during a time of war. Some of the recording sessions were planned years in advance – and when the time finally came some of these songs had become frighteningly relevant. ”A good song is ageless and even if the context and time is different for everyone, the same song can touch many of us deeply.” says the Finnish member of the band, accordionist and harmonium player Leija Lautamaja.
The Sofa Songs have already been published online as nine live music videos between 2019-2022. During this period Floating Sofa Quartet met with nine singers from Denmark, Finland and Sweden to record and film their songs at nine different locations that meant something to each of the artists. The sessions were recorded and filmed in cooperation with local sound engineers and videographers. Every song was arranged with the singer and approached as an individual piece of art. This work method has definitely made a mark on the music and sound of each song.
Floating Sofa Quartet: Leija Lautamaja (FI; melodeon, reed organ), Clara Tesch (DK; violin, viola), Mads Kjøller Henningsen (DK; flute, hurdy gurdy) and Malte Zeberg (SE; double bass, tenor guitar). Guest singers are: Lars Lilholt, Pia Raug and Mia Guldhammer from Denmark, Topi Saha, Maria Kalaniemi and PK Keränen from Finland and Ale Möller, Izabelle Norén and Esbjörn Hazelius from Sweden.
All tracks released as music videos on
Youtube 2019-2022.
Photo Credits:
(1)-(2) Floating Sofa Quartet,
(3) Mia Guldhammer,
(4) Izabelle Noren,
(5) Topi Saha,
(6) Lars Lilholt,
(7) PK Keränen,
(8) Pia Raug,
(9) Esbjörn Hazelius,
(10) Maria Kalaniemi,
(11) Ale Möller
(unknown/website).
