You see it wasn’t only Frank that did it his way. So did Niccokick and they’ve been doing it for a long time. (Not quitting smoking, I might add).
We’ve had a surfeit of ABBA programmes on British TV lately; there was one last night that lasted a few hours as they were examined in more detail than Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Most folk think they had longevity but that isn’t really the case. Until their temporary reformation, 2016-22 they were together only for a decade, 1972-82, as we know them and their lengthy list of hits.
Some other Swedish artists and bands that fly a little more under the radar here have done more time than that including a couple that turn up in NMC occasionally like Peter Bjorn & John and Di Leva, who are pretty much the senior service where Swedish music is concerned.
Another one is Niccokick which got going in the autumn of 2001 as a one-man project by singer and guitarist Andreas Söderlund and then grew into a group of friends who carved out their own place on Sweden’s major festival stages, recording two albums and gigging around Europe before going into hiatus.
Then they made a live comeback just before the pandemic which was followed by new material from a forthcoming EP – with songs that represent Andreas’ more mature songwriting about fear, love and mental illness.
And so, almost to the day, 20 years after the band’s debut album, coincidentally titled ‘Awake from the Dead, My Dear Best Friend’, comes their new single ‘Our Way’.
Like Rip van Winkle they’ve sprung back from their slumbers and with what is a super catchy, hook-filled number that concerns the struggles of a long-term relationship while also being reflective of their journey which they paint as a bumpy, long road but a relationship worth fighting for, between band and fans.
Stylistically, and mindful of the fact that their original work dates from the early 2000s, I couldn’t help but compare ‘Our way’ with a couple of Arcade Fire songs from a similar era, namely ‘No cars ago’ and ‘Rebellion (Lies)’. If you can imagine those songs being spiced up and played by James you might get an idea of where Niccokick are coming from.
It’s a gamble that might not have paid off but it does. They carry the same sort of cachet as Peter Bjorn and John and know how to produce music that might not fit the zeitgeist of 2024 but which actually ticks boxes because of its timelessness rather than its modernity.
Niccokick are proud of the fact that they have stayed together as a band for over 20 years with no member changes and no big record companies involved. They should be, and of the fact they did it their way.
Find them on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063592389531
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niccokick/
