Biografia
A remarkably gifted vocalist and lyricist, primarily known for her work with the Swedish band The Cardigans, Persson was born on September 6, 1974, in Örebro, Sweden. Always passionate about music—she plays harmonica, some guitar, piano, and drums—she joined The Cardigans in 1992. The band originated in Jönköping, Sweden, after guitarist Peter Svensson met the notably tall Magnus Sveningsson, who was playing in a hardcore group. Both were heavy metal fans but had grown weary of the genre and decided to form a pop band. They knew Persson from art college, and the lineup was completed by keyboard player Lars-Olof Johansson and drummer Bengt Lagerberg.
Signed to the Stockholm label, The Cardigans released their debut album, Emmerdale, in 1994. Named as a tribute to the British TV show Emmerdale Farm (1972), the album highlighted Persson’s sweet voice and Svensson’s skillful songwriting. Much attention centered on Persson’s undeniable attractiveness, with some interviews even airbrushing out the other band members. Persson found this kind of exposure uncomfortable, feeling that being promoted as a pin-up undermined her true musical ambitions. Their next album, Life, which included several re-recordings of Emmerdale songs, served as a satirical response to the debut and took the band in a more avant-garde direction with its arrangements and artwork. Life expanded The Cardigans’ audience, especially in Japan, and sold 1.5 million copies worldwide.
With the 1996 release of First Band on the Moon, the group evolved into a more complex, darker entity, with songs dealing with heartbreak, infidelity, and despair. The album featured Persson’s first solo writing credit on the plaintive track “Heartbreaker.” After being featured in Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet (1996), the song “Lovefool” propelled the band to international fame. However, “Lovefool” was unrepresentative of the album, and despite helping it go gold in America, many critics labeled the band as saccharine soft-pop based on that single. Frustrated by this mischaracterization, the band returned in 1998 with the edgier rock album Gran Turismo. The video for “Favourite Game” showcased a tattooed Persson in a Thelma & Louise-style role as a fugitive. Gran Turismo was their most consistent album to date, featuring several tracks penned solely by Persson. It produced European hits like “My Favourite Game” and “Erase/Rewind,” selling 2.5 million copies worldwide, though it failed to gain traction in the American market.
After touring and promoting Gran Turismo, the band went on hiatus. In 1997, Persson formed the experimental indie group A Camp with Swedish musician Niclas Frisk. While The Cardigans occupied much of her attention for the next few years, they regrouped in 2000. A longtime admirer of alternative singer-songwriter Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse, she brought him on as producer alongside her boyfriend, Shudder to Think guitarist Nathan Larson. Their catchy, melodic lead single “I Can Buy You” was released in September 2001. The self-titled album A Camp (2001) was a remarkable work, showcasing Persson’s vocal and lyrical talents as well as her musical influences. She carried this musical growth and lyrical confidence into the subsequent Cardigans album, Long Gone Before Daylight. The album reflects Persson’s disillusionment, disappointment, and ultimately her finding love with Nathan Larson, whom she married on June 16, 2001. Despite being under-promoted and commercially unsuccessful, it remains The Cardigans’ most accomplished album.
Persson has recently completed work on The Cardigans’ sixth album, Super Extra Gravity.
