Seattle-born, Nashville-based Kate Tucker and the Sons of Sweden play lush, layered indie rock with sparkling melodies and shimmering soundscapes. On their new album, The Shape the Color The Feel, echoes of Cocteau Twins, The Cardigans, and early U2 can be heard in songs that explore the darker moods and brighter vistas of The National, Wye Oak, and Phantogram.
In 2013, the band launched a highly successful crowd-funding campaign via Kickstarter for their collaborative film+music venture, The Shape The Color The Feel. The project attracted the attention of many, including Huffington Post who called the "effort to bring the best of the past and the present together" "admirably ambitious," going on to say, "the real beauty of the project is that just as it seeks to recapture some of what music has lost to technology, it's utilizing the same technology to make that happen."
We sat down with Kate Tucker of Kate Tucker and the Sons of Sweden prior to the show on Friday, December 5th at The Drinkery with Little Lights!
Give us some background on Kate Tucker and the Sons of Sweden…
We are an indie rock / dream pop band that started in Seattle, Washington and migrated south to Nashville via NYC. We are called Sons of Sweden because we used to all live together in a Scandinavian area of Seattle, next to the Sons of Norway Hall. We decided to give them some competition. Fast forward to 2014 and we’ve released a visual album called The Shape The Color The Feel, with ten music videos, short films, dance pieces, and an art installation based upon the songs. We’ve been touring all over the U.S. and are excited to play Cincinnati for the first time.
What can one expect at a live Kate Tucker and the Sons of Sweden show?
Face melting rock. The best part of writing songs and being in a band is getting to play live. It’s a completely different experience every single night. Our shows are all about energy and connection and it’s always good to play a new town and get a feel for what the people are about.
Tell us about your recent kickstarter campaign for the new album… How did it feel to accomplish?
We wanted to create a collaborative interactive experience around the collection of songs we were writing. It was incredible to lean into our fan base and invite them to be part of The Shape The Color The Feel. Together, we raised over $21,000 to make a visual album with ten different filmmakers, choreographers, and visual artists. In addition to all the films, we got to make fancy vinyl and artwork and t-shirts and all sorts of glorious expressions of the songs. The most exciting part of it was the coming together of so many to make it possible, which began with the Kickstarter and extended throughout the project, gaining momentum as we worked on each production.
What is next for Kate Tucker and the Sons of Sweden?
We’re in the process of making a documentary about the creative community that has emerged throughout theThe Shape The Color The Feel project. We anticipate it will hit the festival circuit in fall 2015. We are also hard at work on new songs for a new release next summer and of course we’ll be on the road much of the year doing what we love to do mo
