We seem to have missed out on Swedish duo Nayad when they released their debut tracks earlier this year, but we’ll make amends with new song ‘Holy Lakes (Dusk)’ which was released last week.
The duo first appeared on the scene around February of this year, and they’ve been a big hit already with music websites across the globe, along with finding themselves playlisted on Swedish National radio. They consist of vocalist Pernilla and Erik on instrumentals and vocals, and they write clever, intricate indie folk electronica - they do all the production between them, and an excellent job they make of it too.
Their new song came about after the band spent a day at a volcanic lake where they could apparently “feel the water temperature rise from 20°C to 31°C even 8 meters below the surface.” I don’t think it captures the imagination quite as much as my story about finding a bike wheel submerged in the dirty water of my local canal when going for a run last week, but hey we’ll go with the volcanic lake thing for now.
Anyway writing further about the song, the duo say:
“We should allow ourselves to be like a little David Attenborough every now and then be able to emit slow a ...magnificent... when you look at an oak leaf you just picked up from the ground. Like children do. It really makes us feel good!”
It’s a nice sentiment, and we do at least have tree leaves in our suburban British cities. There is beauty everywhere I guess, especially in Autumn.
The song meanwhile is, well, pretty magnificent too. Clearly previous track “Don’t be mad if I don’t come along” made an impression on everyone who heard it, but ‘Holy Lakes (Dusk’) has this sense of authority about it. It’s just slowed right down, which feels brave, with the centrepiece of the track a gorgeous piano solo that has a lovely sound to it, and either side vocals which set out a plaintive, melancholy melody.
I fell in love with this track on very first listen. What with this and Hringfari, we are being treated to some special new sounds at the moment.
Find them on Instagram.
If you like this, please check out our review of half Icelandic duo Hringfari here.