First Aid Kit: To Sweden and Beyond

First Aid Kit

Fillmore

October 17, 2012

San Francisco, CA

First Aid Kit: Naiveté of Youth

First Aid Kit is a folk duo comprised of two sisters, Johanna and Klara Soderberg, from Stockholm Sweden, aged 22 and 19.  Though, they look like they are about 18 and 15 years old.  They are part of the growing trend for musicians to kick-start their careers with viral video success.  First Aid Kit first garnered attention with a viral video of their cover of a Fleet Foxes song.  There was something very touching about the beautiful harmonies of two sisters singing in the woods together.  It seemed genuine, two sisters simply enjoying playing music and being with one another, and displayed real talent besides.   The sisters continued to post songs on Youtube, recorded an album, got more attention from indie music enthusiasts and now are on a world tour after releasing their second album.  The haphazard, dumb luck of having a viral video makes me a little uncomfortable about the growing frequency of this pattern of new music success.  But if Youtube is to be the new FM radio, so be it.  There are certainly worse ways to find new music.  

 

I also cannot deny the quality of musicianship and singing in First Aid Kit.  The insistence to harmonize their voices on every song is a bit tiresome as is their insistence on the poignancy of loss in their songs.  However, I remember being 19 when everything was new and profound.  And their performance at Fillmore was a nice reminder of that youthful enthusiasm.  But more importantly, their music, if not their stage presence, demonstrated maturity beyond their years and shows real promise.  They are a couple of sister to watch.