Popsicle is a Swedish pop group in
Piteå
Piteå (; ) is a locality and the seat of Piteå Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden. Piteå is Sweden's 58th largest city, with a population of 23,326.
Geography
Piteå is located at the mouth of the Pite River (), at the shore of ...
, Sweden, which together with
This Perfect Day,
The Wannadies and
Brainpool started the 1990s indiepop wave in Sweden.
History
The band's four members,
Andreas Mattsson (vocals, guitar),
Fredrik Norberg (guitar, vocals),
PA Wikander (drums) and
Kenneth Wikstrom (bass), later replaced by
Arvid Lind, formed the band in
Stockholm
Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
in 1991 and released their first mini-album ''
Template
Template may refer to:
Tools
* Die (manufacturing), used to cut or shape material
* Mold, in a molding process
* Stencil, a pattern or overlay used in graphic arts (drawing, painting, etc.) and sewing to replicate letters, shapes or designs
C ...
'' (1992) on Skellefteå label
A West Side Fabrication
A, or a, is the first Letter (alphabet), letter and the first vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''English alphabet#Letter names, a'' (pronounced ), plural ...
. Later that year they issued ''
Lacquer
Lacquer is a type of hard and usually shiny coating or finish applied to materials such as wood or metal. It is most often made from resin extracted from trees and waxes and has been in use since antiquity.
Asian lacquerware, which may be c ...
'' which reached number 34 in the national charts and included the song "
Hey Princess". The album was well received by both critics and record buyers and won a
Grammis Award. The group was given major publicity when the group's guitarist Fredrik Norberg said he wished that the members of dance band
Arvingarna
Arvingarna is a Swedish dansband formed in Gothenburg in 1989. The group consists of Casper Janebrink (vocals and bass guitar), Lars Larsson (guitars, vocals and keyboards), Kim Carlsson (vocals and guitars) and Tommy Carlsson (drums and vocals). ...
would die in a bus accident.
The songs were written by Norberg and Mattsson and was initially influenced by British guitar-based
shoegazer
Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with dream pop) is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volum ...
band
My Bloody Valentine and
Ride
Ride may refer to:
People
* MC Ride, a member of Death Grips
* Sally Ride (1951–2012), American astronaut
* William Ride (19262011), Australian zoologist
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Ride'' (1998 film), a comedy film by Millicen ...
. Popsicle may have laid the foundations of the Swedish
indie scene, but it was not until four years later as the band played through to a wider audience, that they had their biggest hit – the single "
Not Forever" from the self-titled third album.
Popsicle broke up in April 1999 when Fredrik Norberg, after a Japanese tour, announced that he would quit the band. Six years later the band reunited after a request from the record store Pet Sounds who wanted them to play on the store's 25th anniversary. The band liked the idea and also played an exclusive farewell gig at the
Cirkus
CirKus are a trip hop band formed by Burt Ford (Cameron McVey), Karmil (aka Matt Kent), Lolita Moon and Neneh Cherry.
History
DJ and producer Karmil was recruited by Burt Ford (Neneh's husband Cameron McVey) as an assistant recording engi ...
, Stockholm on 4 April 2005.
The band reformed in 2018 and have played a number of gigs in recent years. They most recently performed at the Stockholm Culture Festival where they played the Popsicle album in full.
Discography
Albums
*''Template'' (1992) (mini album)
*''Lacquer'' (1992)
*''Abstinence'' (1994)
*''Popsicle'' (1996)
*''Stand Up and Testify'' (1997)
*''The Good Side Of Popsicle'' (2005) (2-CD, compilation)
Singles and EPs
*''Whitsun'' (1992) (EP)
*''Hey Princess'' (1993)
*''The Power Ballads'' (1993) (EP)
*''Make Up'' (1994)
*''Histrionics'' (1995)
*''Not Forever'' (1995)
*''Please Do Not Ask'' (1996)
*''Dusty Roads'' (1996)
*''Dry Spot'' (1997)
*''The Price We Pay'' (1997)
*''The Sweetest Relief'' (1998)
*''Summer'' (1998)
References
{{Authority control
Swedish indie pop groups
Swedish shoegaze musical groups
Musical groups established in 1991
Musical groups from Norrbotten County
Culture in Piteå
20th-century establishments in Norrbotten County