Sofia Talvik’s new album Center of the Universe has entered the Folk Radio USA Charts at #14 for August 2023, with the lead single charting in the top 10. Critical reception has been exceptional on both sides of the Atlantic.
“Swedish folk singer, songwriter, and guitarist Sofia Talvik has been making fine albums for many years now, but this self-produced latest entry may be her best to date. Her angelic vocals, which sound redolent of early Marianne Faithfull, remain a major asset, as are her original songs, which combine lilting melodies with frequently profound lyrics. Too few artists today offer protest material, but Talvik seems to have picked up the mantle from singer/songwriters like Joan Baez, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and Pete Seeger.” — Americana Highways
A vinyl edition of the album will be available in November. Stream and purchase Center of the Universe now at music.sofiatalvik.com.
On her new 9th album ‘Center of the Universe’, Swedish born musician; Sofia Talvik, brings together her own distinctive nordic melancholy, Laurel Canyon vibes and modern folk mixed with bluegrass, further defining the path that is uniquely hers.
Throughout the 10 songs on the album, there is a broad range of topics of some of life’s most earnest moments, ranging from the Ukraine War, American women’s rights, the thousands of missing children in the US and the torment of domestic violence survivors across the world.
About ‘Center of the Universe’:
Imagine yourself in a small rural village in Sweden. White-trimmed wooden houses that date back several hundred years are tucked in between the pines and birch tees next to the quiet lake where the sunlight glitters like gold on the gentle ripple. All around you, you can hear the buzzing of bumblebees, birds singing in the trees, and the sheep are grazing in a nearby pasture, surrounded by a hand tied willow fence.
This is Sulegång and it’s the place Sofia Talvik chose to record her new album ‘Center of the Universe’.
With a group of carefully selected musicians; Peyton Clifford and Drake Duffer on accordion, guitar, and mandolin (both hailing from North Carolina) and Janne Manninen on bass (from Sweden), she built up a studio in the living room of one of the old houses.
Makaki Music is proud to announce that Center of the Universe, the ninth studio album from Sofia Talvik, is out today on all platforms and available for purchase at music.sofiatalvik.com.
The album was recorded in a 19th century house in rural Sweden, mixed and mastered by Hans Olsson — one of Sweden’s most respected mix engineers — and features musicians Peyton Clifford, Drake Duffer, Janne Manninen, and Joakim on bass and strings.
To mark the release, Sofia has also unveiled the official music video for the title track Center of the Universe:
2020 was the year when Swedish singer/songwriter Sofia Talvik was going on tour to promote her new album Paws of a Bear, but that all went down the drain when the world was hit with the Covid pandemic. In 2022 she could finally play the songs live for all the people who had waited for it, and this year she’s releasing her new album “Center of the Universe” along with playing a whopping 50+ Summer and Fall dates all over the U.S.
”Lots of people released albums during the pandemic, because there wasn’t much else to do, but I didn’t want to ”waste” another album by not being able to tour with it”, says Sofia. ”Also, many of the songs were written during the pandemic, including 2 songs for a good friend who passed away, as well as reflections about war and refugees, in particular about the Ukraine. There has been a lot to write about these past couple of years.”
The album was recorded over a week in an old Swedish rural village that has been around since the 1500’s. Bringing over two American musicians for the recordings, that she met in NC on her 2022 tour, she has taken her mix of Swedish melancholy and American folk to the next level.
”When I heard Drake and Peyton (of the band Discount Rothko) play last year I instantly knew I wanted to work with them. The way they played was both modern and traditional at the same time and I could really hear that being a great complement to my songs.”
Together they built a studio in the living room of an old traditional wooden house and created magic. Sofia’s unique songwriting and crystal clear voice brought together with a more Americana and bluegrass feel with mandolin and accordion. You can even hear the birds outside sing along on some of the songs.
The album will be released about mid-tour, but the new songs will be a part of the repertoire from the start.
The tour takes Sofia from the East Coast to the West Coast and then some. Touring in her 1989 Winnebago Warrior Lil’Chief with husband Jonas Westin on driving duty and sound design, she is playing everything from house concerts to theaters. Evoking the sounds of Laurel Canyon and the intimate coffee houses of the 60s and 70s, Sofia’s shows will treat the audience not just to beautiful music but also to stories from her many tours and her life as a full-time artist of over 10 years.
On days off she takes Lil’Chief and seeks out the wilderness in the U.S, enjoying the less crowded parts of the country, national forests and parks along the route.
”That’s one thing I love about touring in an RV. I get to see so much that other touring artists from Europe never get to see. And you can really tell it reflects in my songs as well, it’s a true inspiration to get to experience the vast and beautiful nature here”, says Sofia.
Sofia Talvik has been featured in Bluegrass Today with a full write-up on her new single Circle of Destruction and the upcoming album Center of the Universe.
Makaki Music is excited to announce the release of “Circle of Destruction”, the first single from Sofia Talvik’s forthcoming album Center of the Universe, due out in the Fall of 2023.
Written in the first days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the song draws on themes of war, displacement, and the erosion of truth in a media-saturated world. Recorded in a 19th century farmhouse in rural Sweden alongside musicians Peyton Clifford and Drake Duffer (North Carolina) on accordion, guitar, and mandolin, and Janne Manninen (Sweden) on bass, the track captures a rare combination of urgency and pastoral warmth.
Svensk-Tyska duon Hansan är tillbaka med nya låtar efter 2020s rosade ”Nattflykt”. Nya albumet ”Blod eller bläck” släpps 14e februari och föregås av tre singlar, ”Sommarvisa” som släpptes 2021, ”Vårt långa land” som vann folkets röst i kategorin Nutida Folkmusik på Folk och Världsmusikgalan 2021, men inte har släppts officiellt förrän nu (16/1/2023), samt titelspåret ”Blod eller bläck” (30/1/2023).
Hansan har sina rötter i Folkmusik och Jazz men på nya skivan har de utvecklats både mot mer rytmiska arrangemang samt till svävande filmiska toner – allt med bara cello och sång. Det är nästan så att man ser bilderna framför sig i låten ”Du är allt” och ”Flyger”. Samtidigt kan man ta ett djupt andetag och vila i mjuka jazzpoppiga ”Om vi inte” och ”Sommarvisa”.
Som vi märkte redan på debutalbumet, är texterna är en viktig del av Hansans musik, och även på nya skivan vävs socialrealistiska texter som ”Vårt långa land” – om immigration och utanförskap och ”Vår värld” som tar oss till en dystopisk framtid, ihop med längtan, kärlek och det svenska vemodet.
Det är inte en överdrift att säga att det inte finns något band i Sverige just nu som låter likadant.
Credits: Text och musik: Sofia Talvik & David Floer
Cello: David Floer
Sång: Sofia Talvik
Mix & Master; Hans Olsson, Svenska Grammofonstudion
Sofia Talvik’s latest single “Too Many Churches” has charted at #3 on Folk Radio USA, driven by widespread airplay and an outpouring of support from listeners and DJs across the country.
“As a matter of fact, it’s brilliant.” — Artie Martello, Mostly Folk, Catskill Mountains NY
“Such a powerful song.” — Jim Marino, Freewheelin’ Folk Show 93.3 CFMU
“Lovely, poignant and timed perfectly. There is a wonderful Simon & Garfunkel quality to the phrasing and sound, very timeless, comforting and lonely all at once.” — Joe Vincenza, WUWF Public Media, Pensacola
“A great song both timely and timeless.” — Ron Cooke, Music They Don’t Want You to Hear
Makaki Music is proud to announce the release of “Too Many Churches”, a powerful new single from Sofia Talvik, written in direct response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade.
The song premiered in Acoustic Review and has drawn immediate praise from radio DJs across the United States:
“As a matter of fact, it’s brilliant.” — Artie Martello, Mostly Folk, Catskill Mountains NY
“Such a powerful song.” — Jim Marino, Freewheelin’ Folk Show 93.3 CFMU
“Lovely, poignant and timed perfectly. There is a wonderful Simon & Garfunkel quality to the phrasing and sound, very timeless, comforting and lonely all at once.” — Joe Vincenza, WUWF Public Media, Pensacola
“A great song both timely and timeless.” — Ron Cooke, Music They Don’t Want You to Hear
“Too Many Churches” is available exclusively via Sofia’s own platform at music.sofiatalvik.com and is not on major streaming services.
As an added bonus this year Sofia Talvik also added a stripped down one guitar and vocals version, which is also part of a digital EP called “Notes For Christmas” with acoustic versions of her two latest Christmas singles as well as a traditional Swedish Christmas song performed in Swedish and German.
