Case Conrad is an indie rock band formed in 2009 and based between Malmö and Barcelona. Their sound has been described by Creative Loafing as “folk-and-surf-inflected dream pop.”
History Formation to A Tightrope Wish: 2009 – 2016 Case Conrad was formed in 2009 by Gustav Haggren following the dissolution of his previous band, Gustav and the Seasick Sailors, which had released three albums over a five-year period. Haggren established the new project with Petter Bengtsson (Shooting John), Robert Johansson (The Tarantula Waltz), and Gustav Bjarnason.
All members had prior experience in other musical groups and initially approached Case Conrad as a project rather than a conventional band. The name was originally The Case of Conrad.
The group began touring shortly after forming in order to develop its sound. This period resulted in Dew Point, a live recording captured over two days in the Stockholm archipelago. Following the album’s release, the band undertook a three-month, coast-to-coast tour of the United States, during which they performed 55 shows.
After the tour, the band relocated temporarily to Barcelona, where songwriter Per Henrik Adolfsson, also known as Pancake, joined the group during the production of their second album, Leikko. With Adolfsson’s addition, Case Conrad became a dual-vocalist band. The album was largely self-recorded by the group in various locations. Drum tracks were recorded by John Roger Olsson (The Grand Opening) in Malmö, and the album was mixed by Cristoffer Roth (The Concretes, Moneybrother).
Leikko was released on Stargazer Records and received positive attention. The band later signed a publishing agreement with FatCat Records. In 2015, Case Conrad returned to the United States for a 32-date tour, performing alongside artists including The Pines and King of Prussia.
Following the tour, the members pursued individual projects. Haggren returned to Sweden to study creative writing, Johansson opened a restaurant in Barcelona, and Adolfsson focused on visual art. Bengtsson and the band’s fifth member, Vasco Batista, also participated in other musical projects.
In 2016, Case Conrad reconvened as a band. Their third album was recorded in Sauerland, Germany, with most of the material tracked live over a five-day period. The album was recorded and mixed by Michael Vögler and produced by the band. The album, titled A Tightrope Wish, was released on 30 September 2016 through Stargazer Records and This Is Forte. The album’s eleven tracks feature songwriting contributions from both Gustav Haggren and Per Henrik Adolfsson. Lyrically, the songs address personal experiences and themes drawn from the band’s lives and touring activities in Europe and the United States.
Musical style Case Conrad has been described as indie pop, indie folk, and indie folk rock. Creative Loafing described Leikko as "A set of organic, cohesive compositions that fuse the bright guitar pop of Soft Swells to the vulnerable urgency of Yo La Tengo, the hushed dynamics of Belle and Sebastian to the cloudy melancholy of '80s cult icons the Chameleons." Raw and Unheard noted the album for presenting Case Conrad's "unique blend of mellow pop and folk, track after track, with some rock and even electronic influences thrown in".
Band members
Gustav Haggren – vocals, guitar Per Henrik Adolfsson – vocals, guitar, synthesizers Robert Johansson – lead guitar, piano, organ, synthesizers Petter Bengtsson – drums, percussion, backing vocals Vasco Batista – bass, backing vocals
Discography
Albums
Release date Album title Record label 2010 Dew Point Red Olive 2014 LEIKKO Stargazer Records
Singles
Release date Single Record label 2014 Lonelylightlylowshine Stargazer Records 2014 Copper Thief Stargazer Records 2014 The Years I Spent Punkrocking Stargazer Records
Music videos
Release date Title Music Video 2014 Lonelylightlylowshine Video Official Youtube Channel 2014 Copper Thief Video Official Youtube Channel 2014 Promo for LEIKKO Video Official Youtube Channel
References
External links Official Website