Malmö, Sweden

Swedish indie pop band David & the Citizens was begun by vocalist/guitarist David Fridlund in 1999, who by 2000 recruited Conny Fridh (bass), Alexander Madsen (guitar), Mikael Carlsson (drums), and Magnus Bjerkert (trumpet). The band issued a handful of LPs and EPs (mostly on Swedish label Adrian) and found success in their home country (they received a nomination for a Swedish Grammy in 2004), though had not released anything in North America aside from Fridlund's solo album Amaterasu via Hidden Agenda in 2005. In 2006, New York label Friendly Fire Recordings released a six-song, self-titled EP featuring select songs in preparation for the full-length album Until the Sadness Is Gone. Following a few lineup changes, by 2006 the band was Fridlund, Fridh, Magnus Bjerkert, and John Bjerkert on drums. ~ Kenyon Hopkin