Urban Cone – in session for Sveriges Radio P3, Stockholm – April 2, 2013 – Sveriges Radio –
Swedish Indie bright lights Urban Cone to end up the week. A band well liked, well reviewed and well received but sadly called it quits or, as their Tweet said it in October 19th of last year:
“It’s been 9 years, 9 years of music and touring all over the world. We loved every second of it and meeting all of you lovely people has changed our lives forever. But now it’s time for a new chapter, time for us to move on and find new adventures. For now. We love you ❤️”
Nine years is a good run. Longer than many bands – and a lot longer than most bands of the 60s (when you look at the big picture). And if anything, they went out on top, with their last album, 10-18 regarded by many reviewers as their best album to date and in the running for Album of The Year consideration.
But all things come to an end, sooner or late and better to go out as a bright light than an afterthought.
In case you missed them, or were never aware of them (it happens) – here’s a little background to get you up to speed:
The group first met success in late 2010 with their debut single, Urban Photograph, which received high praise and exposure on music blogs around the world and reached #2 on Hype Machine after the release of the band’s Our Youth EP in December 2012. The EP received positive feedback, with Earmilk writing that “the EP exemplifies what Urban Cone is at its finest, staying true to their roots and presenting honest, gritty dance/pop.”
After the release of Our Youth, Urban Cone tried its hand in the U.S. market in January 2013 by performing in New York City, Brooklyn, Los Angeles and San Francisco. On May 8, 2013, the group dropped their debut album, Our Youth which received more than nine million streams only a few months after its release. The group has received praise from music blogs such as BrooklynVegan, Vice/Thump, Idolator and Stereogum.
In 2014, Urban Cone collaborated with Porter Robinson on his song “Lionhearted”. Their next single, “Sadness Disease” was released on October 7 and described by Billboard as “uplifting at first, but the lyrics are an even deeper dive into sadness, loneliness and exhaustion”. “We write music in an attempt to create sunshine. It’s a reactionary impulse to create light out of the darkness. If you listen to the lyrics, they’re quite dark. It’s serious music that’s made for dancing,” Flyckt said of the song. Urban Cone released their second album, Polaroid Memories, on April 29, 2015.
Urban Cone has collaborated with electronic dance music artists Porter Robinson and John Dahlbäck and fellow Swedish musician Tove Lo.
Urban Cone has cited Tame Impala and Arcade Fire as some of their biggest influences.
Hit the Play button and crank it up.
