“Blue Sunshine” is a track from Virgins at Heart’s new album Safety Lagoon. Gustav, the track’s composer, has the following to say about the track and its creative process:
“For me, “Blue Sunshine” conveys an emotionally ambiguous feeling. Sorrowful and hopeful at the same time. Both mellow and up-tempo. Although we toned it down in the production to fit the mood, the verses have a groove inspired by “Bitter Sweet Symphony” by the Verve. I love that drumbeat! But this changes in the chorus where the song turns in a brighter direction. This part is more of a mix of the beat in Rolling Stones’ ‘“Shine A Light” and the bass line in “Express Yourself” with Charles Wright & The Watts. I remember being surprised when the guys in the band thought the mellotron hook sounded Asian after they heard an early demo. I still don’t know about that. A favorite part of the song for me is the instrumental part that Johan added after the second chorus. It reminds me somewhat of “The Rain Song” by Led Zeppelin.”
The album Safety Lagoon was recorded in the renowned Atlantis Studio, which previously went under the name Metronome Studio. If the walls of this studio could talk, they would talk about such legendary Swedish artists as ABBA, Roxette and The Cardigans.
Virgins at Heart are a Stockholm-based indie-pop band that have been playing together since the very early 2000s. The group consists of band members Gustav Rosén (bass + vocals), Anders Nordström (guitars + vocals), Johan Bjurling (keys + vocals), and Jonas Tyrestad (drums + vocals). Johan Bjurling is also the main producer, although the production style is very collaborative.
The band is indie in its true sense. After spending thousands of hours in various mold damaged basements in the outskirts of Stockholm, only recently, the decision was made to start recording the songs in a more serious fashion.
In 2016 the debut album 2 2 Tango was released. This album was recorded and produced in Johan’s basement. For the second album, the bar was raised and some of Stockholm’s most renowned studios (Atlantis studio, Riksmixningsverket, Cosmos mastering) were booked for a couple of sessions. Still, most of the production took place in Johan’s basement.
From the roots in indie pop and indie rock, the band has lately started to go more towards a more dreamy and psychedelic sound.
Links
https://soundcloud.com/virgins-at-heart
https://www.facebook.com/virginsatheart
https://open.spotify.com/album/0L3kHeDB5P1INwRVjn80qx
