New Music: Josefin Öhrn – Lose Yourself ft. Anton Newcombe

There are so many wonderful collaborators on Cherry, the new album from London-based Swedish artist Josefin Öhrn. Lose Yourself is among the best and most moving.

Not only does Lose Yourself grace us with the sunrise vocals of Öhrn herself, but she is also joined by the dusk-fuelled timbre of indie legend Anton Newcombe of The Brian Johnstown Massacre fame. That starry vocal duo is accompanied by Andy Bell (Ride and Oasis) on guitar and Björn Yttling (of Peter, Bjorn and John) on piano and Casio synth.

The combination of Öhrn and Newcombe might spark instant thoughts of the gothic adventures of Kylie Minogue and Nick Cave, but it sends me back further in time: Gainsbourg and Birkin, or the evanescent duets of Dusty Springfield and Scott Walker. The video evokes similar sensations, but I was left unsure if the washed reverie of Lose Yourself is an ode to affairs of the heart or a stately danse macabre between doomed lovers. You could hear this at a wedding or a funeral and think it’s the perfect way to celebrate a union born from love.

The album is an important one for Josefin Öhrn. “It began as fragments of reflections and evolved into a body of work shaped by transformation. A document of endings and awakenings.”

It was born from a working and creative partnership with musician, composer, and producer Kalle Jerneholm Gustavsson. “We recorded it in his studio, Svenska Grammofonstudion, Gothenburg,” states Öhrn. “It’s an amazing studio where artists can stay, so I was totally living the album, breathing music every waking and sleeping hour, as I was far away from my everyday life in London. It was a beautiful experience.”

Cherry was released on the 25th of September, and you can pick up a vinyl or CD copy on Bandcamp. Get details of streaming options and details of upcoming live dates on Öhrn’s Instagram account.

Header photo by Colette Slater Barrass