The Tape is an ambient/dream pop band from Gothenburg, Sweden. The three members Ester (guitar, vocals), Alexandra (guitar, backing vocals) and Amorina (drums) have made a name for themselves as a powerful live act with a dynamic sound. Weekly Indie Pop got the opportunity to meet them over a coffee before their concert at Live at Heart festival.
Though they have known each other for a many years, The Tape as we know it today was formed in 2012. Ester says:
- From the beginning we were five members. This was when we were twelwe years old. From the start no one of us could even play an instrument so we started by playing covers. As time passed the band slimmed down to three people in accordance with who really wanted to commit.
The varied will to invest time and effort have led many promising bands to an early grave but The Tape stayed together and started to form a sound with what they had.
- We are all self taught and I think our sound have alot of personal touch because of that. For example, we don’t have a bass player which have made Ester play darker notes on her guitar while Amorina has developed a very melodic way to play the tom-toms, Alexandra says.
The band agrees that it’s the music that often captivates the listener in an early state, but after listening a while it is clear that a big part of their artistic errand also lies in the lyrics. From the start The Tape have been oscillating between the political and the personal. They write lyrics that describes personal struggles as well as the struggles they see in contemporary society and return several times during the interview to the importance of taking a stand and utilizing the platform you’ve been given. Amorina:
- We write about what is important for us as a band, but also in our own lives. This has made us write a lot of political music. Though, we do not wish to be branded as only a political band or associated with specific political organisations.
Though not shying away from political issues, The Tape want to be acknowledged as musicians first and formost. They talk a lot of their love of playing music together and the process of experiementing with new sounds through guitar pedals, synths etc. The band reveals that on the new album that they are currently working on many of the lyrics are about anxiety and their sound is moving in a darker direction, news that makes us bursting with anticipation.
The Tape also love to deliver a captivating live show which Weekly Indie Pop got to experience.
As The Tape takes the stage at Live at Heart festival it’s clear that they have a lot of experience from playing live. From the first song to the last they own the stage and the music travels between ambient, almost elusive guitar elements and more explosive, drum driven parts.
Though the venue would be a dissapointment for any rockband, considering bad lighting and huge flower pot in the middle of the stage, The Tape doesn't seem discouraged. They utilize the whole stage and move around like candle flames with dreamy gestures.
They deliver both old songs from their first release Winter Cave (read our review here) and new songs from the coming album. During their older songs The Tape seems more confident though the song that made the biggest impression on me was the new song Coexist in which Alexandra takes a bigger part in the vocals.
Though some of the songs could have been shorter, the overall experience is that The Tape is a band filled with potential, with a very distinct sound and an important errand. As the final song fades out and Ester, Alexandra and Amorina raise their fists in a symbolic reaction towards the unequalities in the world it’s hard to not be moved.
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