Artist description Female-fronted singer/songwriter pop from Sweden.

Music Style An acoustic folk/pop mix

Musical Influences Lisa Loeb, Indigo Girls, Elvis Costello, Rolling Stones....

Similar Artists Indigo Girls?

Artist History The band formed in the summer of 1996 with the sole purpose of impressing ONE person. Had first gig in Feb 1997. Summer of 1998, did the Troublemaker tour - 3 weeks all over the US (NYC, Wash. D.C., Seattle and Atlanta). Made it to the final round of the local talent search for Lilith Fair 1999 in Washington D.C. Just recently went from duo to full band.

Group Members Fanny Holm, Lolita Ray, Henrik Buskas, Sofia Broomé, Harald Sickenga, Lisen Schultz.

Instruments 12-string and 6-string acoustic guitars, acoustic bass, violin, cello, harmonica, bass, mandolin, penny whistle

Albums Done With Errors v2.0, Back on Track

Press Reviews Little FailuresDone with Errors v. 2.0By Heidi DrockelmanFanny Holm and Lolita Ray just might be the Swedish equivalent of the Indigo Girls. Showing a bit more melancholy, an attribute familiar to the nature of most non-ABBA songwriters from the Scandinavian region, this disc is robust with stunning vocal harmony arrangments that showcase both women’s exceptional voices. Holm and Ray also split writing duties on the short five song disc. In fact, each of the songs allows only three instrumental players per track (barring vocals) – Holm on 12-string guitar, Ray on 6-string for four tracks and then the switch-off between them for “You Please My Soul”, where Holm also picks up bass. The disc opens with “15” Screen”, adding Harald Sickenga on harmonica for what dons the persona of an American lament of sorts. “Trapped” picks up Anders Ekborn on bass, emoting a rather depressing theme of feeling backed against a wall with no escape in sight. The middle of the disc enjoys the strength of passionate harmonies and lush cello and violin lines, provided by Lisen Schultz and Sofia Brome respectively. The lyrics are particularly poignant and match up well with the stringed additions. “You Please My Soul” once again sees Brome add her talents to the mix for a sweet folky and much more upbeat feel. The disc winds down with more cello (there is not enough cello used these days – what an instrument!) and a dip back into melancholic denial, despair, and pity lyrically. This is an honest, well executed effort by two women who are exceptionally confident and gifted with the art of songwriting. Here’s hoping that they make another stab at playing out in the States in the future. Little FailuresBack on TrackBy Heidi DrockelmanLolita Ray and Fanny Holm have returned to the States with a new EP, and they're "Back On Track". This duo, who I dubbed in my last review as the "Swedish equivalent of the Indigo Girls", live up to that title once again. It's rare to find two people who share that kind of vocal chemistry without sounding contrived, so to put out yet another recorded example of good songwriting and even better vocals solidifies these two women's talents. Holm and Ray once again share songwriting and lead vocal duties on this five-track disc, and have also brought Lisen Schultz (cello) and Sofia Broome (violin) along for the ride. All performers exhibit a natural complementary sound to enhance the others' performances, and the vocal/strings interplay provides for some nice musical moments. While this disc is definitely a melancholy dip into Holm and Ray's lives for just a little bit, some of the sorrow and sadness has been lifted to give this EP a lighter feel than their last effort. Their vocals drift into the minor key often, but remain powerful and avoid sounding melodramatic. All the tracks have a similar feel, but the standout on this one is definitely the fourth - "The Fuel". The vocals are lighter, and there's a simplicity to the song that makes what little does happen musically carry a certain weight of sincerity and quiet power. There are some nice touches by the strings and with a simple 12-string guitar courtesy of Holm and it's fair to say that sometimes all you need is the bare minimum to show off truly good songwriting.

Location STOCKHOLM - Sweden

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