Presented by the Consulate General of Sweden in New York, the Swedish Institute and Export Music Sweden, and curated and produced by Luger, Sweden Makes Music is an annual showcase of up-and-coming and contemporary Swedish music here in NYC. Artists like Sabina Ddumba, Silvana Imam, Sarah Klang, Cherrie, Zhala, Axel Boman, DJ Clea, American-born, Swedish-based singer/songwriter and pop artist Mapei, Malmo-based rapper Le Sinner, Stockholm-based pop artist Elias, Jeff Bhasker protege Vacation Forever, dream pop trio ViVii, and a lengthy list of others have played the annual showcase.
This year’s edition, which took place at Baby’s All Right earlier this year, was the first Sweden Makes Music showcase since the pandemic struck, and it featured an eclectic bill of artists that includes garage hip-hop duo Deki Alem, singer/songwriter and musician Nea, and rapper and pop vocalist Graham Lake.
Deki Alem
Swedish sibling duo Deki Alem — Sammy and Johnny — cut their teeth in the national scene with their previous project, BENNETT, which saw them sonically crafting material that drew from hip-hop and R&B. Their latest project, Deki Alem is a bold and decided sonic departure, as it the project sees the pair specializing in a sound that draws from post-punk and garage while being remarkably danceable.
The duo who released a handful of attention grabbing singles and their debut EP as Deki Alem, last year’s Among Heads played an energetic and captivating headlining set.
Nea
Singer/songwriter, musician and artist Linnea “Nea” Södhal is widely regarded as one of Sweden’s most acclaimed songwriters: She has written or co-written songs for Zara Larsson, Skott, Felix Jaehn and a lengthy list of others, who have amassed close to 2 billion streams globally.
Back in 2019, Södhal stepped out into the spotlight as a solo artist, releasing her debut single “Some Say,” which catapulted her career into new heights. Her Daniel Ledinsky-produced full-length debut Transparent is slated for release this year.
Graham Lake
Graham Lake is an emerging Stockholm-born and-based singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, whose sound sees him exploring the outer reaches of pop, creating and establishing an unpredictable and undeniable style built around guitar-driven productions paired with dance floor friendly beats through the release of a handful of singles over the course of 2021 and 2022 through EMI.
Building upon a growing national and international profile, the Stockholm-based artist’s material has appeared in EA’s FIFA series and on the Netflix series Young Royals.
