Marie Dahlstrom is an acclaimed Rosklide, Denmark-born, London-based singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and JOVM mainstay whose work has been largely influenced by the R&B and soul she heard in her home as a child — in particular Edwyn Collins, Womack & Womack and Gloria Gaynor were on regular rotation. As a teenager, Dahlstrom discovered Dwele, Dire Straits, Erykah Badu, Kirk Franklin and Fleetwood Mac.
The Roskilde-born, London-based JOVM mainstay first gained attention as a solo artist inn her native Denmark, quickly becoming a three-time Scandinavian Soul Award winner. Dahlstrom relocated to London, where she has become an international sensation while crafting a warm and ethereal sound that features elements of jazz, classic soul and contemporary R&B.
After successful collaborations with Tom Misch and Alfa Mist, Dahlstrom released her critically applauded full-length debut Like Sand, an effort that was recorded in Los Angeles, Copenhagen, and London and features collaborations with James Vickery, Jeremy Passion, Elijah Fox, Beau Diako and a list of others. Dahlstrom also released the Toronto Vol. 1 EPwith the multi-national, all-female artist collective Her Songs. Capping off a prolific year, Dahlstom teamed up with London-based producer Dan Diggas and Canadian emcee Aligo on a collaborative EP together 4inaRow.
Slated for a a January 15, 2021 release through Dahlstrom’s JFH Records, 4inaRow was conceived around a central idea — writing and recording four-track EP in just four nights, And as a result, the EP was essentially an experiment in writing, recording and producing purely on impulse. Each of the EP was recorded between 8:00pm and midnight during four nights in January 2020 — and each individual song has its own story to tell. Generally speaking the process was centered around Diggas providing beats and production while the Roskilde-born, London-based JOVM mainstay and Algo shared vocal duties.
“Marie and I lived in the JFH flat for a little over a year and after a few months we figured out a way for us to really tap in and make music together.” Align says about the creative process behind the forthcoming EP. “We told ourselves every night for 4 straight days we are going to tackle a pack of beats that Dan made while he was on tour with Mahalia. Theme-wise there wasn’t a plan at first but we knew we wanted to explore different emotions and feelings with each night that passed. By the end we noticed the songs came together in a cohesive way that demonstrated a four stage cycle of love/relationships.”
“Fall Down,” 4inaRow EP‘s first single is features a slickly produced yet delicate mix of soulful contemporary pop, Quiet Storm soul, and hip hop centered around twinkling keys, skittering beats and dueling verses between Dahlsrom and Aligo, who rhymes a verse and sings a dueling perspective verse with the JOVM mainstay. The song captures a relationship in an odd transitional period in which the couple’s resolve and desire to remain together is being tested.
“”Fall Down’ is an ode to arguments that can be common at times, but left untreated could ruin a relationship,” Dahlstrom explains. “Like autumn, this song is a transition period to a colder and more challenging part of the year and symbolic of the changes that can occur when this happens in relationships: ‘consequences get the best of you'”.
