❉ Swedish synth band MORE are a band to watch, writes Ange Chan.
Over the past few years, there’s been a quiet cabin just outside Stockholm where magic of the musical variety was being made by the Swedish band, MORE. Initially consisting of Mattias and Lino, the duo have methodically been studiously writing songs which have remained unreleased. The years rolled by, and the catalogue of tracks was starting to grow into quite the collection, however they still felt that ‘something’ was missing.
Identifying this missing link, the boys decided to post an advert on Facebook for a singer and a songwriter, in hope of finding someone who felt as passionate for their music as they did. Magnus answered the call and instantly fell in love with their music. Magnus had also been writing songs for over twenty years and was in the middle of a three year long writer’s block when he responded the ad and so the timing couldn’t have been better for them. The combination of Mattias and Linos’ accomplished synth compositions and Magnus’ characteristic vocals and thoughtful lyrics, turned out to be a winning formula for MORE.
The first EP by the band, EPONE is a 5-track affair that is quite simply all killer, no filler. The opening track ECO-Unfriendly draws you into the music immediately with its slow burn sensibility, and reminds me of Sister of Night by Depeche Mode, and that’s certainly no bad thing.
Story Goes On was the second single, released in May this year swift on the heels of Sentimental Sounds. The accomplished, melodic synths drive this track along. It’s an eminently listenable track which is surely influenced by a variety of vintage synth acts; it’s very much in that vibe yet manages to also sound fresh and modern. It will appeal to fans of the mighty Depeche Mode with a MORE-flavoured input that makes the music have the professional sound of a much more established act.
Flowing seamlessly into the next track on the EP, Huntsmen & Brides has the lyric I did it all for you and draws you into the spirit of the song with its accomplished melody.
The debut single Sentimental Sounds was released in the midst of the COVID pandemic in April this year on Spotify (and is available on all major platforms online). It’s additionally the eponymous first single from the forthcoming album to be released later this year. The song is a soothing delivery of silken vocals with accomplished synths that have an infectious hook.
All too soon we reach the final track At Night (Love Divine) which opens with the intriguing lyric We are more than Northern Stars. This funkier vibed track still has those silken vocals with gratifying synth accompaniments.
The response to the EP has led to a couple of full hour specials on radio shows in both Europe and America. MORE have also been aired on a significant number of radio shows across the globe.
As a lifelong appreciator of synth music, I can confidently predict that for MORE, the best is yet to come. It’s always a joy to discover that new and exciting synth acts are out there still producing music that I want to listen to. I for one, will be watching and listening out for the future releases by MORE with much interest. They are certainly a band to watch… You heard it here first!
❉ ‘EPOne’ by MORE was released July 23, 2020. Available for Streaming + Download via the free Bandcamp: HERE
❉ To find out more about MORE: facebook | twitter | bandcamp
❉ Ange Chan is a freelance writer, having produced two novels and six volumes of poetry. She was also prolific contributor in the anthology collection Me and the Starman (now available by Cult Ink on Amazon) and is a lifelong lover of music, having first been published in the 1980s music press. As well as being a frequent contributor to the pop culture website We Are Cult, she is working on her long-standing third novel Champagne Flutes and Pixie Boots.