Makthaverskan are a

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-roc ...

band from

Gothenburg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...

, formed in 2008. Led by vocalist Maja Milner, the band combines post-punk with elements of

dream pop Dream pop (also typeset as dreampop) is a subgenre of alternative rock and neo-psychedelia that emphasizes atmosphere and sonic texture as much as pop melody. Common characteristics include breathy vocals, dense productions, and effects such as ...

jangle pop Jangle pop is a subgenre of pop rock or college rock that emphasizes jangly guitars and 1960s-style pop melodies. The term originated from Bob Dylan's song " Mr. Tambourine Man", whose 1965 rendition by the Byrds became considered one of the g ...

gothic rock Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie a ...

and

shoegaze Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with "dream pop") is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volu ...

History

Makthaverskan began in 2008 with the release of both a mini CD with a collection of demos and their debut self-titled album, released by Luxury Records. According to vocalist Maja Milner, the name Makthaverskan refers to the female version of the Swedish word ''makthavare'', which refers to a powerful male. The name came from a friend of band member Hugo Randulv, and Milner said "it describes Irma and me pretty well, since we both take charge and are powerful." Milner was 16 when the band formed and Makthaverskan quickly ascended the Swedish festival circuit. The band was influenced by

Broder Daniel Broder Daniel (Swedish for ''Brother Daniel''), often abbreviated as BD, was an alternative rock band from Gothenburg, Sweden. They formed in the late 1980s and then consisted of classmates Henrik Berggren and Daniel Gilbert. The band claims the ...

, a Swedish

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

band popular in the 1990s, as well as

The Smiths The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerg ...

and

Cocteau Twins Cocteau Twins was a Scottish rock band active from 1979 to 1997. They were formed in Grangemouth by Robin Guthrie (guitars, drum machine) and Will Heggie (bass), adding Elizabeth Fraser (vocals) in 1981 and replacing Heggie with multi-instrum ...

. Milner said, "The main reason we started Makthaverskan is because we were so irritated about this one band rom Swedenthat was so famous. And there was no real feeling, it was just… boring guitars. There was a big punk scene in the 90s with Broder Daniel, but then it died and everyone started making this baby-singing kind of music." In an interview with ''Pitchfork'', Milner declared that Makthaverskan represented a rejection of the popular Swedish music of its era, such as

Robyn Robin Miriam Carlsson (born 12 June 1979), known as Robyn (), is a Swedish pop singer, songwriter, record producer, and DJ. She arrived on the music scene with her 1995 debut album, ''Robyn Is Here'', which produced two Billboard Hot 100, ''Bil ...

and

Lykke Li Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson (born 18 March 1986), known as Lykke Li (), is a Swedish singer. Her music often blends elements of indie pop, dream pop and electronic. Her debut studio album, ''Youth Novels'', was released in 2008, and has been fol ...

. "We're against it... They are only representing Sweden because they are famous cute girls." In 2011, the band released the single "Antabus". Two years later, the band released both a 7" single titled "Something More" and their second full-length album ''Makthaverskan II'', which contained those singles. Around this time, Milner moved to

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

as a result of her interest in

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...

. ''Pitchfork'' named "Asleep" the 73rd-best song of 2014, and ''Makthaverskan II'' received recognition from the site as one of the most overlooked albums of the year. In 2015, the band released a 7" single titled "Witness", which ''Pitchfork'' awarded with its Best New Track honor. The band's third album ''III'' came out in 2017, and guitarist Gustav Data Andersson left the band prior to its release in order to embark on a solo career. The band's fourth album ''För Allting'' was released in 2021, supported by the lead single "This Time".

Band members

*Maja Milner (vocals) *Hugo Randulv (bass, guitar) *Irma Pussila Krook (bass, guitar) *Per Svensson (guitar) *Andreas Palle Wettmark (drums) Earlier members: *Gustav Data Andersson (guitar)

Discography

Studio albums *''Makthaverskan'' (2009, Luxury, Run For Cover) *''Makthaverskan II'' (2013, Luxury, Run For Cover) *'' III'' (2017, Luxury, Run For Cover) *''För Allting'' (2021, Run For Cover) Singles *"Antabus" (2011, Luxury) *"Something More" (2013, Luxury) *"Witness" (2015, Luxury, Run For Cover) *"In My Dreams" (2017, Luxury) *"Demands/Onkel" (2019, Luxury, Run For Cover)

References

{{Authority control Musical groups from Gothenburg Musical groups established in 2008 Run for Cover Records artists