Nephew is a Danish
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band formed in 1996 in
Aarhus, Denmark
Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and approximately northwest ...
. The band consists of
Simon Kvamm
Simon Kvamm (born 18 February 1975 in Silkeborg) is a Danish- Faroese actor and singer. He is best known as one of the founding members of the Danish rock band Nephew, where he is the lead vocalist and keyboard player. He is also well known for ...
(lead vocals, keyboards, songwriting),
Kristian Riis (guitar, backing vocals),
Søren Arnholt (drums, backing vocals),
Kasper Toustrup (bass guitar),
René Munk Thalund (keyboards), and
Marie Højlund (vocals, keyboards, guitar).
The band uses a mixture of
Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...
and
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
in their lyrics; most of the band's early songs were in English with minimal Danish lyrics, but the band has since moved to primarily Danish vocals. In 2009, when interviewed about the band's mixture of languages, frontman Simon Kvamm said: "It's important for me to use the Danish kind of English that I speak...my mother tongue Danish, and my second language English, are very present to me in thinking and talking and speaking with others, and writing. Also in songwriting. And things just take form in one of those languages, or a mixture in between them. I can't really find a system to what goes the English way and what goes the Danish."
The band considers
Depeche Mode, and the extended night season of Denmark, as its major influences, and dedicate many of their songs to the latter. As of 2013, Nephew has sold over 400,000 copies of their albums.
History
Early Days and ''Swimming Time'' (1996-2004)
The band was formed in 1996 by Simon Kvamm, Kristian Riis, Jonas Juul Jeppesen, and Søren Arnholt, all of whom were studying
musicology at the
university of Aarhus
Aarhus University ( da, Aarhus Universitet, abbreviated AU) is a public research university with its main campus located in Aarhus, Denmark. It is the second largest and second oldest university in Denmark. The university is part of the Coimbra Gr ...
. In 1997 they participated in DM i Rock (Danish Championships in Rock), where they reached the semi-finals but did not win. In 1998 Nephew released two early demo albums, ''Tunes'' and ''Things to Do.'' After the release of these, they got some airtime on the Danish radio station
P3. In 1998, Jonas Juul Jeppesen, who was until then the bassist in the band, left and was replaced by the current bassist
Kasper Toustrup.
The band's first studio album, ''
Swimming Time'', was released on 3 May 2000, on the small label
Martian Records. The album was well received by both critics and fans, peaking at #15 on the charts for 1 week.
The band's gig calendar became even busier than it already was, and the band performed both on Camp Stage at
Roskilde Festival and several venues in Germany. In spite of the band's success, the band members lost their enthusiasm and decided to disband in 2001, but during their farewell concert in Germany, they rediscovered their passion for music and decided to stay together.
''USADSB'' and Breakthrough (2004-2006)
Nephew's second studio album, named ''
USADSB'', was released 30 June 2004. The name comes from the abbreviation for the
United States of America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
, and the abbreviation for the
Danske Statsbaner
DSB, an abbreviation of ''Danske Statsbaner'' (, ''Danish State Railways''), is the largest Danish train operating company, and the largest in Scandinavia. While DSB is responsible for passenger train operation on most of the Danish railways, go ...
. ''USADSB'' sold far more copies than Swimming Time, and was certified double platinum in Denmark and spawned six hit singles. It peaked at #1 and held that position for 7 weeks.
It was very well received and is seen as their "breakthrough" album in Denmark and elsewhere. While the success of the album was propelled by
Simon Kvamm
Simon Kvamm (born 18 February 1975 in Silkeborg) is a Danish- Faroese actor and singer. He is best known as one of the founding members of the Danish rock band Nephew, where he is the lead vocalist and keyboard player. He is also well known for ...
's participation in the Danish satire show
Drengene Fra Angora
''Drengene fra Angora'' ('' en, The Boys from Angora'') was a Danish television satirical comedy series.
First airing in 2004, it has acquired cult status in its native Denmark. Among its more popular sketches are Team Easy On, Landmandssøn ...
, the album's first single ''
Movie Klip'' became a radio hit in December 2003 well before the premiere of the show. One of the other singles from ''USADSB'', "En Wannabe Darth Vader", topped the Danish singles chart. Aside from Denmark, ''USADSB'' has been released in Japan, Germany, and Norway.
In 2005,
René Munk Thalund officially joined Nephew as keyboardist after having toured with the band since April 2004. He had previously been in the
electronic
Electronic may refer to:
*Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor
* ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal
*Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device
*Electronic co ...
trio Shanks.dk with Nephew's producer, Carsten Heller, and Jesper Birk. With the addition of Thalund, Nephew proceeded to make the song "Byens Hotel" for ''Værsgo 2'', the 2005 Danish tribute album to
Kim Larsen
Kim Mellius Flyvholm Larsen (23 October 1945 – 30 September 2018) was a Danish rock and pop musician. He was a major selling Scandinavian act with over 5 million albums sold.
Career
Kim Larsen was born in Copenhagen. Inspired by The Bea ...
's
1973
Events January
* January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union.
* January 15 – Vietnam War: ...
album ''
Værsgo
''Værsgo'' is the debut album of Kim Larsen who formed Gasolin' in 1969 with Wili Jønsson and Franz Beckerlee. It was released in 1973 while he was still a member of Gasolin', and the album contains songs which were not found suitable for Gaso ...
''. Sometime in 2005, a mix of Nephew's "Movie Klip" and
Depeche Mode's "
Personal Jesus
"Personal Jesus" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode. It was released as the lead single from their seventh studio album, '' Violator'' (1990), in 1989. It reached No. 13 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 28 on the ''Billbo ...
" appeared. It was later revealed that the mix was made by
René Munk Thalund.
''Interkom Kom Ind'' (2006-2008)
On 6 October 2006, Nephew released their third studio album, ''
Interkom Kom Ind.'' It was received well by critics and fans alike, and was certified 3× platinum in Denmark. The singles, "Igen & Igen &", "Science Fiction & Familien", and "Mexico Ligger i Spanien" rotated heavily on Danish radio. It topped the charts for 3 weeks.
The ''Mexico Ligger i Spanien Remix EP'' was released later in 2007, which contains remixes by
Mofus and
Klovn
''Klovn'' ("Clown") is a Danish sitcom, which first aired on the Danish TV channel TV2 Zulu. It focuses on the life of the main character Frank (played by Frank Hvam) and Casper (played by Casper Christensen). The show builds its comedy around ...
of the song "Mexico Ligger i Spanien", as well as both an extended mix and a short intro version of the song.
At the 2006
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an a ...
, the band met
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
, who wanted them to work on his forthcoming
Timbaland Presents Shock Value
''Shock Value'' is the second solo studio album by record producer Timbaland. It is Timbaland's first release on his own imprint, the Interscope Records-distributed Mosley Music Group. ''Shock Value'' features a long list of guest artists, among ...
album. Due to other commitments, Nephew couldn't contribute to the album, but they did produce a remix of the song "
The Way I Are
"The Way I Are" is a song by American producer Timbaland, released as the second single from his second studio album ''Shock Value'' (2007). The song features vocals by singer Keri Hilson, and is included on international editions on her debut a ...
". Nephew frontman Simon Kvamm delivered new vocals for the song, which were included on the single release. The remix sampled the melody from "Igen & Igen &", as well as translated-to-English lyrics from the song which were then incorporated throughout the remix. It was released in most of Europe as a
B-side to the original single, but in
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...
, was played often as the main single.
On 5 November 2007, Nephew released a live performance box-set (Live-CD/2DVD) entitled ''
Roskilde 07.07.07'' based upon a much-acclaimed live performance at Orange Scene at the 2007
Roskilde Festival. The Live CD features songs from the albums ''USADSB'' and ''Interkom Kom Ind'', including a special version of "Hospital" which features a guest performance by Danish rapper
L.O.C. The Special Edition of the box also includes the band's remix of the
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
track "The Way I Are". The album peaked at #2 for 1 week.
In September 2008, a Nephew remix of the song "Allein Allein" by
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
band
Polarkreis 18, entitled "Allein Alene", began to play on the Danish radio. It was mixed by the keyboardist of the band,
René Munk Thalund, and
Carsten Heller, who both mixes and produces for Nephew. It topped the charts for 8 weeks.
''Danmark/Denmark'' (2009-2010)
![Simon Kvamm - Nephew (Band) - Roskilde Festival 2010](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Simon_Kvamm_-_Nephew_%28Band%29_-_Roskilde_Festival_2010.jpg)
Nephew released their fourth studio album, ''
Danmark/Denmark'', on 5 June 2009, the Danish
Constitution Day
Constitution Day is a holiday to honour the constitution of a country. Constitution Day is often celebrated on the anniversary of the signing, promulgation or adoption of the constitution, or in some cases, to commemorate the change to constitut ...
. It peaked at #1, holding the spot for 2 weeks.
Following a performance at
Roskilde Festival in 2010, the band announced that they would be taking a break from touring and Denmark, although they did play shows in Norway and China. On 23 November 2011 they announced via their official website that they would be playing several concerts in July 2012 as a part of the
Grøn Koncerter ("Green Concert"). They also announced in the same press release that they had begun work on ''
Hjertestarter'' and expected to release it sometime in the autumn of 2012.
Nephew was also responsible for the official football song for the
2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa: "
The Danish Way to Rock
"''The Danish Way to Rock''" is a Danish language 2010 FIFA World Cup theme song for Denmark and a hit single by Danish band Nephew featuring Landsholdet (meaning "the national team" in Danish). The song went straight into #1 in the Tracklist ...
", which sat at the top of the charts for 2 weeks.
In addition to this, the ''Police Bells & Church Sirens EP'' was released in 2010, containing a radio edit, the "Dainty Doll's Trend Mix", and "Nephew's Nightlife Mix" (mixed by
René Munk Thalund) of the song "Police Bells & Church Sirens". Furthermore, two of the band members, René Munk Thalund and
Kristian Riis, did backing vocals for
Kim Wilde's song "Hey! You!" on her album ''
Come Out and Play''.
''Hjertestarter'' (2012)
Nephew's fifth studio album, ''
Hjertestarter,'' was released on 2 November 2012, and dedicated to Denmark's extended night season. It went straight to the number one most sold album (in Denmark) that month and the Danish
iTunes store
The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...
, holding the top spot on the charts for 2 weeks.
Nephew has performed at various events with the single "Hjertestarter" from the album; most recently the
Danish Music Awards'12. When asked what this single was meant to convey, Kristian Riis said: "The album's title track is a tribute to the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the ...
. The single acts to start up the heart–emotionally or literally in a revival." The third single "Gå med dig" featuring
Marie Key
Marie Key Kristiansen better known as Marie Key is a Danish pop singer and songwriter. Marie released a successful debut single "Se nu herhen" ('Look over here') taken from her debut album ''I byen igen'' ('In the town again'). With her second ...
went Gold.
''1-2-3-4-5'' and ''Igen & Igen &'' (2013)
On 18 November 2013, Nephew released an album boxset, ''1-2-3-4-5'', as well as a collection of singles, ''Igen & Igen &''. ''1-2-3-4-5'' contains Nephew's five studio albums along with 15 bonus songs; early renditions of the songs "USADSB", "Mexico Ligger i Spanien", "Hospital", "007 Is Also Gonna Die", and "Hjertestarter"; a remix of "Downtown Europe" by
Ørtz/
Mofus; an alternative version of "Worst/Best Case Scenario"; an early version of "Superliga"; the previously unreleased demo songs "Swedenborg" and "Marking Princess"; and
premixes of the previously unreleased "Pasfotografier", "Automatisk Mig", "Stop Nu Hjælp Nu", "The Day I Laminate My Heart", and "Jeg Kan Se". It peaked at #15 and stayed there for a week.
''Igen & Igen &'' is a collection of all of Nephew's singles currently released at the time, as well as one bonus track: a cover of the song "Det Si'r Sig Selv" by
C.V. Jørgensen. It sat at #8 for 1 week.
''Ring–i–Ring'' (2018)
In October 2017 Nephew announced that they would return in 2018 after four years in hiatus. They announced two arena shows in
Jyske Bank Boxen
Jyske Bank Boxen is an indoor arena, located in Herning, Denmark, that is part of the Messecenter Herning. Opened in October 2010, it has a maximum capacity of 12,500.
It hosts concerts, ice hockey, basketball, volleyball, team handball and gymn ...
and
Royal Arena
The Royal Arena is a multi-use indoor arena in the Ørestad South area of Copenhagen, Denmark. The ground was broken for construction on 26 June 2013 and the arena opened in February 2017. It has a capacity of 13,000 for sporting events and up t ...
to take place a year later. The more that 30.000 tickets for the shows sold out in less than a day. They also announced Marie Højlund as a new member of the band. While unknown to the broader public, Højlund had played in indie bands Tiger Tunes and Marybell Katastrophy and she holds a Ph.D. in sound design. Later Nephew added two exclusive festival shows to their tour, one being on
Roskilde Festival's iconic Orange Stage. January 2018 saw the release of the EP ''Vinter–i–Ring,'' including the single "Amsterdam" and a re-work of the old German/Danish song ''Sig Månen Langsomt Hæver''. The songs represents the well-known sound of Nephew with the prominent presence of Marie Højlund's vocals, keyboards and guitars. In April 2018 another EP, ''Forår–i–Ring,'' was released with a spectacular event on the rooftop of
ARoS Aros may refer to:
*Aros (Middle-earth), a river in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium
* Aros, Mull, the location of Aros Castle, a ruined 13th-century castle on the Isle of Mull, Scotland
*AROS Research Operating System, a free software i ...
.
In July 2018, the EP ''Sommer–i–Ring'' was released; and finally, in September 2018, the last EP ''Efterår–i–Ring'' was released.
Nephew's sixth studio album, ''Ring–i–Ring'', was released on September 27, 2018. The theme of the album is the circular motions within nature and our lives.
Band members
Current
*
Simon Kvamm
Simon Kvamm (born 18 February 1975 in Silkeborg) is a Danish- Faroese actor and singer. He is best known as one of the founding members of the Danish rock band Nephew, where he is the lead vocalist and keyboard player. He is also well known for ...
– lead vocals, keyboards, songwriting (1996–present)
* Kristian Riis – guitar, backing vocals (1996–present)
*
Søren Arnholt – drums, backing vocals (1996–present)
*
Kasper Toustrup – bass guitar (1998–present)
*
René Munk Thalund – keyboards (2005–present)
*
Marie Højlund - vocals, keyboards, guitar (2017–present)
Former
*
Jonas Juul Jeppesen – bass guitar (1996–98)
Discography
Albums
* ''
Swimming Time'' (2000)
* ''
USADSB'' (2004)
* ''
Interkom Kom Ind'' (2006)
* ''
Danmark/Denmark'' (2009)
* ''
Hjertestarter'' (2012)
* ''
Ring—i—Ring'' (2018)
Live albums
* ''USADSB 10 x så live'' (2004)
* ''
Roskilde 07.07.07'' (2007)
* ''Hjertestarter 10 x så live'' (2013)
Compilations
* ''Igen & Igen &'' (2013)
* ''1-2-3-4-5'' (2013)
References
External links
Nephew's official siteSimon Kvamm's official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nephew
Danish rock music groups
Musical groups established in 1996
MTV Europe Music Award winners