Those Dancing Days

Biography

Those Dancing Days are... 

...five young women who formed the 14th September , 2005 in a Nacka suburb of Stockholm, Sweden.

During the five years that already have passed, they've been traveling all around the world to spread their music. One album is out (In Our Space Hero Suits, 2008), one is coming and the five track EP (Those Dancing Days EP, 2007) was the beginning of the adventure.

It all started in Lisa's basement where Cissi and Rebecka sat, drinking tea with hopes and dreams for the future. They were in the middle of the ending with their first band (Her Peas) and Cissi the drummer consoled the other two that she knew a girl who could help them start a new one:

Mimmi, a bass playing girl from another school, had met Cissi on a language learning trip to England the summer before. The two connected immediately after Mimmi saw Cissi dancing at a disco. She had been to some of Her Peas shows with thoughts that she could play the bass more properly than Lisa. Yes, Lisa played bass at that time but only because of her brother. To be honest: all she ever wanted was to play the keyboards.

When school started again after summer Mimmi went to the same school as Lisa and Rebecka. They saw her in the dark school corridors and welcomed her to share their future. Lisa finally got to play the keyboards and Rebecka kept on with her guitar. After some rehearsals without singing and where ideas were kicked inside out on how they could find a singer someone said "A boy could be cool". Of course Mimmi had another plan:

Linnea, one of Mimmi's old classmates, had sometimes been singing during their music classes. Mimmi had noticed and told the other three "She sings really well, I'll ask her to join". The mission was completed, as you know, the 14th September 2005, when Linnea received a text message on her phone from Mimmi.

At their first rehearsal the other four had prepared some songs. One of them a cover by Shout Out Louds, who were the biggest musical inspiration the girls shared and wanted to sound like. They aimed to play "Please Please Please" but since the chords where a bit too difficult they chose "100 degrees" instead. Also, Cissi and Rebecka had been working on a song in Rebecka's room together with her tiny keyboard. They named it "Tasty Boy" and were excited as balloons to play it for the rest.

The five girls met up by their rehearsal place and Cissi and Rebecka introduced "Tasty Boy" to the others. Linnea, who barely dared to sing in the microphone, almost changed her mind on accepting the inquiry of being a part of the band when Cissi and Rebecka told her to whisper the chorus. But brave as she is, the story continued.

Now their biggest task was to come up with a convincing name for the band. The proposals were many but it was only one that was picked the winner. Mimmi (again) had gone through her list of good songs and picked a track. The next rehearsal she brought the title to her fellow band members. She suggested to name themselves after a Led Zeppelin song called "Dancing Days". So they did, with a little personal twist of course.

After some weeks they got the chance to play at a music night for young bands that took place in Nacka. The band accepted the offer and practised two covers and three self written tunes. The audience were family and friends and the success was a fact.

Every Monday, Thursday and Sunday the band met up for band rehearsal. They wrote more and more songs and played live whenever they got the chance. Once they even arranged their own music night at the local youth club where the rehearsals took place. So many people came - some had to sneak through the backdoor to get in.

After almost a year a friend from school asked them if they wanted to record a demo. He had practical training in a real studio in Stockholm, Studio Dubious, and the band had already experienced two failed demo recordings so they couldn't say more than yes.

In December 2006 they were back in Lisa's basement. The demo was in their hands and they wanted to make a Myspace as every other band. Art student Cissi painted a cover for their demo and they started to send emails to other bands for support gigs and to clubs to book them. Everything to get attention. They even announced a competition for people to come up with a good name for their song Hitten, but no one won.

In early 2007 they started to get shows at clubs in Stockholm. The first one was self arranged together with some friends who also had a band. It was at Carpe Nochtem in Södermalm with the band Fritjof & Familjen. Some days after Pet Sounds bar offered the band to play. Nick Levine from the blog "It's a trap!" had praised the new band from Sweden and the papers wrote about the young musical newcomers. Record labels, publishers and booking agencies took contact with the girls but it was only one woman who could charm the young musicians:

Helen McLaughlin signed the band to the V2 label the 17th May same year. The band had been playing a lot during and after Cissi, Lisa and Rebecka's graduation the summer stood by the door with festival shows, music video recordings and a lot of interviews.

It was in September the EP got released and celebrated with a pool party in Cissi's garden followed by touring, interviews, nominations at music awards. Time flew by and it was time for their first album to be done. They worked with the recordings alongside of work and school with the same friend who recorded the demo and EP, Max-Måns Wikman. Under a tour in Europe, October 2008, the debut album reached the world. And the touring went on. In November 2008 they played in Japan, in May 2009 they went to USA, in September same year they played in Brazil,  in May 2010 in China and in September 2010 they played in Russia. All corners of the world !

What also is waiting to be finished is the bands second album. It has been under construction for some time but will soon be ready. So as we say in Sweden:

"The one who waits for something good, never waits too long!"

The adventure of Those Dancing Days is ready to go on...