Indie Trio, Ted Duchamp Releases New 4-Song EP, "Lost Through Town"
THIS JOURNAL BELONGS TO
BECK SALGADO
From the heart of Sweden, Stockholm’s very own
Ted Duchamp is looking to establish themselves in 2021 with a slightly different sound and a new cast of band members.
5 MINS READ TIME
The trio of Teo Sjolund (vocals/guitar), Chris Fraser (guitar) and Axel Olofsson (bass/trumpet) all met in various different TV settings In Sweden. Sjolund and Olofsson met during the filming of the drama TV series “The Restaurant” in Stockholm, and Fraser met Sjolund during a job interview at a production company before where Fraser said that he was considerably impressed by Sjolund’s talent.
As the personnel of the band took a change in 2019 with previous members leaving, this left the door open for the Ted Duchamp that we know today to form.
Known for their surfy indie sound, the members have said that they were looking to incorporate more elements of Jazz into their new EP, Lost Through Town.
Lead singer Sjolund, said of the EP that he always envisioned it as “a soundtrack for walking alone through town at night;” something that translates in the EPs melodic feel.
While Ted Duchamp certainly wears their influences on their sleeve, something that I found interesting was how they incorporated Swedish music and literature into their new EP.
Olofsson said that the band loves making music and their main goal within the music field is to use this love to connect with audiences. Something they hope to do more in a live music setting in 2021.
As they gushed about each other’s talents, guitarist Fraser said that he enjoys how the band “seem to complete each other artistically…we all bring something that enhances the other members,” is how he described the bands dynamic. As Fraser himself has a background in punk music, he expressed that playing with the band felt so natural that going in a different direction artistically didn’t bother him.
I would be lying if seeing how much fun the band had together didn’t mean anything to me, and as we find ourselves in a music industry climate where bands are handpicked or “planted”, the fact that Ted Duchamp describe themselves as something “formed through friendship” is very encouraging to hear. Beyond the mere virtue of this, the fluid dynamic that the band has cultivated seems to inherently enhance their music.
In this latest EP, no track feels forced or unnatural and the harmony of each of the members talents is one of the bigger highlights on the project for me. With the unique background in punk that Fraser has, and the versatility that Olofsson brought with being able to play guitar and trumpet, it's impressive in itself that the new members were able to blend with the talents of Sjolund so well and so quickly.
Lost Through Town presents a touchstone for the band's evolution as it is the first EP it has put out with its current members. A distinct shift in mood from livelier tracks like Coke Float and Better Days, Lost Though Town provides a foundation for the band to build a more refined style on.
Maybe most prominently, it sounds like the feeling of walking into a music festival on a saturday afternoon which i'm sure is a feeling we are all craving to experience post-COVID-19.
While it is by no means perfect, Lost Through Town is genuinely compelling and even though influences from larger bands/artists in the same genre like Yellow Days and Rex Orange County are clear, the EP does enough to set itself apart to demand a listen and get audiences excited for what will come next for the band.
A Track by Track Review:
Track I - Lazy Dog
On the opening track Lazy Dog, which is also the shortest on the EP, the beautifully melodic instrumentation that Axel Olofsson and Chris Fraser specifically create on the opening track sets the tone for the EPs dreamworld feeling. Within this track the instrumentation serves as the soft platform for Teo Sjolund’s intimate lyrics about missing a lover. This natural combination elicits the feeling of knowing that reliving the past means the future is over.
The song ends a bit abruptly which brings this dreamy feeling it cultivates to a subtle and underwhelming end. Though given the subject matter of the song, this swift ending does seem to work in an artistic way as it could represent the inevitable end that the song is alluding to.
Track II - Lost Through Town
The title track Lost Through Town creates the same dreamy atmosphere, but is much more playful. Laced with abstract verses pertaining to love, the track seems to run parallel to the previous one in the sense that it offers a window into the beautiful struggle of love. The vocal performance on this track projects the feeling of a reserved vulnerability that comes with the love it is describing.
Lost Through Town is the only track on the EP thus far to be accompanied by a music video which nicely compliments the tracks dreamy sound while emphasizing feelings of monatomy. As a lone candle burns in the middle of a small office, Sjolund calmly performs the song as a suited Fraser seems to be getting buried under a never ending pile of work.
Track III - Ice Skating in Vasaparken
The penultimate track Ice Skating in Vasaparken is a bouncy instrumental that feels like it could fit perfectly into an emotional scene within a Pixar movie. A track to fall in love to, the jazz influences shine bright throughout on this song.
In the context of the EPs message about love the beautiful piano—played by keyboardist Chad Carrera—reminds the listener of the power that love has even when autonomous from words.
Track IV - After Hours
Originally planned to be a secret track, the conclusion to the EP—After Hours—was actually written in the studio while the band was recording the EP. By far my favorite song from the project, After Hours represents the satisfying ending the audience was looking for as it offers a message of hope about love—this is that love is somehow cyclical and beautifully unique at the same time.
The gorgeous addition of the trumpet fading in and out of the song brings a whole new element to the EPs atmosphere. I almost wish that the trio found a way to incorporate the trumpet into other songs as it works so well on this track.