Beginning their journey in 2007, Klara & Johanna Söderberg (the sisterly duo that make First Aid Kit) have truly established themselves as an indie band sensation. Their pop-folk tunes having struck a balance between soft lilts to notes full of countryesque beats that would have even the cowboys jealous. Not to mention sultry-disco numbers that induce a slow sway of the sequined shoulders.
Wanting to do something different for the music video It’s a Shame – and away from previous works in which the duo were always filmed closely together – First Aid Kit have produced a split-screen video that has a touch of the retro; with a kodak black frame and an almost sepia filter, showing two scenarios that have different outcomes. Directed by Mats Udd, the video follows Klara and Johanna as they go about their evening, and although they come across the same experiences the results are very different – in the style of what could be parallel versions. The divide occurring from their first steps; with one sighing at a puddle, the other merely skipping over it, and as such the two split apart in how the world treats them. Look out for how the colour in one seems a little bit brighter, and how Klara, who seems to have a tougher time, has the title’s song on her t-shirt –‘It’s a Shame’.
Open to interpretation, you could say it’s looking back at the good and bad times of a relationship, or the way we’re expected to act about a break-up e.g. sad or happy. Or even how the video is a reflection on people’s view to life; pessimistic to optimistic, with the latter having a better time of it. But both versions however; try to sing and dance with a band; knock over the bowling pins; and simply walk outside – but in this they have very different results, with one even walking out to rain instead of snow. So is it really just luck of the draw?
The song itself, written by Klara, is about the pain of a relationship ending; from the immediate loneliness to the distractions we take, even though the general feeling of sadness still remains – maybe this is why no matter what Klara does in the video, she still feels sad. The world around her just reflecting this. But it’s a guess, at best, First Aid Kit being vague about the video, which allows the viewers their own unique connection to it.
Co-writing many of their songs, Klara & Johanna’s inspirations come from the intimate moments of their lives, to a merge of music that has influenced them. There’s a definitive country rhythm to their songs, but their voices – harmonising to perfect precision – miss that category with an additional combination of folk-rock. In other words First Aid Kit have it all, and as seen in previous performances, more than bring it all to the stage.
Other songs by First Aid Kit we love:
- Give Me Love (2020 – single [Swedish version])
- To Live a Life (2018 – Ruins)
- Master Pretender (2014 – Stay Gold)
- My Silver Lining (2014 – Stay Gold)
- Emmylou (2012 – single)
- King of the World (2012 – The Lion’s Roar)
Other artists you might like:
- Lily & Madeleine
- The Head & The Heart
- The Staves
- The Secret Sisters
