Molotov Jive
Molotov Jive is a Swedish indie rock group from Karlstad, Värmland, Sweden, formed in late 2003 by vocalist and songwriter Anton Annersand and drummer Johan Hansson (nicknamed Johnny Handsome). Main influences for the band in the early days were The Beatles, The Smiths and The Who, and with their second album in 2009, titled Songs for the Fallen Apart, a more epic and type of songwriting in the likeness of 1970s Bruce Springsteen, The Killers and The Clash made its presence noted.
Career
Molotov Jive were signed to Swedish independent record label Bonnier Amigo Music after their first show outside their native Karlstad, a "battle of the bands" type show at Nalen in Stockholm. In March 2006 their first single was released, "The Luck You Got" which got a notable amount of airplay on Swedish radio, followed in June by second single "Made In Spain". On 25 October 2006 Molotov Jive released their debut album When It's All Over I'll Come Back Again, which included "Made In Spain" and for which they shot the video for in Barcelona, Spain.
The band went on to release two further singles, "Weight off my Shoulder", and the free download single "Valentines Day" on 14 February 2007. In 2007, the band made their first foray into mainland Europe with shows in London followed by a sizeable support tour with Sugarplum Fairy. This resulted in European deals for When It's Over I'll Come Back Again, which went on to be released there in October 2007. Their first major headline European tour coincided with the release of the album, followed in January 2008 with another support tour with UK band The Enemy.
While recordings of second album Songs For The Fallen Apart were taking place with producer Tom Hakava, in Decibel Studio in Stockholm in 2008, Molotov Jive toured with many UK acts, including Arctic Monkeys, The Coral, Razorlight, Dirty Pretty Things and US punk band The Dirtbombs.
On 29 January 2009, Molotov Jive released second album in Scandinavia, including the single "Paint The City Black", which received airplay on Swedish radio throughout 2009. Reviews of Songs For The Fallen Apart noted that the band were leaving the garage rock sound for something more epic and grandiose. It was released in mainland Europe on the 26 June, through Indigo/Strangeways. The band embarked on another headline tour of Europe in October and November 2009.
As of 2010, the band have spent their time writing for their third album and played occasional live shows. Most notably supporting Suede at Cirkus in Stockholm on December 1, 2010. This show was the first time Molotov Jive performed as a five piece band, adding synths and extra percussion to their outfit.
In the spring of 2011, Molotov Jive went to North America to work with American producer Sylvia Massy on their third record, to be titled Storm. The album was recorded at Radiostar Studios in northern California during five weeks. With Storm, Molotov Jive took their music in a different direction which has been described by critics as post punk or shoegazing. The first single from the upcoming third record, "Friendship", started getting airplay on Swedish national radio during February 2012. Storm was released on March 5, 2012, on vinyl and digital formats, through Supernova Records. A week after Storm]]'s release the band's official website announced that Molotov Jive would be supporting the Scottish band Glasvegas on a string of dates in Scandinavia.
Band members
- Anton Annersand – Lead vocals, songwriting, rhythm guitar, piano and organ
- Anders Wennberg – Bass player and backing vocals (also plays trumpet on the single, "Paint The City Black")
- Johan Hansson – Drums, percussion and backing vocals
- Oskar Olofsson – Lead guitar