Tired but happy!

Lately it has been an intensive period of recordings, preparations, travels and gigs, but it has certainly left us feeling pleased, and everytime the band and I attend these periods of time and pull through, I really feel that I'm doing exactly what it is I want to do. Nothing beats the feeling.

The gig at Säljeryd came as a bit of a surprise since we had to manage without Magnus (the pianist). We missed him, but I have to admit it was a learnful experience that reminded me of how important the piano really is in the arrangement of my songs..
Still, the four of us did our best at giving as good a performance as possible. As a result I played the piano myself on some of the songs, which worked well enough (even though I prefer Magnus on the piano). It's good to know we can still perform while partly crippled; who knows what other unpredictable things might suddenly show up?

The day after, we performed in an even smaller set up. This time it was just me, Magnus and Anton and together we gave an acoustic performance at a private event in Eksjö. It was an interesting concert since it was exactly in this set up the project of putting together my band first started up!
One year later, many gigs and countless of experiences richer we were now giving a one hour long concert including almost every song I've written so far, and made it a great and professional concert!



Next challenge up for Mohlavyr is the audition at "Musik i Väst" already this wednesday!
Please wish us an extraordinary performance!
http://www.miv.se

Two great days with two great gigs; Folkfesten in Örebro as well as Malmöfestivalen in Malmö.

It was already crowded when we entered the stage of the arrangement "Folkfesten" at Våghustorget in Örebro.
Happy to support the great singer-songwriter Mikael Wiehe and the reggae artist Kapten Röd, me and the band gave a concert we feel proud of.
Especially since the new song "Get it Out" went so well, even though it was the first time we played it live! And the audience seemed to appreciate our gig as well, some of them even burst out dancing:)

Creds goes out to our drummer Simon for coming all the way from Oslo traveling by bus early in the morning, and who also learnt how to play the new song at the rehearsal right before the evenings gig!

The next day we drove for 7 hours to arrive at the Festival of Malmö, something that was really worth the long travel.
The lovely people, wonderful arrangers and the competent sound technician made us feel very comfortable, and I believe the stage was the most beautiful we've entered so far! (have a look at the pictures in the gallery under "tours") Playing for a sitting, well-listening audience made it even better.
The gig itself was fun but a little awkward.. The drum sticks mysteriously disappeared, and ended up with Simon playing with a dish brush and plastic cutlery.
But on the other hand, it contributed to our experimental set up using different instruments, and it gave the audience some additional entertainment:)

And speaking of the audience; I myself had the luck of finding many well-recognized faces in the crowd. In other words; friends from my school time and past work, which I haven't met for a very long time. This was a really lovely surprise to me, and made the show even better! Afterwards I and the band got such lovely words from both friends and strangers that it will keep us going for a long time!






Read more about the concerts in swedish at: http://ulrikamohlin.wordpress.com
As well as the review from "Folkfesten": http://www.knytpunkt.com/artiklar.php?id=495

Next gig up is "Säljerydfestivalen" hosted outside of Växjö, and the day after that; in Eksjö at the art gallery of Erik Mohlin where Mohlavyr will bring only two of her members, the cellist and the pianist, and you are of course more than welcome!

The new logotype of Mohlavyr is almost finished!
But for those who can't wait, you can already now find some clues from the photo session of the making of the logo, (photos are uploaded in the gallery).

I and Erik spent a long day setting up the studio with external lights and the image background, and not to mention transporting the piano(!), and of course taking all the pictures.
It was really though, but definately worth it, and we had a blast!

Read more about the session (in swedish) at my blog:
http://ulrikamohlin.wordpress.com

Mohlavyr and the band is now preparing for the two upcoming shows:
Folkfesten in Örebro the 21st and "Malmöfestivalen" the following day the 22nd of August, which will be one of our most meriting concerts to date.

It's an honor to be the opening act for Mikael Wiehe and Kapten Röd at Folkfesten,
aswell as being booked for such a popular and growing festival as Malmöfestivalen.
During the same day as our performance in Malmö, cherished live performers like Lars Winnerbäck, Theresa Andersson and Melissa Horn will give concerts.

Find more information about the event here:
http://www.malmofestivalen.se/musik/pop-rock/mohlavyr/

The Review: http://hjalmarenstidning.se/ok/ok100719.html
Mohlavyr and the band is in a good shape!
The gig at "Parkfesten" in Nora was a success, and the amazing response from the audience proved it all.
I guess the reasons are periods of hard-working rehearsals and several gigs in a row, but mostly I know it depended on the forum, which in this case was perfect for us: a big stage with a lot of space and seats for the audience. It may appear a bit silly to demand something like that but after giving our concerts on many different types of stages and places, I've learnt that it affects the performance more than you sometimes want it to.. However, I and the band are very satisfied with the gig, and we would like to thank the arrangers and sound engineers for a professional job.
It was also fun to see "The Kinkies" (which Christian - the bassist in my band, played with just before our gig) and the energetic SKA band "Square" with their brass ensemble and bass arrangements that was so good I just have to mention them!
After our own gig, Theresa Andersson entered the stage, and it was really something special. Surrounded by a big amount of loop pedals, and just to mention a few of her instruments; violin, guitar and a small set of drums, she built up a full band by recording herself while playing. It really impressed me, and most of all, she really inspired me in the way she expressed herself through her music. She and her music were as one!





Next gig up: 21th of August at Folkfesten in Örebro, where Mohlavyr and the band will attend as the opening act to Mikael Wiehe and Kapten Röd
and already the day after; Mohlavyr is booked for the festival in Malmö!
I can hardly wait!

It really touched me, the Forest Festival of 2010.
As we arrived we were warmly welcomed by the arrangers and the volunteers, and we immediately caught sight of the stage, which was built by the arrangers themselves! Even the mixing booth was built up in the same spirit! This came as a great surprise to us, and I and the band felt that this was a place we really liked and was happy to attend; surrounded by art, crafts, lovely environment, nature and great people! The feeling was really unbeatable, and it surely affected our gig, which went great, and in my belief - was one of our best yet!
Mostly it depended on the well-listening audience. It is always nice to play for the ones who are present with their minds, and the ones who can manage to focus on the music as well as the lyrics..
During the festival, movies and lectures were held, and after our gig, "Teatermaskinen" gave a one-man-show performance which also got very appreciated. At last the ex member of the swedish reggae/ska-band: Svenska Akademien, General Knas rocked the stage and got everyone to burst out dancing!






http://www.skogsfestivalen.org/2010/

The countdown has begun, in a few days Mohlavyr and the band will have the honor to inauguratee the "Forest Festival 2010", held outside of Örebro. And only three days later we will also attend at "Parkfesten in Nora"! You are of course more than welcome!

The Forest Festival (14 -18 Juli) will be held at the cottage place Åfallet, 9 km from the village Hjortkvarn in the south of Örebro County.
"The festival is a manifestation for the protection of the old-growth forest and for a reformation of the forestry, with concerts, film, theater, dance and poetry. Lectures will be held about conservation, climate, nature-oriented forestry, forest history and ecology. Guided nature tours, field trips and many exciting workshops on culture, health and nature.."

Apart from Mohlavyr you can also see General Knas, Storsien, The Wait and One Step perform on stage!

To pre-book tickets and to find out the way, visit:
http://www.skogsfestivalen.org

Parkfesten i Nora (16-17 Juli) hosted at the people's park in Nora has a quantity of great artists and bands to present during these two days:
Theresa Andersson, Nicola Sarcevic, Kebnekajse, The Kinikies and Dag Vag! And Mohlavyr is proad to be one of them!
Visit the website; http://www.parkfesten.com to book tickets and to get more info.

"The third time is the charm!" was our conviction when we arrived in Sala this time, and in contrast to previous gigs at pubs and cafés to perform at the outside stage in Salas' town square.
We were in a good mood and played quite a long set: about 45 minutes, but we noticed pretty fast that the slow songs easily disperced in the wind.
The faster songs got more appreciated however, and caught the attention of some of the visitors who digged the rhythm.
It was a fun gig, even though the amount of visitors were small..
But hey, you still got to play for those who are listening, right?

Besides the gig, we were at the same time celebrating Criss' birthday, and I hope he enjoyed it!

So what do we do in-between our live performances?
The recording of the full-length album is in progress and the day after the gig in Sala I took the opportunity to once again record the accordion to the song "Dilemma", and this time, thanks to the help from Anton, I finally made it! Which is a relief, and now I'm looking forward to record the vocals, choires, piano and the cello!



Next gig up is "Skogsfestivalen" (hosted just outside of Örebro) and only a few days later: "Parkfesten" in Nora!
I'll update you with the exact dates and time as soon as I know the details!

In an hour we're heading off to the festival of Sala,
and it will be a very special day, since we also have someones birthday to celebrate...

6 p.m. we're on the stage! See also
Björn Wallgren & Generalerna, MOA, Royal Company, Hundår and The Waves at the same event!



Keep a look out for photos and notes shortly after!

Four stars!

Once again me and the band entered the stage at the yearly festival "YEAH!10", hosted in the central park of Örebro invaded with thousands of visitors enjoying the 95 booked bands and artists in the early summer heat.
In contrast from last year, which actually was our debut concert, we were now better prepared with new songs, experiences and confidence thanks to a lot of rehearsing and to the gig the day before at the festival of Örebro University (more about this later).
This time at "YEAH" we had our drummer and horn player Simon with us, and thanks to the larger set-up I think we gave the audience a much wider and completed spectra of the songs.
And the gig itself? It went great, and so did the critics think! You can read a review at http://meny.nu/nyheter/1.844407-mohlavyr- We got four stars out of five!


And at last, about the gig at Örebro University: we had some struggling with the sound check, something that had me a bit stressed up, which unfortunately affected my performance on some of the songs. But luckily we managed to get back on track and got some of our audience to see us already the next day at Yeah!
I believe that was a big compliment in itself! And concerning my little mistakes, I've learned the importance of cooling down before the concert:)

Have a look at the photos from the recent concerts in the gallery and see us next time at the festival of Sala, the 5th of June, which is already next Saturday!

Mohlavyr performing the song "No One" at the dungeon of Örebro Castle.



The video is directed by Gabriel Rådström (photographer at the local newspaper "Nerikes Allehanda") to promote our gig at Yeahfestivalen the 29th of May!
Hear more from Mohlavyr and the band then, and keep on visiting this website for the most recent news!

This is for you who missed our concert last Saturday! It won't give a fair picture of the actual performance, but perhaps a hint of what you can expect next time!
See us at "Björnstugan" the 12th as well as "Yeahfestivalen" the 29th of May. Both hosted in Örebro! Don't miss it!

WOW is what I have to say! How can I possibly express my experience from the concert in any other way?
To be honest, this is the best concert the band and I have ever given and I'm completely exhausted, and in the same time completely pleased and happy about it.

One hour filled with the whole repertoire of old as well as brand new songs, music videos and performances with some theatrical elements really amused the audience and gave me and the band the assurance that concert halls like "Aggershus" is the perfect environment for us to perform and present our music.
Expressions, feelings and messages that the songs carry was brought out strong and I can hardly wait to do shows like this again.

To get a clue from how everything went, have a look at the photos in the gallery, (soon the video recording will also be uploaded) and see us in real life at Björnstugan "Bandclash" in Örebro the 12th of May!





A big THANKS goes out to Ingela and Lars Agger for their open arms, professional arrangement, well handed promotion, the best support and also for the hosting, food and inspiration. 

Finally I got some time to tell you about last weekends performance at the art exhibition in Sköllen Restaurang & Gårdshotell in Simrishamn!
Since I've always been curious about the connection between art and music, it was a great experience for me to perform in this kind of environment, and also to play my songs in a smaller set up; meaning just me and my cellist.
It was a challenge, but it turned out to work very well.
While we were playing visitors dropped by and could feel free to do whatever they felt like; listen to the music, looking at the exhibition or simply do both..
What more could you wish for?

The weekend was great and definitely worth the long long trip! Thank you Anton and big thanks to Svante and Ingrid - the hostess at the hotel and to Åsa and Emma, the artists behind the lovely exhibition, which you can still go and see!
Make sure you won't miss it! The exhibition will last until the 19th of April.
visit http://www.skollengardshotell.se/konst-i-pask.html for more information.



To view more photos from the performance and exhibition, go to "Gallery" and find them under TOURS!

On Saturday Mohlavyr with the full band will enter the stage of Aggershus and give the greatest and longest concert thus far.
Spread the word, you are already welcomed!

Mohlavyr participates in a music competition!

WHATEVER!

Check out the music video which has just been made available on YouTube and
vote for my song on www.metroonstage.com/artist/mohlavyr
The winner gets the opportunity to perform at the "Way Out West" festival and to release the single on the record company Universal Music,
which also includes distribution of the record
and a lot of marketing!

Give me stars!



Also this video has been made in collaboration with Original Pink a.k.a Erik Friberg. www.orignalpink.com

On Saturday the 10th of April at 7 p.m. me and the band will perform at the concert hall "Aggershus". This show will be the longest concert I have ever given so far. In other words; many songs, both old and brand new will be played. Some even along with music videos, performances and whatever else we find to be art!
I can also reveal that a special guest, who have inspired me to commit to a life with music and art on a professional level, will join me on a very beautiful song that we're both proud of.

Visit the homepage of Aggerhus

web.mac.com/ingelalinneaagger
to find out more about the married artist couple who arrange the concert, how to go there, and of course how to get tickets to see Mohlavyr!

The 1st - 3rd of April, Mohlavyr and her cellist will give concerts at an art exhibition in Sköllen "Restaurang & Gårdshotell", Österlen. The artists are Åsa Lindsjö and Emma Larsson. Have a look at their artwork here
www.asalindsjo.nu
www.emmalarsson.nu

I arrived back home at 6 am Sunday morning, exhausted but glad and most of all very pleased about this adventure!
Day one; we played at "Klubb Sockerdricka" in Uppsala and the audience could count themselves lucky since I revealed my new songs that the band and I had never played live before! (And I think we did it very well)
I can strongly recommend the opening act "Clara Lindsjö" to you!

The morning after while we were looking for a place to park our car, Simon - the drummer and hornist in my band, suddenly caught sight of a poster stating: "Guest artist for tonight - Mohlavyr"
Chocked by the surprise my eyes grew even bigger when I stepped inside of the café to find myself surrounded by books, home made sweets, living music, a real piano and paintings on the wall. Café Dreambook was lovely and the acoustic gig we gave with absolutely no microphones was a success!
I admit I am tempted to do more of these kinds of shows..

Later we went to "Lilla Gömman" for our sound check and to meet up with Anders; the arranger and studio technician who also helped us the last time we performed at the pub.
Watch the video and see for yourself how the gig went! In my opinion it was the best!
Photos from the tour are uploaded under the gallery tab on the site!

About the artistry of Mohlavyr!

2 more songs from the EP "Can or Can't" released in May 2009 are now uploaded on the website. Perhaps you have already heard them on Spotify? "My Walk" and "Running Out" are the added tracks!
You can also find and download them on www.whotune.com - which is another music forum Mohlavyr recently joined.
Spread the music!