Two Golden Voices
The Swedish sisters dressed in gold brought the gold to Nashville’s famous Ryman Auditorium on October 29. First Aid Kit, known for their country-influenced folk songs, seemed just as humbled by the opportunity to play the Ryman as the audience was for the opportunity to see them perform there.
The two girls first fell in love with folk and country music when they heard Bright Eyes. Johanna was 14 at the time and Klara was only 12. Ten years later, they were producing their record “Stay Gold” with Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes.
Not only did the sisters share their stories about their love for country music with the audience, they also told about their first encounter with Jack White. After playing in Nashville for the first time in 2010, they received a phone call from White after the show asking them to record with him the next day. He loved their music and voices so much that they got to open for him on his next tour. In memory of this amazing opportunity and in honor of Jack White, the duo played his song “Love Interruption.”
Cheesy jokes by Johanna broke up the show during a brief intermission allowing Klara to tune her guitar for the song “Cedar Lane.” Johanna furthermore joked that their song “Cedar Lane” was really called “Cheddar Lane” and inspired by her cheese jokes routine. “It’s about someone becoming lactose intolerant and all their memories about cheese,” she joked.
The most awe-inspiring moment of the show was likely when the duo asked the audience for complete silence so they could sing their song “Ghost Town” unplugged, just two angelic voices filling the Ryman. I don’t think there could have been a more perfect venue for this experience. It left the audience with goose bumps and breathless.
First Aid Kit will be on tour in the US through the end of November. In December, they will head back to Europe and then they’re off to Australia in March. It’s rare to find such pure and beautiful voices, so catch them if you can.
