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Sofa Session: First Aid Kit

First Aid Kit play a Sofa Session for Jo, including music from their live tribute album to Leonard Cohen, Who By Fire.

First Aid Kit play a Sofa Session for Jo, including music from their latest album, Who By Fire.

Who By Fire is a live tribute album to Leonard Cohen. Performed across two nights at the Royal Dramatic Theater in Stockholm in March of 2017, the 20-track recording is a theatrical staging of Leonard Cohen鈥檚 songs, poems, and letters. Conceived and anchored by First Aid Kit, the Swedish sister duo were joined by an array of fellow Swedish guest artists, an 8 person band & strings, and two actors, as well as a 20+ person choir on two of the songs.

Klara and Johanna, longtime fans and greatly inspired by Leonard Cohen, were deeply saddened by his passing in November of 2016. At the time, First Aid Kit shared: "鈥 If you ever put a guitar in our hands and ask us to sing, we will always play 鈥楽uzanne.鈥 When we heard it for the first time we were transfixed. 鈥楬ow does one do that?鈥 we thought. 鈥楬ow does one write like that?鈥 One doesn't, we suppose, only Leonard Cohen does鈥 In the midst of this deep sadness, we are so intensely grateful... [His art] has been a guiding light for us for these past ten years since we started making music, both a consolation and an arrow pointing at where to strive鈥︹

Speaking about Who By Fire, the S枚derberg sisters say: "We recently listened back to this concert and realized that this was something out of the ordinary for us. It was a challenge to create a performance that wasn't centered around First Aid Kit songs. It was something we'd never done before, but everything came together so well. Dwelling deeply into Cohen's world was a pleasure, he was so prolific as both a poet and a songwriter, and everything he ever put out held a very strong standard. He cared immensely for his work. The band, the guest artists, the atmosphere on stage...everyone had a great passion and it felt magical. This is definitely a record that is best enjoyed listening to back-to-back with no interruptions. Allow yourself to just disappear into Cohen's world for a little while.

We decided not to edit any of the performances. The flaws are part of the live experience. In a time when you sadly can't go to an actual physical live show, you can listen to this and imagine you were there..."

1 hour, 30 minutes

Last on

Wed 2 Jun 2021 19:30

Music Played

  • Jungle

    Talk About It

    • Loving In Stereo.
    • Caiola Records.
  • The Presidents of the United States of America

    Peaches

    • Columbia.
  • Kyle Falconer

    Wait Around

    • No Love Songs For Laura.
    • Honey Pie Recordings.
  • Yola

    Stand For Myself

  • R.E.M.

    At My Most Beautiful

    • Never Been Kissed (Original S/Track).
    • EMI.
  • The Joy

    Isencane Lengane

    • Universal Music Group.
  • Billie Eilish

    Lost Cause

    • Lost Cause.
    • Darkroom / Interscope / Polydor.
    • 1.
  • The Orb

    Little Fluffy Clouds

    • New Pure Moods (Various Artists).
    • Virgin.
  • hard life

    Ocean View

    • life's a beach.
    • Island.
    • 3.
  • Gram Parsons

    I Can't Dance

    • GP / Grievous Angel.
    • Reprise Records.
    • 14.
  • First Aid Kit

    Suzanne (Sofa Session, 2 June 2021)

  • First Aid Kit

    So Long, Marianne (Sofa Session, 2 June 2021)

  • First Aid Kit

    The Lion's Roar (Sofa Session, 2 June 2021)

  • Ted G盲rdestad

    Jag vill ha en egen m氓ne

    • Droppar Av Solregn.
    • Polar.
    • 3.
  • Nirvana

    Come As You Are SILENT DIGA

  • Hemai

    We Could Be Jaded

  • Rose Royce

    Wishing On A Star

    • In Full Bloom.
    • BBR.
    • 011.

Broadcast

  • Wed 2 Jun 2021 19:30