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Guest DJ: First Aid Kit Talks About — And Sings — Swedish Pop

First Aid Kit
Courtesy of the artist
First Aid Kit

And now, a conversation and sing-a-long with First Aid Kit!

It's been just about six years since First Aid Kit knocked me out with the duo's performance at the Tiny Desk. The two Swedish sisters, Klara and Johanna Söderberg, make remarkable, American country-flavored music. Their latest songs can be found on their album Ruins. That record includes performances by Wilco percussionist Glenn Kotche and former R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, and it was produced by Tucker Martine, known for his work with The Decemberists, My Morning Jacket, Neko Case and many others.

In this conversation, the two sisters talk about working with Tucker Martine in Portland, Ore. and how his participation helped broaden and empower their sound.

But what was so much fun about this guest DJ show were the Swedish songs they brought in and the sing-a-long that seemed to spontaneously happen for every tune they played.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

In 1988, a determined Bob Boilen started showing up on NPR's doorstep every day, looking for a way to contribute his skills in music and broadcasting to the network. His persistence paid off, and within a few weeks he was hired, on a temporary basis, to work for All Things Considered. Less than a year later, Boilen was directing the show and continued to do so for the next 18 years.