Icons of Elegance, the Finnish sibling duo of Anssi and Henri Växby, recently marked twenty years since their debut album with the aptly named new single ‘Celebrate’, alongside a new EP October.
We first crossed paths with the pair many moons ago, initially via Henri’s avant garde pop outfit French for Cartridge of whom we remain big fans, and while IoE’s more classic indie rock sound couldn’t be much more different, it charmed us just as much.
We caught up with Anssi and Henri for their reflections on their two decades of making music together, and asked them to create a playlist of tracks from now and then.
Take us back to the earliest days of Icons of Elegance – how did the band come about and what were you aiming to achieve together?
Anssi was visiting Henri in London when we saw a picture of Salvador Dali in a magazine describing him as an ‘icon of elegance’. We immediately thought that’s a great band name and concluded that since we have such an exceptionally brilliant and similar taste in music, we should probably do something together. That’s how the band came to be…
What was the musical landscape like at the time and where did you fit into it?
When we started we couldn’t quite make up our mind whether we were an americana band or a super-melodic post-grunge indie band, so we fell in-between a lot of scenes. There was definitely much more americana stuff around at the time and then a couple of bands like The Thrills that, like us, were doing something that kept one foot in each camp, so to speak.
What was your first release? What do you think now when you listen back to it?
Our first album was called Ether Talk. It’s not available on any streaming platforms at the moment, so if you can get hold of a copy consider yourself lucky! Someone in Mexico recently got in touch to buy our entire back catalogue and we had to scramble the last copies from the depths of our attic. The album is a typical debut album in that it is very varied stylistically – we were super excited about making it and wanted to cram everything in there! There are some nuggets in there though, for sure.
Were there any bands back then that were on a similar wavelength to you or that you felt a sort of kinship with?
In Finland, where we’re originally from, there was a band called Lemonator, who were absolutely amazing. They did a few gigs over here in the UK as well, but never got the attention internationally that they deserved. We were probably not quite cool enough to fit into their scene in Helsinki although their singer Lasse Kurki did sing some backing vocals on our first album. They’re definitely worth checking out.
What has changed, both for you as a band and the world of music more generally since that first release?
The big one is of course streaming and the way the whole industry is set up. We got started at the tail end of records still selling and an expectation to get signed. We did get signed for our second album, but realised it made much more sense to run your own label. Then came the whole Myspace thing, then streaming. It felt like each time we put out a new album, it was a different landscape. What always struck us was that with each album, to this day, we’re selling physically less records each release, but reaching more and more people every time. It’s nice to think more fans get to hear us, but equally it would be nice to make more than just about enough to buy a curry when adding up the budget after the album’s out…
As a band, our sound has probably become more streamlined – in a positive way! There’s a lot less americana and 60s retro in the mix nowadays, but we’re not afraid of being ourselves anymore. All the different influences from the debut album are still there if you scratch the surface, but they’ve melted into one recognisable thing of its own and we always sound like Icons of Elegance now, no matter what we try!
Who are the current bands that you admire? Are there any in whom you can hear or feel a similar spirit as Icons of Elegance?
Although they’re much more retro than we are, we can’t help but feel a kinship with The Lemon Twigs. There’s a similar mix of ultra-singable melodies and harmonies stemming from the 60s, and of course they’re brothers too. They have more hair than we have though.
You have a new EP out this month, 20 years on from your first release – tell us a little about the record.
Yes, we’ve got a new EP out which also forms the first half of an album that’s coming out in 2025. It’s titled October but it’s filled to the brim with sunshine pop that we hope will put a smile on your face as the evenings turn darker. Like our last album, this one was also mixed by Mikko Gordon who has worked with IDLES, The Smile and Arcade Fire amongst others.
One of the songs is appropriately called ‘Celebrate’ and is a sort of self-depreciating take on us as a band: ‘We could be something great…a string of hits, a real life smash, something we could celebrate’. A lot of the songs are actually about ‘doing your own thing’ whether it’s musically speaking or in other areas of life – stick to your guns!
The songs were mostly written during the pandemic and we got into the habit of meeting up on Zoom every Monday morning to polish the songs together, which probably made this our strongest batch of songs so far. When it came to recording though, we decided to make sure we recorded as much as possible together at the same time in the studio. After a few albums where we were sending lots of files back and forth, that was so much fun and I think you can hear that in the end result.
What do you think the Icons of Elegance of 20 years ago would make of these tracks and of the fact that you’re still going strong 20 years later?
We would’ve been impressed by the quality of the songs we’re writing, but probably not surprised that we are still going. It’s still the most natural thing for us to do together as brothers. We would’ve raised an eyebrow about the 80s influences that have crept in over the years though! That was a complete no-no at the time, but at some point things came around and it felt fresh again. In the same way, some of the 90s elements that were still in the mix in 2004 are now also back and bits of the debut album will probably sound very ‘now’ again. Things come full circle.
Check out Icons of Elegance’s 2004 vs 2024 playlist below:
Porches – Bread Believer
Can’t get enough of this one. The songs are like straight from a forgotten Weezer or Nirvana album, which warms an old grunge kid’s heart, but the production is something completely 2024!
Phoenix – After Midnight (feat. Clairo)
Phoenix have been a mainstay on the stereo when we’ve been trying to sneak some 80s sounds into our post-Beatles world.
Nikita Titov – Kirkas tähtiyö
One of the most interesting artists from Finland at the moment. Shoegaze in Finnish!
Nevala – Letters To Laura
Another great Finnish band that are doing something a little bit different from everyone else in Finland at the moment. A lot of Macca-points for this one.
The Lemon Twigs – My Golden Years
Had to have these two brothers in there, didn’t we.
Britney – Toxic
Technically 2003, but I think we might have stolen some Bollywood string ideas from this one for our debut.
Buddy Miller – With God on Your Side
Buddy Miller was a big hero when started the band and still is. Epic country with an edge.
Lemonator – One Last Touch
Lasse Kurki from Lemonator is a top notch melodicist. In a fairer world they would’ve been big internationally as well.
Egotrippi – Mustat varjot
Another great Finnish band that has listened a lot to The Beatles…
The Jayhawks – Save It For A Rainy Day
Probably the band that best describes our sound when we started as they also land somewhere mid-Atlantic.
October is out now via Dinner with Daisy Records – get it now on Bandcamp
Icons of Elegance: Website / Facebook / Instagram
Interview by Paul Maps
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