An arena-headlining, multi-Platinum Top 10 artist across the Nordic countries, Albin Lee Meldau is edging towards reaching a similar level in the UK with a host of A and B-listed singles at Radio 2. This month sees him hit two landmark moments that will elevate his rise – today’s release of a new version of his homeland hit ‘Josephine’ featuring Americana songwriter extraordinaire Lissie, and his new album ‘Discomforts’ which follows on September 27th.
Bringing beautifully melancholic folk-pop to his singer-songwriter style, ‘Josephine’ is a compelling example of how Albin excels at navigating the sorrow and poignancy of lovelorn emotions. The song takes us from infatuation to love to loss, with Lissie’s mesmerising harmonies intensifying the power of Albin’s lyrics. They say it’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, but the ‘Josephine’ story seems to have left a wound that just won’t heal.
‘Josephine‘ is the first English-language duet version of one of Albin’s biggest hits to date. The original went viral on TikTok,which catapulted it to Top 10, multi-Platinum status in both Sweden and Norway with 80 million+ streams to date.
Albin says, “‘Josefin’ holds a truly special place in my heart, and I’m thrilled that so many people have connected with it. That’s why it’s particularly exciting to release it in English. I really hope this version resonates with my listeners as much as the original, and having the incredibly talented Lissie featured on the track makes it all the more special.”
Lissie adds, “Albin is a new artist to me who I quickly fell in love with and his song ‘Josephine’. It was an absolute pleasure to add my vocals and I hope the listeners enjoy this English reimagining.”
Albin wrote ‘Josephine’ with the track’s producer Peter Kvint, one of Sweden’s leading songwriters and collaborators. Lissie is renowned as one of the finest artists in the folk/Americana space. Her debut album ‘Catching A Tiger’ became an instant classic, leading to Gold status in the UK. Her most recent album, 2022’s ‘Carving Canyons’, continued her career-long acclaim as well as her draw as a live performer, with a London headline show at KOKO. She has also featured in two cult TV favourites, ‘Twin Peaks’ and ‘Loudermilk’.
The ‘Discomforts’ album is the product of a remarkable turnaround in Albin’s life. He had earned a first burst of international acclaim, but his progress was halted by problems with alcohol. Eventually he fought back and checked into rehab before planning how to make the most of his undoubted talent. He started from scratch, headed back to the studio and attracted the attention of his key collaborator on the record, the Grammy / Ivor Novello-winner Eg White (Adele, Florence + The Machine).
The 13-track album combines his recent singles – including ‘Forget About Us’, ‘When You’re Here’ and ‘Hold Your Head Up’ featuring Jack Savoretti – alongside plenty of brand new material. Select songs were mixed and co-produced by another Grammy winner in the shape of Nick Lobel (Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus). ‘Discomforts’.
Albin recently played a UK show at Dreamland as guest to Jack Savoretti, which included the pair performing ‘Hold Your Head Up’. His big plans for the ‘Discomforts’ tour are already underway. He will play a show in Amsterdam and three gigs in Germany next month, before his December tour of Sweden will see him perform to more than 100,000 fans across seven huge arena shows.
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