The Cardigans

The Cardigans
Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1992 in Jönköping, Sweden
Founder	Peter Svensson, Magnus Sveningsson
Headquarters	Jönköping, Sweden
Products	Music albums, singles

The Cardigans are a rock ensemble originating from Jönköping, Sweden, established in 1992. The band's foundational members consisted of guitarist Peter Svensson, bassist Magnus Sveningsson, drummer Bengt Lagerberg, keyboardist Lars-Olof Johansson, and lead vocalist Nina Persson. Since resuming performances in 2012 after a break, Oskar Humlebo has taken over guitar duties from Svensson.

Their initial release, Emmerdale (1994), secured a solid foothold in the Swedish market and found success in Japan. The subsequent album, Life (1995), broadened their reach internationally. Their major breakthrough arrived with the track "Lovefool" from First Band on the Moon (1996), which gained additional exposure through its placement on the soundtrack of the film Romeo + Juliet. Later notable singles included "Erase/Rewind" and "My Favourite Game" from the 1998 album Gran Turismo. After a two-year break, they returned with Long Gone Before Daylight (2003), which introduced a softer, country-inspired style. As of 2024, their most recent studio album is Super Extra Gravity (2005). Following a tour in 2006, the group entered a five-year hiatus before regrouping in 2012. Worldwide, they have sold in excess of 15 million albums.

Formation and early period: 1992–1994

On October 31, 1992, Peter Svensson and Magnus Sveningsson, both previously engaged in heavy metal music, founded the band in Jönköping, Sweden. The initial lineup also featured drummer Bengt Lagerberg, guitarist Mattias Alfheim, and lead singer Nina Persson.

The members shared a small apartment where they produced a demo tape; Persson contributed lead vocals to only one track on this recording. The band was signed by A&R representative Ola Hermanson to his label Trampolene. During sessions for their debut album in 1993, Alfheim departed and was succeeded by Lars-Olof Johansson, a friend of Lagerberg’s who has remained part of the group since then.

Their first album, Emmerdale, was released domestically in Sweden and also in Japan in 1994; it later saw an international reissue in 1997. This record featured the Swedish radio success "Rise & Shine", which was later recognized as the top song of 1994 by Slitz magazine.

Rise to commercial prominence: 1995–2000

Towards the end of 1994, The Cardigans embarked on a European tour and recorded their second album, Life, which was launched globally in 1995. This album achieved sales exceeding one million copies and attained platinum certification in Japan. In 1996, Minty Fresh issued an American edition of Life, compiling tracks from both Emmerdale and Life.

Following these accomplishments, The Cardigans signed with Mercury Records and released First Band on the Moon worldwide in 1996. The single "Lovefool" became an international sensation, particularly popular in the United States and Japan where the album reached platinum status within three weeks. In the US market, it also earned gold certification. The music video for "Lovefool" incorporated scenes from the movie Romeo + Juliet (1996) and was featured again in Cruel Intentions (1999).

In 1997, the band made an appearance on the television series Beverly Hills, 90210, performing "Lovefool" and "Been It". Their track "Carnival" was included in the soundtrack for Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. Although invited to compose the theme song for the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, they declined due to exhaustion; Persson later described this as "one of my biggest mistakes."

The release of their 1998 album Gran Turismo was followed by a hiatus during which members explored solo ventures. That year also saw a Japan-exclusive compilation of rare B-sides titled The Other Side of the Moon. MTV censored the video for "My Favourite Game" due to scenes depicting reckless driving; nevertheless, it became their second worldwide hit. This song appeared on the soundtrack for the PlayStation game Gran Turismo 2. Additionally, their track "Deuce" was included on The X-Files: The Album, while "Erase/Rewind" was featured in films such as Never Been Kissed and The Thirteenth Floor. In 2018, German writer Thorsten Nagelschmidt published a novel titled Der Abfall der Herzen, which references their song "Junk of the Hearts."

In 1999, The Cardigans collaborated with Tom Jones, recording a duet cover of Talking Heads' "Burning Down the House" for his album Reload.

Return to prominence and pause: 2002–2006

In 2002, The Cardigans regrouped to produce Long Gone Before Daylight (2003), an album chiefly composed by Persson and Svensson. It ranked among Sweden's top-selling records in 2003. After a two-year interval, the album saw staggered releases: in Japan on March 19, Europe on March 24, Canada on April 22, and the United States on May 25, 2004.

This record represented a departure from their previous upbeat pop style, embracing a more subdued and somber tone influenced by American country music. Reflecting this stylistic evolution, lead vocalist Nina Persson dyed her hair jet black. The production was handled by Per Sunding, who took over from their usual producer Tore Johanssen, stepping aside due to the album's country-inspired direction.

Critical reception was divided; some lauded the band's artistic growth and refined songwriting, while others longed for their earlier pop sensibilities. The album featured singles such as "For What It's Worth" (released February 17, 2003), "You're the Storm" (June 2, 2003), and "Live and Learn" (December 3, 2003). During the summer of 2004, The Cardigans joined the Chicks With Attitude tour alongside Liz Phair, Katy Rose, and Charlotte Martin.

On April 28, 2005, they issued an iTunes Originals compilation. Their sixth studio album, Super Extra Gravity, was released on October 19, 2005. It received generally positive critiques, debuted at number one on Sweden’s charts, and earned gold certification for surpassing 40,000 copies sold. Following promotional efforts concluding in late 2006, the group entered a prolonged hiatus to pursue individual endeavors.

Reunion, touring activities and outlook: 2012–present

In 2012, The Cardigans accepted a lucrative invitation from Hultsfred Festival to perform the entire Gran Turismo album live. Peter Svensson opted out of participating but endorsed the band’s continuation without him. To fill his role, they enlisted singer-songwriter Oskar Humlebo and expanded their itinerary. The ensemble made their live return with concerts in Lund and Copenhagen before touring Poland, Finland, Russia, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Japan; a planned show in Israel was cancelled by local promoters. Most performances featured the complete Gran Turismo set followed by popular tracks from other releases.

Maintaining Humlebo as Svensson’s stand-in, the band resumed touring in late 2013 with dates across Japan, China, and Russia. This was followed by appearances in South Korea, various European countries, and Latin America throughout 2015. While promoting her solo record Animal Heart in 2014 interviews, Nina Persson suggested that the positive response to recent live shows left open the prospect of new Cardigans recordings; however, no concrete plans had been established. She remarked that continued enjoyment of performing together could inspire fresh material. The only confirmed performance for 2016 was at Finland’s Qstock festival on July 29. In 2017, they appeared in Stockholm and Turku as well as at Croatia’s Yammatovo 3 festival.

June 2018 saw The Cardigans announce a four-date UK tour scheduled for December to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of Gran Turismo, again presenting the album in its entirety. Persson indicated that further studio albums were unlikely but expressed a willingness to keep touring provided it remained fulfilling and meaningful.

In May 2023, Persson confirmed that Peter Svensson would not rejoin the group, effectively ruling out any new albums or music without his involvement. Nonetheless, the band continues to perform intermittently.

On September 6, 2024, The Cardigans released The Rest of the Best, a two-volume compilation featuring B-sides.

Solo endeavors

Throughout the band's initial hiatus, Nina Persson issued an album under the name A Camp, while Peter Svensson and Bengt Lagerberg teamed up with Joakim Berg from Kent to create Paus. Meanwhile, Magnus Sveningsson pursued a solo project as Righteous Boy.

In 2006, Sveningsson revived their label Trampolene and took on the role of an A&R executive, signing the Swedish pop group The Animal Five, which gained moderate recognition in both Sweden and Germany.

Between 2009 and 2014, Lagerberg and Johansson established Brothers Of End, producing three albums. Persson appeared as a guest vocalist on the track "Heat" from their third release, Shakers Love.

Persson also participated in The Cake Sale (2006), a charity compilation by Oxfam Ireland aimed at promoting fair trade. Additionally, she lent her voice to Manic Street Preachers' UK No. 2 hit "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough" from their 2007 album Send Away the Tigers. She performed alongside frontman James Dean Bradfield, who has commended Svensson’s skills as an exceptional guitarist.

During the band's 2007 break, Persson recorded A Camp's sophomore album Colonia, which was released in early 2009 and followed by a U.S. tour to promote it.

In 2010, Persson contributed vocals to "Daddy's Gone" on Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse's collaborative project Dark Night of the Soul. She later unveiled her solo album Animal Heart in 2014.

Band lineup

Current members

Lars-Olof Johansson – keyboards, guitar, backing vocals (1993–2006, 2012–present)
Bengt Lagerberg – drums (1992–2006, 2012–present)
Nina Persson – lead vocals (1992–2006, 2012–present)
Magnus Sveningsson – bass guitar, backing vocals (1992–2006, 2012–present)

Present touring members

Oskar Humlebo – lead guitar, backing vocals (2012–present)

Former members

Peter Svensson – lead guitar, backing vocals (1992–2006; inactive since 2012)
Mattias Alfheim – guitar (1992–1993)

Previous touring musicians

Lars Ljungberg – bass guitar (1998–1999)

Albums

Studio releases

Emmerdale (1994)
Life (1995)
First Band on the Moon (1996)
Gran Turismo (1998)
Long Gone Before Daylight (2003)
Super Extra Gravity (2005)

Honors and nominations

Denmark GAFFA Awards |- | rowspan=2 | 1998 | rowspan=2 | "My Favourite Game" | Best Foreign Video | |- | rowspan=2 | Best Foreign Hit | |- | 1999 | "Burning Down the House" (with Tom Jones) | |- | 2005 | Nina Persson | Best Foreign Female Act |

Grammis |- | 1995 | rowspan=3 | The band | rowspan=2 | Best Pop Group | |- | rowspan=4 | 1997 | |- | Best Artist | rowspan=3 | |- | First Band on the Moon | Best Album | |- | "Lovefool" | Best Song | |- | rowspan=5 | 1999 || rowspan=2 | The band || Best Pop Group || |- || Best Artist || |- || Gran Turismo || Best Album || |- || rowspan=2 | "My Favourite Game" || Best Song || rowspan=2 | |- || Best Music Video |- |- |- | rowspan=2 | 2004 || Long Gone Before Daylight || Best Album || rowspan=2 | |- || rowspan=2 | The band || rowspan=2 | Best Rock Group |- |- | 2006 || ||

MTV Europe Music Awards |- |- | 1996 || The band || Best New Act || rowspan=6 |

|- | 1997 || "Lovefool" || Best Song

|- | rowspan=3 | 1999 || rowspan=4 | The band || Best Group

|- || Best Rock

|- || rowspan=2 | Best Nordic Act

|- | 2003

Musikexportpriset |- |- | 1997 || The band || Music Export Award ||

Rockbjornen |- |- | 1998 || The band || Best Swedish Band ||

Smash Hits Poll Winners Party |- |- | 1996 || The band || Best International Band ||

TMF Awards |- |- | 1999 || "My Favourite Game" || Best Video International ||

Žebřík Music Awards |- |- | 1998 || "My Favourite Game" || Best International Video ||

External links

Official website