Swedish folk-pop duo First Aid Kit, sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg, captivated an Orange stage throng early Saturday night with translucent harmonies and jangly guitar. Backed by drums and pedal steel, Johanna bruises the keys, whipping her golden tresses wildly with the beat. Her sultry drawl makes the perfect foil to Klara’s acoustic twang.
As “The Lion’s Roar” faded, the war beats of the title track to June’s Stay Gold elevated the siblings’ harmonies to new heights. Johanna painted “Blue” with twinkling keys and chiming vocals, then dialed up the soul on “King of the World.” The Stockholmers’ wistful “Waitress Song” gave way to the gallop of “My Silver Lining” and a cover of Jack White’s “Love Interruption.”
“You guys ready for a country tune?”
Four years into their run, the Söderbergs have hit their stride as songwriters. Where The Lion’s Roar triumphed in tender folk pop, Stay Gold luxuriates in bitter truths. “I always thought that you’d be here, but shit gets fucked up and people just disappear,” Klara laments on “Master Pretender.”
Closing on fan favorite “Emmylou,” the sisters coaxed the crowd into chiming in the chorus unaided. As the last exquisite notes wafted away and the group took a final bow, the pugnacious crowd for fest headliner Modest Mouse surged forward. No time to bask in the afterglow.
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This article appears in November 7 • 2014.