Ljus och lykta (meaning Light and lantern) performs all kinds of traditional Swedish songs - ballads, love songs, shanties and more. While their music is firmly rooted in the Scandinavian tradition, Ljus och lykta also finds inspiration in other musical genres, e.g. bluegrass and British folk. At the core of the Ljus och lykta sound, we find the crisp, edgy voices of Klara von Huth and Annika Hammer. Vega Nordkvist’s forceful fiddling and Anton Larsson’s groovy guitar provide a steady backbone for the intertwining voices.

Ljus och lykta's self-titled debut album was released by Caprice Records on September 16th 2022.

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• Klara Ekman von Huth

  Singing has always been a part of Klara’s life, and from early on she has had a soft spot for evergreens. As a child, Klara loved sitting alone in her bedroom, listening to Billie Holiday, troubadour Cornelis Vreeswijk and Sweden’s number one jazz vocalist, the multi-talented Monica Zetterlund. She discovered traditional music in her teens, after accompanying a friend to a concert with singer Lena Willemark, whose performance left Klara stunned. When not singing, Klara enjoys amigurumi crocheting and watching drama series, the bleaker the better.

  Music recommendations by Klara:
  Garmarna - 6
  Tiriltunga - Det æ tungvint fri
  José González - Local Valley

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• Annika Hammer

  When Annika in her late teens began playing the piano in various bars, she soon discovered that her instrumental repertory was not enough. She had no choice but to start singing, and as it turned out, she found singing rather enjoyable. Another enjoyable experience, around the same time, was realising that there exists such a thing as Swedish traditional music. Annika has travelled a long and winding road through this tradition, and from her sometimes strenuous journey she has destilled an artistic expression which is entirely her own. Annika is fond of her bathtub and enjoys reading about space (but would not want to go there).

  Musical milestones according to Annika:
  Rosenbergs sjua - R7
  Indigo Girls - 1200 Curfews
  HAIM - Women In Music Pt. III

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• Vega Nordkvist

  Vega got her first cello at the age of three; it was a gift from her mother, the cello teacher. A few years later, Vega insisted upon switching to the violin, since she wanted to play what she imagined to be a more exotic musical instrument. Vega enjoys playing traditional fiddle music, particularly that from the Rättvik and Bingsjö in the province of Dalarna. But she is equally good at improvising, harmonizing and accompanying other instruments, not to mention knitting mittens and programming websites.

  Vega wants you to listen to:
  Sudan Dudan - Heimen der ute
  Larkin Poe - Self Made Man
  Víkingur Ólafsson - Philip Glass: Piano Works

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• Anton Larsson

  The primary school music classes inspired young Anton to start playing the guitar. At first, punk and various kinds of metal was his main musical pursuit. Later on, he delved into Scandinavian traditional music, particularly that from the provinces of Värmland and Västerdalarna, in western Sweden. Anton is known to his friends as a skilled bartender and a bad loser of board games (and of chess in particular).

  Album recommendations by Anton:
  Olle Lindvall - Olle Lindvall
  Kalle Almlöf & Anders Rosén - Troskarilekar
  System of a Down (all records)