I recently learned a valuable lesson. Tuning in to the local radio on a rainy Sunday morning does have its perks.
In my country, listening to the radio on Sundays would result in heavy nostalgia because most radio stations would play their version of "blast from the past" or classic songs, usually from the 70s, 80s and 90s.
But every now and then, some DJs would insert some contemporary music to spice things up a little. And probably to avoid putting the listeners to sleep. So I was half-listening to the radio on a lazy Sunday morning when this attention-grabbing song came on.
It kicked off with the smooth, distinct and crystal-like sound of the tickling of the ivories. A clear and rough voice (which was kind of like a combination of Adam Levine's and Danny O’Donoghue’s voices) followed, with the lyrics “Once I was seven years old, my mama told me, "Go make yourself some friends or you'll be lonely,”.”
It didn't strike me as the kind of song that would usually catch my attention, but the more I listened to the lyrics, the more amused I became. Nowadays, it's very rare to hear a song with a story, a striking and riveting one at that. Even without researching the lyrics or any facts about the song, I already knew that it was a song written from the heart - from experience. It's the kind of song that tugs at your heartstrings and leaves a connection. The melody was simple (and a bit flat at times), but it was almost acapella -ish before the "climax" at the bridge. If it weren't for the vocalist's incredible vocals, the song wouldn't have been that impressive or at least memorable for me.
So, of course, I looked it up. It was the song "7 Years" by the Danish pop band, Lukas Graham.
Lukas Graham frontman Lukas Forchhammer had his humble beginnings in a rough and little known town in Copenhagen called Christiania, which only has a population of around 800 people. Life was not easy for vocalist Forchhammer, growing up in an anarchist neighborhood where he "punctured the police's trucks' tires with nails and threw rocks at authorities." He had learned his lesson since and decided to "channel his frustration into his music with his band, which presents a much more joyous and emotional outlook" (rollingstone.com).
So here's what I've gathered about them so far. The band, which includes members Mark Falgren (drummer), Magnus Larsson (bassist), and Kasper Daugaard (keyboardist), started out in 2011, uploading homemade videos on YouTube. They got their break when Copenhagen Records offered them a deal in 2011. The band worked extra hard throughout 2012, playing gigs and concerts across Europe. However, it was still not enough to help them gain worldwide popularity. In 2013, Warner Bros. finally signed them and brought them to the U.S.
According to my research, the mid-tempo track "7 Years", which follows vocalist Forchhammer's time line, "from making friends at the age of 7 to 60 when he hopes he will have a lot of children who will hold him", is about his "upbringing in a Copenhagen community, where he smoked weed for the first time when he was 12. His father died in 2012, triggering an introspective period that led him to this song."
He further explained the meaning of the song in an interview with Radio.com: "the song's basically just about becoming a good father, and being such a good father that your children would want to come and visit you when you're an old, boring man. I had a really, really cool father, so that's what I want to be too."
I'm not sure when the last time that an autobiographical song delighted me so much was. I never get tired of listening to this wonderful, piano-heavy track. And, of course, I look forward to this Danish group's other songs. I'm sure they won't disappoint me.
Credits:
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/lukas-grahams-singer-on-growing-up-in-denmarks-anarchist-utopia-20160527?page=2
songfacts.com
