Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Icona Pop: How Swede it is
MUSIC Special to the online edition of Windy City Times
by Jerry Nunn, Windy City Times
2013-07-30

This article shared 9296 times since Tue Jul 30, 2013
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


Icona Pop have set the charts on fire with a single called "I Love It" (featuring Charli XCX) that recently went double-platinum. The single was featured on HBO's Girls and was covered by Robin Thicke and Florence and the Machine.

The duo—Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo—both grew up in Stockholm, Sweden, and formed as a music group at a party. In a short amount of time their music is everywhere and heads to Chicago to be heard live and in person.

Windy City Times talked with Aino Jawo shortly before the duo's arrival.

Windy City Times: Charli XCX wanted me to tell you hello!

Aino Jawo: Where did you meet her?

WCT: I interviewed her earlier this week.

AINO JAWO: She's amazing! If you see her again before me, give her a hug and say hi back to her.

WCT: Tell our readers about your history together as Icona Pop. You are both from Sweden?

AINO JAWO: Yes, born and raised in Stockholm. It is amazing how such a small country like Sweden has so many actors, producers, and, musicians all over the world now. When you go over to the States then you get to visit them.

WCT: Where did you meet your partner-in-crime, Caroline Hjelt?

AINO JAWO: We met four and a half years ago. We had a mutual friend and she forced me to come with her to a party. We talked at the party and decided to do something together. That is usually something you say when you are a little bit tipsy but she gave me some sort of energy.

I just decided to call her one day and knew it would shock her that I actually did. She invited me over to her place with a bottle of wine and a computer. We just sat down and we started to write. We actually wrote one song in a couple of hours. We thought about starting a band. It was very simple and very natural. It can be kind of scary to write with new people. It is a very creative process. If it doesn't work it can be very uncomfortable. When it does work then it is pure magic. Now four and a half years later we are still doing the same thing.

WCT: Did you watch the show on MTV Snooki & JWOWW where "I Love It" debuted?

AINO JAWO: I have watched it a little bit but I don't watch TV that much anymore because I never have the time. I have watched it a couple of times and I think they are crazy. The song fits them so well because they do not care!

WCT: Charli said this was just a little song that turned into a big success.

AINO JAWO: It has been an amazing year. Charli is a sweet girl. We actually performed the single together at a club and we just asked her to perform it with us.

WCT: Are you ready for Lollapalooza?

AINO JAWO: I am so excited. There will be so many good people there that I am looking forward to see. That will be the biggest stage we have ever played at. We have a lot of friends coming. I have never been this excited about a festival. I'm scared at the same time!

WCT: You will be at the pre-show called Nelarusky at Metro with such popular acts as Imagine Dragons.

AINO JAWO: We are just honored to be part of the pre-show. I have friends that are playing at Lollapalooza a year ago and that was the coolest thing that could happen and now we are standing on the same stage basically. The pre-show will be a party, which I think will be bananas. The lineup is amazing.

WCT: We want the LGBT community to come out to the pre-show.

AINO JAWO: That would be so cool!

WCT: I listened to your EP Iconic. "Good For You" sounds like a trademark sound for you.

AINO JAWO: Our sound comes from where we grew up. The new album that is coming out in September will really let people hear the journey we have been through. We will have our slower songs but there will be some uptempo punky songs. I think it will be an honest album. You will get to know us.

Definitely, "Good For You" is a part of who we are—and also "Manners" and "Ready For The Weekend."

The Icona Pop sound is very chanty so everyone can sing along. You don't have to be a singer, you can just scream!

WCT: Will you be playing new songs at Lollapalooza?

AINO JAWO: We are not going to play a lot of new songs but definitely some from the new album. There will be guitars and synthesizers. It is going to be great. I am super-excited. You will definitely hear some nice new tracks.

WCT: On the Iconic Tour in the fall are there supporting acts already planned?

AINO JAWO: There is a girl named K. Flay who is awesome. She is cool and you should check her out.

WCT: Do you like being on the road and touring?

AINO JAWO: I love touring. We are going to have a tour bus now. We have done tours in Germany and Sweden of course but in America this will be the first time we have had a proper tour bus. We used to carry everything on our backs! It will be nice to have a cozy tour bus for once with a crew of old friends. It will be great to have people come to see us in small and big places. This is our first headlining tour in America and it feels surreal.

Look for Icona Pop at Nelarusky (a pre-Lollapalooza show benefiting Special Olympics) Wed., July 31, at Metro and at Lollapalooza Friday, Aug. 2.

Details can be found at www.pledgemusic.com/projects/nelarusky and www.lollapalooza.com .


This article shared 9296 times since Tue Jul 30, 2013
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Jamie Barton brings nuances of identity to her Lyric Opera 'Aida' performance 2024-03-18
- Chicago's Lyric Opera is currently featuring a production of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida starring Michelle Bradley as Aida, Jamie Barton as Amneris and Russell Thomas as Radamès. The opera runs through April 7, 2024, with Francesca Zambello ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Lady Gaga, 'P-Valley,' Wendy Williams, Luke Evans, 'Queer Eye,' 'Transition' 2024-03-15
- Lady Gaga came to the defense of Dylan Mulvaney after a post with the trans influencer/activist for International Women's Day received hateful responses, People Magazine noted. On Instagram, Gaga stated, "It's appalling to me that a ...


Gay News

House-music festival on Aug. 30-Sept. 1; icons, Idris Elba to be part of it 2024-03-13
- The ARC Music Festival—an event celebrating house music—will take place Aug. 30-Sept. 1 at Chicago's Union Park, per WGN-TV. This will mark the fourth year that the festival will celebrate the genre at Union Park—less than ...


Gay News

COBRAH slithers into Chicago and brings Feminine Energy 2024-03-08
- COBRAH snaked her way into Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St., for two nights March 7 and 8 for her Succubus Tour. This Swedish-born talent has a way with naughty words and ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Jinkx Monsoon, Xavier Dolan, 'Frida,' Lena Waithe, out singer 2024-03-08
- Two-time RuPaul's Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon is headed back to the New York stage, joining off-Broadway's Little Shop of Horrors as Audrey beginning April 2, according to Playbill. The casting makes Monsoon the first drag ...


Gay News

Queer Eye's Jai Rodriguez is set to slay at The Big Gay Cabaret 2024-03-05
- Out and proud performer Jai Rodriguez is set to play at The Big Gay Cabaret this March for three days. Presented by RuPaul Drag Racer Ginger Minj, this monthly series highlights the wide world of cabaret ...


Gay News

THEATER 'R & J' puts a female, queer spin on Shakespeare 2024-03-05
- Romeo and Juliet is the theatrical gift that keeps on giving. It's been reworked for the masses numerous times, whether in direct adaptations or musicals such as West Side Story. Shakespeare's plotline points have even inspired ...


Gay News

THEATER When growth is paramount: Jim Corti helps fuel Aurora theater expansion 2024-03-01
- Out actor/director/choreographer Jim Corti made his Broadway debut in 1974, in the ensemble of Leonard Bernstein's musical Candide. Director Harold Prince's acclaimed Tony Award-winning revival is often cited as a ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Queer actors, icons duet, Hunter Schafer, Oscars, Elizabeth Taylor 2024-03-01
- Queer actor Kal Penn is set to star in Trust Me, I'm a Doctor—a film that chronicles the final days of actress/model Anna Nicole Smith, whose overdose death in 2007 at age 39 sparked a tabloid ...


Gay News

'Always Olivia' celebrates Olivia Newton-John at Raue Center 2024-02-26
- From a press release: Always Olivia, a tribute to one of the most celebrated and beloved pop culture icons of all time, the late Olivia Newton-John comes to Raue Center in Crystal Lake on Saturday, May ...


Gay News

Samuel Savoir-Faire Williams's violin stylings help COH mark Black History Month 2024-02-23
- As part of its celebration of Black History Month, Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., presented a solo jazz performance by violinist Samuel Savoir-Faire Williams on Feb. 21. The two-hour long performance presented a showcase ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Kristen Stewart, Rock Hudson, Talia Keys, 'True Detective,' Marvel comic 2024-02-23
- At the Berlin Film Festival, Kristen Stewart defended her photo shoot for a Rolling Stone magazine cover that went viral and divided audiences on social-media platforms, per The Hollywood Reporter. "The existence of a female body ...


Gay News

Theater Review: Billy Elliot, The Musical 2024-02-19
- Book and Lyrics: Lee Hall; Music: Elton John. At: Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora Tickets: 630-896-6666 or Paramountaurora.com; $28-$79. Runs through March 24 Billy Elliot: The Musical may nearly be two decades old, but ...


Gay News

REFLECTIONS: An Evening of original music with the Jeannie Tanner Quartet 2024-02-19
--From a press release - REFLECTIONS will be a night of feel-good, upbeat original music written by Jeannie Tanner. Songs range from jazz, to pop, to soulful R&B. Jeannie's music can be heard in many television shows and movies, with recordings ...


Gay News

Lakeside Pride Wilde Cabaret Valentine's Day Feb. 17 2024-02-16
--From a press release - Lakeside Pride Wilde Cabaret puts their own spin on Valentine's Day with a show celebrating things done and sacrificed for love - not just romantic love, but love for pets, friends, family and art. Join the ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.