Elmer

The surge of curiosity surrounding alternative country during the closing years of the 1990s prompted numerous obscure ensembles and modest labels to surface almost simultaneously. Elmer came together in Göteborg, Sweden, during 1997 when drummer Glenn Halvarsson joined the lineup. Vocalist Niklas Blomkvist, bassist Jonas Hagberg, and guitarist Martin Berntsson had already spent several years performing as a unit after first meeting at school. A submitted demo caught the ear of Helikopter, resulting in a recording agreement and the subsequent single Abigail/7 Bridges. Twelve months afterward, the group issued its first full-length effort, Tar, whose bittersweet ballads, occasional country-rock tracks, harmonica, and mandolins mirrored prevailing tendencies within the genre at that moment. Although critics responded positively, the Swedish market for such music remained limited, restricting commercial reach. In 1999 the band contributed “Evil Doings” to the Dusty Records anthology Rockin’ at the Barn; the track subsequently received airplay on alternative-country outlets across the United States. The follow-up album, 13 Sweethearts, drew wider notice from major dailies and earned predominantly enthusiastic notices. Despite modest inroads in Norway, sales stayed modest, leaving uncertainty about whether Sweden’s appetite for the style would endure or whether Elmer and comparable acts such as Alimony would recede into anonymity.