Fibes, Oh Fibes!

Formed in Gothenburg in 2001, the Swedish quartet Fibes, Oh Fibes! blends soul-pop with piano-driven soft rock. Christian Olsson handles vocals and piano while Mathias Nilsson plays guitar, Edvin Edvinson bass, and Andreas Jensen drums; Olsson and Nilsson collaborate on all songwriting. Their sound draws principally from late-seventies and early-to-mid-eighties soft rock, echoing Fleetwood Mac, Phil Collins, Lionel Richie, and Supertramp. After several years on the independent circuit the group issued its first recording, the four-track self-titled EP, via Pluxemburg in 2003. The following year brought the full-length Still Fresh, which featured the singles “This City’s Got No Boulevards” and “One Hour Baby.” Their 2006 follow-up, Emotional, climbed into the Swedish Top 30 after the band added disco and funk accents reminiscent of Earth, Wind & Fire and Supertramp, heard most clearly on “Get Up” and “Can’t Be So.” Signing with Universal Music paved the way for the 2009 album 1987, a Top Ten hit that yielded the singles “Love Child,” “Run to You,” and “Don’t Stop Me Now.” The record includes guest appearances by Swedish veteran Björn Skifs, known for his Eurovision success, and new-wave figure Kim Wilde, famed for “Kids in America.”