Sugarplum Fairy formed as a rock outfit in Borlänge, Sweden, drawing primary inspiration from the Rolling Stones, the Who, and the Beatles—the last of which supplied the band’s name via John Lennon’s spoken introduction on “A Day in the Life”—while also citing Oasis, themselves shaped by those earlier acts. The lineup comprises siblings Victor Norén on vocals and bass alongside Carl Norén on vocals and guitar, plus David Hebert handling bass and organ, Kristian Gidlund on drums, and Jonas Karlsson on guitar; Victor and Carl are the younger brothers of Gustaf Norén from Swedish rock sensation Mando Diao.
The group came together in 1998 and spent six years performing before issuing their debut EP, Stay Young, in April 2004. Later the same year they scored their initial Swedish hit with “Sweet Jackie” and followed it with the full-length Young & Armed, which appeared across the rest of Europe and in Japan by February 2005. After supporting Mando Diao on dates throughout Sweden, Norway, Germany, and Japan, Sugarplum Fairy delivered their second album, First Round First Minute, in August 2006. In 2007 frontman Victor Norén took a supporting part as rock icon Mick Jagger in the German film Das Wilde Leben (Eight Miles High!), a biopic centered on 1960s groupie Uschi Obermaier. The band subsequently maintained an active presence in Germany, appearing at multiple major festivals.
