Fredrik Lindkvist, knowns as the former singer and frontman of Swedish hardcore band Totalt Jävla Mörker, is launching his solo debut album “Sleepwalking in Daylight” under the artist name Fred Lee & The Restless. The album is released on vinyl and all streaming platforms. Check it out below and see our recent interview HERE.
Embracing a completely different sound and style of songwriting, Fredriks solo project sounds like nothing he’s done before. Traditional storytelling, bittersweet vocal melodies, and clean guitar licks ads up to a colorful and exciting take on folk-rock.
“Sleepwalking in Daylight” contains 10 tracks. While the sound is heavily influenced by folk-rock, there’s something undoubtedly subversive in Fredrik’s expressions. His background in the punk movement is clearly demonstrated on tracks like ”Capitalist Market”, ”These Times Are so Fucking Dark”, and on the album opener ”Who Do You Want to Be”, which immediately sets the mood of the album with the opening line ”Dressed up to the first of May march….”
Capturing the feeling of a live performance, ”Sleepwalking in Daylight” was recorded in two days, after only four rehearsal sessions together with Fredrik’s studio backup band. ”If the recording felt right, we simply kept it” Fredrik comments. The album is mixed by Henrik Wiklund and mastered by Magnus Lindberg.
From fierce and dystopian hardcore punk to bittersweet folk rock, Fred Lee & The Restless is the result of Fredrik Lindkvist’s (Totalt Jävla Mörker) musical journey.
His approach to songwriting is rooted in the darker spectrum of underground culture, yet expressed with colorful and heartwarming ambience. The result is an unique take on folk rock, defined by captivating lyrics and distinct melodies.
Fredrik Lindkvist is mostly known as the lead singer and frontman of Swedish punk/hardcore band Totalt Jävla Mörker. Between the years 1997 to 2017, the band released 4 full length albums as well as 4 EPs and became well-known for their dark, bitter, dystopian sound and most often political lyrics. Parallel to the years in Totalt Jävla Mörker, Fredrik played drums in punk outfit Knugen Faller, as well as indie-rock constellation Royal Downfall. Fredrik is the current singer of hardcore band RIWEN together with Johannes Persson (Cult of Luna), Christoffer Röstlund Jonsson (DS-13), Christian Augustin (Totalt Jävla Mörker) and Marita Mätlik. He’s also active in classic punk rock band Sista Brytet.
”I love punk, and I love how it has shaped me as an individual. The do-it-yourself spirit has always been there, whatever type of musical project I’ve been a part of.”
Parallell to the years of screaming and playing in punk bands, Fredrik became more interested in singer-songwriter and storytelling traditions. With a love for Billy Bragg, Frank Turner, Brian Fallon, Bruce Springsteen and early soul music, a new set of songs started taking shape. During the summer of 2019, on a long train ride somewhere in Sweden, Fredrik decided to do something with these songs. He came up with a band name, decided on who should be part of his backup band, and established a simple philosophy; honest music straight from the heart, that sounds live even when captured on record. Once he arrived to his destination, Fred Lee & The Restless were born.
In the autumn the same year, Fredrik and his backup band, The Restless, recorded what would become his solo debut album, ”Sleepwalking In Daylight”. With the help of mixer Henrik Wiklund and mastering engineer Magnus Lindberg, they recorded 10 tracks of honest, heartwarming, and bittersweet folk rock.
”I hope that the people listening to this record realizes that I’m more than just hardcore. Maybe even get an insight into my life.”
