Stockholm's RHYS channels nostalgia for her indie-folk reinvention with "Portland"
Swedish-American singer-songwriter Rhys' indie-folk is a nostalgic tribute to her childhood in Oregon
Watch the music video for "Portland" now
Portland Tour starts in Sweden this week
Portland EP out now via The Satchi Six
Swedish-American singer-songwriter Rhys shares the music video for her new single "Portland". The title track from her new EP, the clip is a compilation of VHS footage from her childhood.
Already an emotional track which Rhys says "is about feeling stuck in my childhood memories every time I go back." The music video itself is even more emotional, she explains "everything has changed since these video were made – and I know that's how life goes – but I've always been hopelessly nostalgic. Some of the people in this video aren't with us anymore, this song is for them."
A collection of earthy, warm indie-folk, the Portland EP sees Rhys embrace self-discovery and she constructs a warm and intimate atmosphere for her universal themes of heartbreak, healing and personal growth to thrive. With her soothing yet commanding voice layered over beautifully textured guitars and piano, Rhys' message is one that she needed to hear for herself. Drawing influence from Ron Sexsmith, Brandi Carlile and Nick Drake, Rhys' intimate storytelling takes you right back to the places which inspired these songs.
The EP features the sentimental "Heathrow" (which received support from NPR, BBC 6 Music, Spotify NMF in 26 countries & tips from The Line of Best Fit, Spindle Magazine & more) and arrived with a music video in which Rhys faces her fear of flying as she pilots a plane over the beautiful Stockholm archipelago.
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Having caught Sweden's attention at the age of 17, eventually racking up 225 million streams across her debut project Stages, singer/songwriter Rhys' journey sounds like a teenage dream come true, but in reality it was too good to be true.
"Everything happened so fast," she explains, "I wasn't ready for what I was about to experience. When I was signed, I wasn’t even of legal age, so my mom had to sign the contracts... It took me three years to shed the weight of expectations and rediscover myself."
Following a phase of introspection, she is back with a renewed sense of purpose. Her genre-defying sound now leans to the left, seamlessly blending indie and folk, with lyrics steeped in both nostalgia and everyday life.
Raised in Portland, Oregon, along a stretch of the I-94 highway known as Johnson's Creek, Rhys was steeped in music and culture from birth. Moving across the Atlantic ocean at the age of 10, life in Sweden brought a profound cultural shock. The pragmatic ethos of Sweden clashed with the boundless optimism of America, creating a stark contrast for Rhys, who never saw her artistic dreams as unattainable. This juxtaposition formed a middle ground that has shaped her all throughout life
The early years in Sweden were distinguished by a constant sense of rootlessness. Rhys' family frequently moved around the Stockholm suburbs, never settling in one place for more than a year. Having learnt Swedish by joining the school choir, her dream of a life in music came to fruition at 18. A year later, she released her acclaimed debut album 'Stages', garnering hundreds of millions of streams and establishing herself as the most played artist on Swedish national radio.
Despite the accolades and commercial success, Rhys found herself grappling with a sense of disillusionment, realising she had lost touch with her identity amidst the demands of the industry.
This autumn's EP 'Portland' is her very first project as an independent artist and the first step in a new journey for an artist who's starting again, but this time on her own terms.
Rhys' new EP 'Portland' is out now via The Satchi Six. Rhys embarks on a tour of Scandinavia to celebrate the release of the EP in November & December.
'Portland' EP Tour 2024
Tickets here
20th November – Nefertiti, Gothenburg (SE)
27th November – BLÅ, Oslo (NO)
3rd December – Vega - Ideal Bar, Copenhagen (DK)
4th December – Musikaliska, Stockholm (SE)
