I Break Horses

Allow us to introduce you to the world of I Break Horses, the nom de plume of Maria Lindén and her musical partner Fredrik Balck. Residing in the Swedish capital of Stockholm, the duo have quietly been crafting the nine tracks that make up debut album Hearts throughout stolen moments gathered up over the past three years. Songs were written, committed to tape, destroyed. The task of capturing the sonic density of Lindén’s compositions was painstaking. Balck’s lyrics constantly teasing the senses “Lay your cold hand down on my hardest vein” (‘Cancer’) are at times insular, cold to the touch. It’s only when interpreted by Maria’s effortless croon that a warmth is added, like the first rays of sun on a cold winters morning. A balancing act of light vs. dark that reveals a beauty within the darkness. Perhaps one would think that the results of such endeavours would be somewhat disjointed, with the influences and experiences of 36 months being thrown into the mix, Hearts could almost come across as erratic, unfocused. Thankfully, it’s quite the opposite. Although heavily (and openly) influenced by My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Jesus & Mary Chain et al - Hea... more...