Not long after the release of their second album, 2007’s Our Ill Wills, and months of relentless touring, Sweden’s Shout Out Louds decided to take a six-month break, and its five members—frontman Adam Olenius, bassist Ted Malmros, guitarist Carl Von Arbin, drummer Eric Edman and keyboardist Bebban Stenborg—spread out between Melbourne, Los Angeles and Stockholm. However, despite the distance, it wasn’t long before Olenius was writing new material and sending it out to his bandmates, who all contributed from their remote locations. As a result, the quintet has returned with a fresh, simple sound on third full-length Work (out now on Merge), which the band is currently supporting on a tour of North America and Europe. Shout Out Louds will be guest-editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our new Q&A with Olenius and our 2007 feature on the band.
Malmros: Right now, I am into the Gil Scott-Heron album I’m New Here. It’s such an emotional and packed record—some spoken, some sung. It’s slow and meditative. I love to just put the record on at home or work; it’s really great to listen to for inspiration. It gives me pictures in my head.