Montréal Mundial Artistic Director Derek Andrews calls FRÄNDER “a breath of fresh Swedish air with a sweet touch of Estonia. Great playing, harmonies, humour… an original and charming Nordic gaggle.” The group plays modern acoustic folk music forged deep in the forests of northern Sweden. Through seductive harmonies, heavy grooves and mesmerizing energy, they create an inviting musical landscape filled with warmth, mystery and a love of adventure.
Formed in 2015 in Uppsala, Sweden, Fränder began as a family band – as befits the name (an old Swedish word referring to both family and kin, and also to fellow human-beings). In this case, it’s the Dluzewska family: Natasja (principal vocals, fiddle), Gabbi (Swedish bosoki, mandolin, vocals) and Daniel (double bass, vocals), who were joined by Estonian-tied flautist/vocalist Säde Tatar. In 2023, Björn Tollin (percussion) and Alva Granström (vocals & fiddle) are new additions to the lineup.
Applauding the maturity and intelligence of the ensemble’s self-titled debut album, reviewer David Kidman wrote, “Fränder have everything going for them, for the combined band sound is both light-textured and dynamic and rhythmically sprung, and the vocal harmonies are both expert and eerily exquisite, with an enviable clarity of textures and good diction… (They are) one of the most characterful and original of the latest wave of contemporary folk bands to come out of Sweden.”