Last Days Of April

Emerging from Stockholm’s post-hardcore scene in the mid-’90s, Last Days of April underwent a few stylistic shifts over the decades to follow without ever forsaking the raw, melodic tendencies of lead singer and songwriter Karl Larsson. Their 1997 eponymous debut drew equally from angsty emo influences, and by 2002, Ascend to the Stars took a more reflective approach. After settling into a tuneful, less-abrasive indie rock sound throughout the 2000s, 2010′s Larsson-produced Gooey embraced a more contemplative, alternative singer/songwriter complexion, indicative of a decade that also brought the alternative country-rock set Sea of Clouds in 2015. Last Days of April’s tenth full-length, Even the Good Days Are Bad, marked a return to straight-ahead indie rock introspection in 2021.
Last Days of April was founded by Karl Larsson (vocals/guitar), Lars Taberman (guitar), Andreas Fornell (drums), and Daniel Svenfors (bass) in 1996. A demo showcasing their passionate take made waves in the local hardcore scene, with the singles “Untold” and “Never Apart” increasing their fan base and drawing the interest of Tim Bertilsson at Trust No One Records. The label issued the band’s self-titled debut album in 1997. Bad Taste Records then issued The Wedding EP in 1998, the same year Bad Taste and Japanese label Straight Up delivered the band’s Jawbreaker-influenced second album, Rainmaker. Last Days spent the next two years touring Europe with groups including the Bufferins and the Promise. In 2000, the Pelle Gunnerfeldt-produced Angel Youth featured a harpsichord and string quartet alongside remnants of the group’s earlier emo influences. With Gunnerfeldt on bass, it was recorded with Larsson and Taberman on multiple instruments, along with Fornell and keyboardists Fredrik Hermansson and Calle Ohlsson. New York’s Deep Elm Records soon signed on and released Angel Youth in the States in mid-2001.
Returning to the studio with Gunnerfeldt, Last Days of April’s fourth full-length, 2002′s Ascend to the Stars, was essentially a solo album by Larsson, as reflected in its more pensive rock sound. The next year’s If You Lose It was credited to Larsson and Fornell, with guests Mattias Friberg on guitar and Mathias Oldén on bass. In 2004, Bad Taste reissued the band’s debut album for the first time. A year later, Larsson put out the nine-track Pale as Milk under his own name. Yet another Gunnerfeldt-Last Days of April collaboration, Might as Well Live, followed in 2007 featuring the lineup of Larsson (vocals, guitar), Mathias Oldén (bass), and Fredrik Granberg (drums).
Arriving on Bad Taste in 2010, the partially home-recorded Gooey was entirely produced by Larsson and revealed another adjustment in sound toward hooky, introspective alt-singer/songwriter fare. The Lemonheads’ Evan Dando and Tegan and Sara’s Tegan Quin were featured vocalists on the album. Larsson returned with Last Days of April’s eighth long-player, 79, in 2012 before offering up the alternative country-rock outing Sea of Clouds in 2015. It marked the band’s Tapete Records debut. A second release for Tapete, Even the Good Days Are Bad, left the twang behind in 2021. Recorded in analog during two days at Studio Gondahl in Stockholm, it featured the rhythm section of Rikard Lindhamn (bass) and Magnus Olsson (drums). ~ Marcy Donelson