Anthony Mills, Bonander, Kolonien, Malin Verheij, The Indigo Echoes & Velvet Moon are ready for Tallinn Music Week!

Tallinn Music Week is a multi-genre festival of unique talent across Europe and beyond with diverse genres from experimental electronica to classical in the best venues and clubs of Tallinn. Attended by 20,000 festival-goers and 1,000 industry professionals, TMW is the key networking event for musicians and music industry professionals of the Nordic-Baltic region and across Europe, with a track record for helping emerging acts break into the international scene.

ÅÄÖ…Sounds Swedish is coming to Tallinn Music Week 2025, previously the concept has been part of the showcase festival The Great Escape in Brighton UK, but in 2025 it will make a stop in the Estonian capital. The organizations Talentcoach, Argle Bargle Studios, Icons Creating Evil Art, MTA Production, BD Pop and the study association Sensus have joined forces to present the hottest from the Swedish music market right now.

- “Playing at Tallinn Music Week will be a great opportunity to share my music with a new audience and also find inspiration for future projects. I am both excited and grateful for the chance to be part of such an inspiring festival in beautiful Tallinn”, says Filip from The Indigo Echoes.

ÅÄÖ...Sounds Swedish brings you the hottest and freshest talent from the mighty music scene of Sweden! It also serves as a hub for Swedish music in an international context, so you'll be right at the heart of the action. Get ready to meet the promising newcomers and seasoned stalwarts in the charming Uus Laine bar - from Ohio-born Anthony Mills, who has worked and toured with the greats from Harry Belafonte to Amy Winehouse and KRS-One, to Kolonien, a group in search of a sacred space where you can let things grow, whether it's music, conversations or ourselves. We also have Kate Bush influenced Bonander, the indie rock act The Indigo Echoes from iconic Hultsfred, Velvet Moon with their unique place in the music world with their deeply intimate and evocative songs and Dutch Malin Verheij who now lives in a cottage outside Jokkmokk, who experienced heartbreak and came out as transformed in tones of her music.

You can meet us even ahead of the show at the ÅÄÖ reception. You'll be treated to a musical smorgasbord, and learn everything you ever needed to know about the infamous Swedish (and some Estonian) vowels with dots. Don't miss out!

One of the partners in this year's ÅÄÖ initiative is Carl-Markus at Icons Creating Evil art, who explains his participation as follows: I run a couple of labels and publishers from an old converted cinema space in Stockholm with artists from all genres. We try to work with an international approach to our signings (even if the market is gravitating toward more and more local repertoire in Swedish, we like to be contrarian in many ways). Business conferences are a great way to expand your network and exchange ideas and experiences, and challenge yourself and the set boundaries and strategies we often get locked into. I've been going to conferences for over 20 years, from Popkomm and Midem to sitting on the board of by:Larm a couple of years, and last year was my first visit to Tallinn Music Week. We now see Tallinn as one of the closest international conferences for us, and one we want to make an important part of our window to the world. Working more with the Baltics and the Nordics as our closest markets and grow ties and source both knowledge, sales and talent is important, and has huge potential.

This event is presented in collaboration with Talentcoach, Argle Bargle Studios, Icons Creating Evil Art, MTA Productions, BD Pop & Sensus.

Anthony Mills
Anthony Mills is a country artist, plain and simple. A great-grandchild of middle America's industrial revolution, he was born and raised in working class Akron, Ohio, with family roots stretching from Louisiana to the West Indies to Stockholm. His journey began as a classical voice major at The Manhattan School of Music, but his path took unexpected turns. Since the late 90s, Mills has worked and toured with an impressive array of artists including Harry Belafonte, Amy Winehouse, KRS-One, Sizzla, Grace Bumbry, and Leela James. He's even written top-line EDM anthems for Dada Life and Moonbootica. These diverse experiences helped forge the artist he would become. Mills began telling his own story through country music five years ago. He released his debut country album Blue Collar Work Ethic in 2019, followed by Drankin Songs of the Midwest in 2020. His third album is set for release in 2025.

Bonander
Enigmatic and alluring Bonander writes, produces and performs her own music. She has been described as Kate Bush-influenced, dramatic, dark and cinematic. Her lyrics challenge gender conformity and often touch the lives of people that history has forgotten. Bonander released her visionary debut album Things We Don't Talk About through Icons Creating Evil Art in 2021. The full-length was praised by media giants such as Rolling Stone, It's All Indie, High Snobiety and GAFFA. In 2024, she returned with a new EP called The Thread, unpicking traumas revolving around body and self-image. Having supported Moto Boy and played venues like Slaktkyrkan and Nalen in Sweden, as well as shows in the UK, Denmark and Bulgaria, her concerts offer cinematic music delivered through a mesmerizing live performance.

Kolonien
The word Kolonien derives from Latin colonia, meaning the cultivator and breaker of new ground. But in Sweden, it's a term for community gardening, often just outside the cities. A Koloni is a few square metres of land where urban people can grow some vegetables or flowers and create a sanctuary from city life.

"This Koloni concept sums up what the band means to us very well. A sort of sacred space where we can let things grow, whether it's music, conversations or ourselves. We're trying to break new ground musically and cultivating a new story to grow into."

Malin Verheij
Malin Verheij was born in the Netherlands, but moved to Borås, Sweden at the age of twelve. Surrounded by a new language, she struggled to fit in - an invisible wall seemed to separate her from the world. She found refuge in writing lyrics and playing music, expressing her emotions and thoughts by putting words in the right order and getting them onto paper. A few years ago, she moved to a red cabin outside Jokkmokk, experienced heartbreak, and emerged transformed. Though she had planned to quit music, it wouldn't let her go, forcing its way back into her life. After buying her first real upright piano, she began writing again - at first just for herself, like intimate diary entries, but soon, she had a collection of songs that needed to be heard beyond the cabin walls. The result was an EP T_o Cry For, To Lean On, To Love_, carefully produced by Frithiof Stenvall with raw, live takes and minimal overdubs.

The Indigo Echoes
Filip's musical journey began in the heart of Sweden, where the echoes of the iconic Hultsfredsfestivalen filled the forest near his childhood home. Surrounded by the sounds of world-class artists performing just beyond the trees, he was inspired to carve his own path in music. This passion eventually took him to London, where he honed his craft by studying Music Production & Engineering at BIMM University. Immersed in London’s vibrant music scene, Filip brought The Indigo Echoes to life—a creative project that serves as a canvas for his emotional depth and sonic exploration. With a rich blend of influences, he infuses each track with raw emotion and deep introspection, shaping a sound that is distinctly his own.

Velvet Moon
VELVET MOON has carved a unique space in the music world with their deeply intimate and evocative songs. Sandra Bjurman, the band's lyricist and vocalist, draws from personal experiences to explore both individual struggles and broader societal issues. The musical landscapes crafted by Stefan Örn and Johan Glössner complement Sandra's storytelling, guiding listeners through rich colors and powerful emotions. Their first four albums earned global recognition, even reaching the top of Spotify's Viral list in Indonesia. Now, with their fifth album set for release in 2025, VELVET MOON continues to captivate audiences. Their latest singles "Daylight" and "A Love Song" have already resonated with fans, leading to two sold-out shows at The Great Escape festival in Brighton, UK.

ÅÄÖ…Sounds Swedish is presented by:
Talentcoach gives artists, producers, songwriters, entrepreneurs and creatives within the music business the tools to build a sustainable career within music. Talentcoach also hosts Baltic Sessions, a showcase festival and industry event on the southeast coast of Sweden.

Argle Bargle Studios is an independent Stockholm-based record label that finds and builds artists and develops outstanding music concepts.

Icons Creating Evil Art is a boutique music label and publisher with the intention of evoking feelings and reactions we want to provoke, inspire, create, destroy, and disrupt old structures while having fun doing so.

MTA Production is a booking company and agency for creative ideas in culture, music and art.

BD Pop is a development company for popular music from Norrbotten with the task of supporting regional artists and music productions. BD Pop contributes with knowledge and contacts, human and financial resources, with support or co-production efforts. We promote the regional music scene online and in the media, create contacts and build networks.

Sensus study association supports Swedish bands and artists on their path to a music career. The study associations together are recognized as a key part in Sweden’s success in the global music industry – by providing rehearsal and recording studios, band coaching and live concerts.