TOUR DATES

2/21-2/24 - Folk Alliance International - Kansas City, MO

2/28 - White Squirrel Bar - Excelsior, MN

2/29 - Leap Year House Show - St. Paul, MN

3/1 -  Utepils Brewing - Minneapolis, MN

3/ 2 - American Swedish Institute/Midwinter Folk Fest - Minneapolis, MN

3/2 - The Cedar - Minneapolis, MN

Nashville-based, Swedish/Swiss singer-songwriter, Helena Hallberg, has released “Epithet,” the title track from her forthcoming debut album, due out March 29th. “Epithet,” which is about catcalling, encompasses one of the main themes of the album - feminism. "Being subjected to catcalling is a part of everyday life for many people,” says Hallberg. “Faced with this fucked up power move (that has little to do with who we actually are) can be an incredibly jarring experience.” “Epithet” was written as an anthem of resilience, but also as a call to awareness. It’s meant to reverse the power balance created when you’re catcalled – an anthem to take your power back, a banger that makes you think and rejoice in the face of the epithets that haunt you.

Recorded on a Brooklyn rooftop, the video features a dancing crowd and plenty of epithets, thanks to the grassroots initiative Catcalls of NYC, who chalked actual catcalls submitted via Instagram. “Epithet” was created with a female-led team, which includes Talia Light Rake (Director), Christina Dobré (Director of Photography), and Hallberg herself.

“Epithet” follows “Surprisingly Disco,” which speaks to the parts of ourselves that we suppress for one reason or another. Drawing from Motown and 70s icons like ABBA and the BeeGees, the string arrangements were skillfully written by arranger/composer Red Hawley, and, true to form, the strings were recorded in the famous “Motown-room” at Power Station at BerkleeNYC. The endearing video was filmed at Brooklyn’s Honore Club, a place where Hallberg spent many late nights discussing the creation of the album.

LISTEN // WATCH: “SURPRISINGLY DISCO”

Lead single and video “From The Outside” combines Hallberg’s Swedish background with her love for American folk music, baking it into a deeply personal story about what it means to leave home, take a chance and stand up for your own future. Recorded in the forest around Mullsjö, Sweden, the forest represents home and comfort, while the song explores themes of leaving in pursuit of something bigger, something better.

LISTEN // WATCH: “FROM THE OUTSIDE”

Epithet features elements of female empowerment, multiculturalism and self-discovery, while also tackling tougher subjects like Christian nationalism and disordered eating. It is as much a middle-finger to the patriarchy as it is a welcoming place to land; a reminder that you deserve happiness and acceptance. Recorded at the iconic Power Station at BerkleeNYC in New York City and produced by an all-female production team comprising Hallberg, Mary Bragg, and Gloria Kaba, Epithet promises to be a musical journey like no other. 

With her beloved Appalachian dulcimer, Henrietta, in hand, Hallberg brings this age-old instrument into the 21st century, spinning enchanting melodies into the fabric of her songs. Her crystalline vocals soar stratospherically, creating a spacious, cinematic sound as she turns every phrase inside out before delivering it expansively in her lush jazz, folk, and pop stylings.

Her expansive music grows comfortably out of her easy familiarity with other cultures. Speaking four languages and living in various cultures offered Hallberg glimpses at the varieties of human nature and the many ways people defined humanity. Like Joni Mitchell and Ella Fitzgerald, Hallberg’s songs focus on empowering self and others. As deeply as she delves into human nature in her songs, she also braids together images from nature, writing songs that reflect her deep love of nature and foster a new appreciation of it.

Epithet is more than just an album; it's a reflection of the human experience, a narrative of the obstacles we all encounter on our path to something better. Each track offers a fresh perspective on the adventure of life, with its stumbles, failures, lessons, growth, and unwavering perseverance.

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