B-Side Guys

On the asphalt-wet streets of Örebro, Sweden, six strangers found each other through internet forums, chance encounters in parks, and even Tinder band ads. This unlikely genesis story provides perfect context for understanding Kallsup’s “Forever,” a track that navigates the liminal spaces between connection and isolation with remarkable assurance.

The third and final single from their forthcoming debut album “En sista räddning” (A Last Rescue) showcases a band that has mastered shoegaze’s textural possibilities while avoiding its occasional emotional remoteness. When Eline Gustafsson sings “Är det så det ska vara/När livet känns värt att leva/Asfaltsregn och dy” (Is this how it should be/When life feels worth living/Asphalt rain and mud), her delivery conveys both resignation and wonder—a duality that permeates the entire composition.

What distinguishes “Forever” from contemporary dream pop is its willingness to embrace linguistic duality. The verses delivered in Swedish create intimate specificity, while the chorus shifts to English for its universal declaration that “Everything and nothing/Means forever/In my dreams.” This code-switching mirrors the song’s thematic exploration of contrasting emotional states, creating cohesion between lyrical content and structural choices.

Instrumentally, the sextet creates remarkable density without sacrificing clarity. Edwin Karolczak and Carl Libert’s guitar work builds walls of reverb that somehow remain translucent rather than opaque, while William Ulff’s bass provides not just foundation but melodic counterpoint. Elin Lindström Svernby’s synth work adds atmospheric dimension, and Joakim Jakobsson’s drumming demonstrates restraint where lesser drummers might surrender to shoegaze’s tendency toward rhythmic submersion.

The production choices—recording in their rehearsal space before having David Enquist mix and Magnus Lindberg master—preserve both intimacy and scale. The sonic environment suggests both confined space and expansive possibility, mirroring the lyrical question “Hit men inte längre bort/För då blir det fel/Varför blir det fel?” (Here but not further away/Because then it becomes wrong/Why does it become wrong?).

Since forming in 2022, Kallsup has situated themselves in the rich tradition of Nordic dream pop while incorporating elements of post-punk and nu-gaze. “Forever” stands as evidence that the bonds formed between strangers can create something more enduring than individual expression—a musical exploration of that precise point where “everything and nothing” might indeed mean “forever.”