On paper, Lykke Li’s childhood sounds like one long musical adventure. Born in Ystad, Sweden – the setting, of course, for Henning Mankell’s Wallander books – Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson is the daughter of Johan Zachrisson, guitarist with well-known Swedish punk/ska/reggae band, Dag Vag. From Sweden, Zachrisson took his family and his studio to an isolated mountain top in Portugal, then to Lisbon, then India, Nepal and Morocco. Recording with local musicians, experimenting with strange new instruments. Surrounding young Lykke’s world with sound.
“As you said, this kind of childhood sounds great on paper,” laughs Lykke. “But the reality of that kind of upbringing is 11 different schools, very few friends, struggling to learn new languages... and a real sense of detachment. Anxiety and insomnia. Moving around like that takes away your feeling of safety.
“As a child, I was lost, but it was music that saved me...”
Her 2008 debut album, Youth Novels – a sprightly collection of dreamy synth pop tunes, decorated with indie/folk-ish hooks – was an immediate hit in Sweden and far beyond, leading to festival appearances at Glastonbury, Coachella et al, not to mention a string of high-profile collaborations.
“The more songs I recorded, the more confident I felt with lyrics. I wasn’t scared about diving into the craziness of life or touching on darker subjects. Writing about real heavy shit. On the new album [, released earlier this year], the lyrics became a sort of diary. I would arrive at the
