Sisters first

Small talk

Sisters first

Klara and Johanna Söderberg of First Aid Kit moved Patty Smith to tears, got standing ovations from Paul Simon, and traveled the world with their enchanting voices. This duo of wonders have conquered the world of music. But yet, at firsthand, we wanted to explore another side of the band; Sisterhood and early motherhood – the one about just being sisters first.  

Sisters first

Johanna and Harriet.

Sisters first

Johanna, how would you portray your sister?

“Klara is a free spirit. She’s brave and always willing to try new things. I’ve always admired her for that. She’s a searcher who moves on to new things when she’s bored and never stands still. Klara’s a storyteller with a fantastic memory. She truly cares about people and listens. She can mesmerize an entire room with her stories. She’s sensitive and doesn’t like drama. She can sometimes be entirely in her own world, and in that case, you have to nudge her to get her back and present with you again, haha.”

Klara, how would you describe Johanna?

“Johanna is passionate, determined, and a little stubborn. She cares a lot about her work and about the people she loves. She has an eye for detail. Which I often lack. She is brave, honest, playful, and impulsive. She is the coolest sister ever.”

What are the cornerstones of your relationship?

Klara: “That is a tricky question. We’re sisters, friends, and colleagues. We’ve grown up side by side, and we have shared the same crazy adventure. It’s taken a toll on our relationship at times, but we’ve always managed to stay friends. Music is, of course, a fundamental cornerstone. On year long tours, it’s sometimes been hard remembering how much we enjoy it. The older we get, the more we realize the importance of our sisterhood. It’s everything.”

Johanna: “We trust each other entirely and are brutally honest. We share the same sense of humor and can both laugh until we cry over the silliest of things. We have so many shared experiences and memories that we treasure. When I’m sad, it’s Klara I call, and when I’m happy, it’s Klara I call. It’s a beautiful relationship that I’m thankful for every day.”

What do you fight about?

Klara: “I think we argue when we’re not really listening to what the other one is saying and instead let our preconceived notions get the better of us. We have to make many big decisions about our future, and we don’t always want the same thing. That can be tricky! We also fight about silly sister stuff. We know each other so well, and we can tell each other moods without saying a word. We often don’t get enough sleep on tour, and then we’re both grumpy and tired. That can lead to some interesting ‘discussions’, haha.”

How do you make peace?

Johanna: “We’ll be upset for an hour or a full one day. Then we say we’re sorry and hug it out”.

 

Sisters first

“Klara is a free spirit. She’s brave and always willing to try new things. I’ve always admired her for that. She’s a searcher who moves on to new things when she’s bored and never stands still. Klara’s a storyteller with a fantastic memory. She truly cares about people and listens."

Sisters first
Sisters first
Sisters first

Klara and Mikael got engaged this summer.

“Johanna is passionate, determined, and a little stubborn. She cares a lot about her work and about the people she loves. She has an eye for detail. Which I often lack. She is brave, honest, playful, and impulsive. She is the coolest sister ever.”

Sisters first
Sisters first
Sisters first
Sisters first
Sisters first

The photoshoot took place at Klaras apartment in Södermalm in Stockholm.

Sisters first
Sisters first

How do you prefer to spend time together?

Klara: “Since we spend a lot of time working together, for us, it’s a treat just to sit together and watch TV or play board games. Just relaxing together. We love the same movies and TV-shows, and we have the same cultural references. We can be together and be quiet, and it feels completely normal. But we also really love to sing together. That never gets old.”

Johanna: “Watching a costume drama, going for a long walk with Harriet and Pablo, singing karaoke, and drinking tequila at a shitty bar. Or just doing absolutely nothing, maybe staring at our phones, but still hanging out.”

What does music mean to you?

Klara: “As a teenager, music was the central place I found any connection and sense of belonging. My relationship with music became more complicated when it became my job. It was harder to find the simple thrill in it. But a good song – sometimes a song I’ve heard a million times – can make me cry in seconds. That feeling, when a song finds you at the right time and place, is magical. That never gets old. And I never get sick of playing music with a fabulous band. It’s so so much fun.”

Johanna: “E v e r y t h i n g. Music has been my constant companion since childhood. It’s my work, and it’s my passion. Sometimes I get tired of it when I’ve worked too hard for too long, but still, I couldn’t live a day without singing. Harmonizing with people is the best way to get to know them. It’s a pure and instant connection.”

Your journey to fame is fantastic. Looking back at it, how are your feelings?

Johanna: “It’s kind of insane. To me, it still feels like we just somehow magically got to do what we love for a living. Even though I know that’s not true, there’s a lot of hard work behind it. It wasn’t an overnight success. It was very gradual. I’m thankful for that as we were so young when we started. Being thrown into fame at that age isn’t healthy. I’ve always wanted to make music, but I never thought I’d be so privileged. I can’t believe that I’m 30 years old and I’ve already had 14 years of experience. When I look back at it now, I know I’ve seen the world, played the stages of my dreams, met and collaborated with many of my heroes. It’s all I could’ve ever asked for. I’d die happy. Yet I still want more!”

Klara: “Looking back, it feels like it happened sort of quickly. But it wasn’t an overnight success, which I’m grateful for. We got to grow into it over the years, playing bigger and bigger venues. I could never have imagined that we would ever be playing arenas, and it wasn’t even something we dreamt of doing. It didn’t seem like a possibility. I’m so proud of all the work we’ve done and the hundreds of tours we’ve been on. It’s been a wild ride.

What makes you smile?

Klara: “My dog and his incredible underbite. My fiancé cracks me up daily. Driving around in my car on county roads, blasting my favorite songs, and singing along loudly. In general, people who are open and nonjudgemental. Late-night karaoke with my friends. A perfect taco.”

Johanna: “My daughter, when she sees my face in the morning and smiles at me. It gives me life. Or my friends when we’re up drinking wine too late and start getting silly.”

What makes you feel dark inside?

Klara: “I feel most of us walk around with some kind of emptiness inside, which we can’t ever fill. I try to embrace that as much as I can and that none of us are alone in it. Luckily, I get to deal with a lot of my darkness in music. And in therapy! I love therapy, haha. I’m generally an optimist, but things that can get me down a lot are more significant issues – the rise of the Sweden Democrats, for example, and the climate crisis. These things I feel I don’t have much personal control over, and they terrify me.”

Johanna: “Oh, let’s not go there. It’s a bottomless pit, haha. I struggle with a lot of anxiety. Always have and always will. I have to work pretty hard to keep those dark thoughts at bay. Music and being creative is a massive help.”

 

Sisters first
Sisters first
Sisters first

Three generations; baby Harriet, sisters Klara, Johanna and their mother Anna.

Do you have any guilty pleasures?

Klara: “I like to watch the same TV shows repeatedly, like Friends and New Girl and Modern Family. It’s so comforting. I’ve also watched Six Feet Under about a hundred times, but I don’t feel particularly guilty about that.”

Johanna: “I don’t believe in guilty pleasures anymore. I used to be so insecure and ashamed of what I liked growing up. I loved the cheesiest pop music, and I’d listen to it in secret behind closed doors. It was a way for me to escape from what I perceived was expected of me. I felt like I wasn’t allowed to enjoy that music and also enjoy more “mature” culture at the same time. Now I know nothing is that black and white. I can listen to a k-pop tune followed by some obscure folk band from the 70s, and that’s ok.”

Klara, tell us about your most frequent thoughts right now?

“What am I going to eat for lunch/dinner? A great meal is holy. How crazy it is that my niece is soooooooooo cute!!!!”

Johanna, what has motherhood brought to your life?

“So far, to me, parenthood seems to be a mixed bag. It’s the most traumatizing thing and the most extraordinary thing I’ve experienced, all at once. I’m still processing what it means to become a parent. The day Harriet was born, I was suddenly a new person. Everything felt scary and different when I saw the world through her tiny eyes. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by my love and responsibility for her. It’s like I’m going to break into a thousand pieces when I look at her. She’s so precious, and I can’t protect her from the darkness in the world and from my own fucked up self. It took me months to feel like myself again after Harriet’s birth. But all of this is growing pains, it’s like I’m more vulnerable yet also more vital now. Come to think about it, more than anything, having kids is hilarious. I’m laughing every day and following Harriet’s progress is thrilling. I feel alive.”

Johanna, your three most frequent thoughts right now?

“Will I ever get to sleep again? Will I ever get to sleep again? Will I ever get to sleep again?”

Johanna. If you could send a secret message to Klara?

“Don’t be afraid to say how you feel, even if it sometimes hurts someone.”

We have one for you as well, Klara. What would your message to Johanna be?

“I’m so proud of you. Watching you become a mother is the coolest thing ever. I love you so much.” ☮

Published April 14, 2021