Thea Gustafsson, known as Becky and the Birds, recently released her debut album Only Music Makes Me Cry Now via the celebrated British label 4AD. This milestone marks a shift into an era of creative freedom for the Swedish musician, who not only wrote and produced the album herself but also drew inspiration from deeply personal experiences, such as navigating a transformative breakup and rediscovering her artistic identity. We met Becky for a stroll through Skansen, one of Sweden’s most iconic cultural parks, to reflect on the challenges she faced and the dedication required to achieve such a remarkable milestone in her career.

Photo: Victor Moreno

The album incorporates diverse influences, ranging from collaborations with artists like Dijon and Seinabo Sey to cinematic references such as Blue Valentine and Aftersun. These elements culminate in an emotionally raw and innovative soundscape. Tracks like “To Trust You,” which blends haunting vocals with hypnotic loops and electric guitar, explore themes like rebuilding trust and self-discovery. Earlier singles, such as “I Made My Baby Cry,” have gained significant recognition, including praise from Elton John. “I wanted to keep “Only music makes me cry now”, very creative, and quite open. When I wrote “Trasslig,” it was the first time that I released something as a signed artist and that first time came with more pressure for me, in a way. I had to find my voice while still having other voices around me for the first time, especially some people’s inputs telling me what they wanted. So Trasslig was a process of battling how to use my voice in the midst of everyone else’s. However, this time it was quite nice, because I had already passed that stage. I felt like this was more like a creative release for me,” she explains.

The album also showcases Thea’s experimental approach, featuring manipulated vocal layers and ambient recordings from her daily life, adding an intimate, immersive quality. This work reflects her journey of healing and a bold return to her exploratory roots. She tells us, “Basically, I went through a breakup. I was in a relationship for about six years, which means that throughout my entire adult life, I had been in a relationship since we got together when I was 18. When we broke up, it marked the start of a whole new era for me, trying to figure out who I was as an adult on my own. It was also a process of trying to forget not just them, but also who I was in that relationship, to rediscover myself. I think this album has been with me throughout that entire process. I was experiencing new things, dating new people, and learning more about myself and who I am, all while writing. It began with me recording myself a lot. I would capture myself playing piano and singing on my phone, doing this as I navigated through these experiences, a very stream-of-consciousness flow. I was improvising. Afterward, I used all of those samples, chopped them up, and built them into the foundation of the new songs. It became the base of the album, and I layered production and wrote more on top of that. It all started with recording myself on my phone, capturing everything I was going through, which ended up being the groundwork for the album.”

The music video for When She Holds Me takes an intimate and minimalist approach, featuring Gustafsson and her partner in a series of affectionate moments. It’s a raw and personal portrayal of love, emphasizing simplicity and authenticity. For the follow-up video Anymore, Gustafsson revisited a nostalgic yet comically uncomfortable childhood memory: trips to Åland, Finland, on the iconic Swedish booze cruises. “It’s a very Swedish thing,” she explained. As a child, she found these journeys unpleasant — the adults drank excessively, and the atmosphere was chaotic and sleazy. She decided to reframe this experience through a creative lens. Together with a friend, armed with an iPhone and a DV camera, they boarded one of these boats. The video emerged organically, a blend of improvised shots and raw storytelling, capturing both the absurdity and nostalgia of this cultural phenomenon.

Becky And The Birds collaborates with the creative collective PH-ANY to transform the stage into a visual extension of her creative world. For Becky and the Birds, simply standing on stage with a microphone doesn’t capture the essence of her artistry. The collective conceived a centerpiece on the stage: a bed, representing the countless hours she spends producing music of her own. “We made it look messy by throwing clothes on it,” she explained, “and added a dirty laundry chair for an extra personal touch.” Her father, an accordion player, further enriched the performance, humorously taking his place on the laundry chair. For Becky and the Birds, live performances aren’t just about music, they’re an extension of her creative world, combining theatrical visuals with her deeply personal artistic journey.

Special thanks to Skansen for their collaboration.

Becky and the Birds
‘Only Music Makes Me Cry Now’ as released 15th November 2024
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