Altsounds - Lykke Li new single 'Breaking It Up'

Lykke Li is certainly more deserving of that oft-misused term ‘hotly tipped’ than most. By the admission of anyone who has witnessed the 22-year old Swede perform in the flesh, or had her debut album ‘Youth Novels’ on rotation since it was released last month, she is box-fresh and supremely talented. As rare, and as otherworldly a find as Bjork was 15 years ago, Lykke Li has - in 9 short months - marked herself out as a powerful creative force, and a captivating performer of global appeal and huge potential. Continuing the upward march of her career trajectory thus far, she will release new single ‘Breaking it Up’ on LL Recordings in August.

Though already a defining artist of 2008 for many, Lykke Li doesn’t sound ‘of a time’ – she’s in no danger of being written off in 6 months’ time for sporting day-glo hoodies, asymmetrical haircuts, or any other here-today, gone-tomorrow passing fad…because she’s an artist of depth, grace, class, and most importantly substance. Sure, there’s a joyful pop-swayed abandon in what LL does…but in truth, her influences splinter everything from hip-hop (she’s been known to treat crowds to a rendition of A Tribe Called Quest’s ‘Can I Kick It?’ when she performs), to folk and blues. Lykke Li has been as absorbed by the music of Karen Dalton and Edith Piaf as Suicide, Salt-n-Pepa, Kate Bush or Grace Jones. She is an enigmatic, multi-faceted character sure enough - perhaps a little schizophrenic by nature - but she’s all the more wonderful for it.

To this effect, ‘Breaking It Up’ is hallmark Lykke Li. A reluctant breakup anthem (complete with sing-along-inducing all-girl choir formed with Japanese rock band, The Suzan), it articulates her own restlessness as much as it’s a literal re-telling of another youthful bout of heartbreak and romantic disillusionment:- “It’s about me always being the one to leave someone in order to pursue my dreams,” Lykke Li admits. “It’s about how my creativity is keeping me from having a steady relationship because I'm always thinking about new ideas. I do feel bad for beginning things with people when I know it’s never gonna last. I’ll stay a while, but never for long...”

Fresh from an impression-making turn at Glastonbury (her debut at the festival), and winning over new fans by the day as she tours Europe and the US throughout the Summer (all festival dates listed below), Lykke has just announced a new UK tour for the Autumn. The tour, which will include a headline show at The Scala, is mapped out over following dates:-

October tour
29/9 Sheffield The Plug
1/10 London Scala
2/10 Brighton Concorde 2
5/10 Birmingham Glee Club
6/10 Bristol Thekla
8/10 Liverpool Liverpool Academy 2
9/10 Edinburgh Cabaret Voltaire
10/10 York The Duchess

UK Summer festival dates
19/7 Lovebox festival
20/7 Latitude festival
27/7 Secret Garden festival
2/8 Big Chill
10/8 Summer Sundae
5/9 Bestival

LYKKE LI
MySpace.com - Lykke Li - Stockholm - Other / Other - www.myspace.com/lykkeli