Ebba Grön

Ebba Grön was not the hardest punk band in Sweden, after the two first records it was hardly punk at all, and the band did only hold together for five years. But in this time they almost single-handedly managed to bring Swedish punk rock into the spotlight, and they became more popular than any other bands in that genre, before or after. A decade and a half after their breakup they were still uncontested as the kings of Swedish punk. Ebba Grön was formed as a trio in 1977 by Ljungstedt, Thåström, and Eriksson, who already played together in the bands Urin and Fajt. Their stage debut took place in March 1978 when they played warmup for the Lerium at the local youth center, and by financing it themselves they released the debut single "Antirock" one month later. The band bought all the 500 copies and sold them on the streets. After a concert at Långholmsparken, which was recorded by the national radio, they were contacted by Håkan Lagher from Mistlur, who offered a contract and to re-release the single. Ebba Grön started a hectic period of touring, during which they also released two more singles. In 1978, the time had come for their album debut, and with We're Only in It for the Money they definitely wrote themselves into rock history. The anarchistic lyrics were seen as very controversial at the time, and the lyrics of one song, "Beväpna Er," about taking up arms against the authorities, could not be printed on the cover. The band also started to get a reputation of having troublesome gigs, with vandalism and fights, which fitted the punk image perfectly. In 1980, Ebba Grön released a single that would become their most famous song, a cover of Blå Tåget's Staten Och Kapitalet. Kärlek Och Uppror was released next year, and was much more produced than the debut, with the focus of the music shifting slightly away from punk. The catchy melodies and Ebba Grön's image as young rebels appealed to both the punk crowd and a wider audience, and rendered the album a big success. The lyrics and the music were always credited to the entire band, but after a while it became more obvious that it was Thåström who was the creative engine, and he would also have the most successful career after the breakup. Later that same year, keyboard player Sjöholm, alias Stry Terrarie, was recruited and brought with him new influences. The single "Scheisse" was released and parallel with this: Thåström, Ljungstedt, and Sjöholm released a single with the new project Rymdimperiet, later to reach fame as Imperiet. On Ebba Grön, released in 1982, the new tendencies were even more obvious. The album, produced by Tony Thorén from Eldkvarn, had keyboards and horns, and was more melodic than its predecessors. This may have meant that Ebba Grön was not punk anymore (though lyrically they were), but that hardly harmed them commercially. When Eriksson ended up in jail for four months for refusing to do his military service; it was the beginning of the end for Ebba Grön, and in February 1983 they sent a farewell letter to the press. But already the same year Rymdimperiet released their first album, now under the name Imperiet. Musically this album continued the development away from punk rock that had been seen on Ebba Grön's albums. Imperiet got a good start and would be the leading band of the Swedish alternative rock scene throughout the '80s. In 1995 Ebba Grön reunited for one occasion, but Thåström refused to participate. ~ Lars Lovén