Her first record, Until Death Comes, was recorded at Stockholm's Atlantis Studios and co-produced with Jari Haapalainen of The Bear Quartet. The record was released in the EU in 2005 on The Concretes record label Licking Fingers, in the United States in 2006 on Secretly Canadian and in Australia in 2007 on Chapter Music. Hyvönen received the 2005 Stockholmspriset ("The Stockholm Prize") by the Swedish publication Nöjesguiden for her debut album.[1] Her first single, "I Drive My Friend", climbed the hit-list in Sweden for a few weeks.
Frida has been touring Scandinavia, Europe and the US with her piano since 2004. She also played in Shanghai. In the spring of 2006 she toured the United Kingdom with José González, and in the summer of 2006, she toured the US with fellow Swedish artist Jens Lekman. In the fall of 2005 Frida wrote music for dance performance PUDEL, by choreographer Dorte Olesen. She also performed the music live on stage. The music was recorded in 2006 and released in January 2007.
In the fall of 2007 Frida recorded a cover of the R.E.M. song "Everybody Hurts", released in digital form by Stereogum She also covered the song "Sista dan tillsammans" together with Mattias Alkberg on "Dubbel Trubbel", a tribute to Olle Adolphson.
Hyvönen's next album, "Silence is Wild", was released October 29, 2008 in Scandinavia and November 4, 2008 in North America and Australia.
She is also working on a collaboration with photographer Elin Berge, in a project that will be out in 2009.
Discography
Albums
2005 Until Death Comes
First studio album
Released: April 6, 2005
Label: Licking Fingers
Format: CD, LP, Digital download
2007 Frida Hyvönen Gives You:
Music from the Dance Performance PUDEL
Second studio album
Released: January 24, 2007
Label: Licking Fingers
Format: CD, LP, Digital download
2008 Silence Is Wild
Third studio album
Released: October 29, 2008
Label: Licking Fingers
Format: CD, LP, Digital download
2005: "I Drive My Friend" (single)
2008: "Traveling Companion" (single) (Marit Bergman featuring Frida Hyvönen)
References
Hopper, Jessica. "Frida Hyvonen unafraid of mixing music, feminism". Chicago Tribune March 9, 2007. Accessed August 12, 2007.
Loebenstein, Ghita. "Until Death Comes - Music - CD Reviews". The Age (Melbourne, Australia) March 30, 2007. Accessed August 12, 2007.
Reed, James. "An introduction to Nordic tracks – MFA to present a triple bill of Scandinavian rockers". Boston Globe February 25, 2007. Accessed August 12, 2007.
Pony
Frida Hyvönen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dress to the occasion
Leather boots and a stiff black whip
I don't even have to use it
I just hold it like this
Pony knows when she sees it
That does she not behave she'll get to taste it
That does she not obey she'll make me use it
I tighten the girdle and I shorten the reins
She supplies raw power
I direct it with my skills
Right into the wild we go
It's a dark green ?
Pony's warming from her light brown body
Rises a smell of sweat
Tickle the palm of my hand with grey eager lips
I give you sugar pony if you give me obedience
Tickle the palm of my hand with grey eager lips
I give you sugar pony if you give me this
Slowly the earth turns
And horses come and go
My pony's shrinking
I never stop to grow
God I miss the horses
The way they used to look at me
Oh God I miss the horses
The way they used to make me feel
The lyrics of "Pony" by Frida Hyvönen are quite intriguing and suggestive. The song essentially talks about the relationship between the singer and her pony; the singer is the dominant one in this relationship and holds power over the pony. The singer has a clear idea of what she wants from the pony and she expects obedience from it. She uses a stiff black whip to assert her dominance, but claims that she doesn't need to use it; its presence alone is enough to make the pony behave. The singer enjoys the power dynamic and loves controlling the pony.
The second part of the song describes the singer and the pony venturing into the wilderness together. The singer is in charge and directs the pony's raw power towards the destination. The pony is sweating and panting, but the singer is in control. The lyrics here are quite suggestive, with references to the "grey eager lips" of the pony, and a promise of sugar if the pony obeys. Towards the end of the song, the singer talks about how she misses horses, suggesting that perhaps her relationship with the pony is not enough.
One interpretation of the song can be that it's about BDSM, with the pony representing a submissive partner, and the singer representing a dominant partner. The whip, leather boots, and the power dynamic all suggest this. However, the lyrics are open to interpretation, and there may be other ways to read into them.
Line by Line Meaning
A stable's where you learn to be in charge and not take shit
A stable is a place where one learns to have control and not tolerate disrespect.
Dress to the occasion
Dress appropriately for the task at hand.
Leather boots and a stiff black whip
Wearing leather boots and holding a stiff black whip for control.
I don't even have to use it
The whip is not always necessary for control.
Pony knows when she sees it
That does she not behave she'll get to taste it
The pony knows when misbehavior occurs, that punishment is imminent.
Pony knows when she sees it
That does she not obey she'll make me use it
The pony knows that disobedience leads to the use of the whip.
I tighten the girdle and I shorten the reins
She supplies raw power
I direct it with my skills
Tightening the girdle and shortening the reins is a technique to control the pony's raw power with learned skills.
Right into the wild we go
It's a dark green ?
Pony's warming from her light brown body
Rises a smell of sweat
Venturing into the wilderness, as Pony warms up from physical exertion, a smell of sweat rises from her body.
Tickle the palm of my hand with grey eager lips
I give you sugar pony if you give me obedience
Giving the pony a reward of sugar for obedience.
Tickle the palm of my hand with grey eager lips
I give you sugar pony if you give me this
The exchange between the pony and rider, where the rider is willing to reward the pony for good behavior.
Slowly the earth turns
And horses come and go
My pony's shrinking
I never stop to grow
The cycles of life continue, as pony ages and rider never stops learning and growing.
God I miss the horses
The way they used to look at me
Oh God I miss the horses
The way they used to make me feel
The rider's nostalgia, missing the way horses used to interact with them and the emotions they used to evoke.
Contributed by Caroline R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.