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Dec 03, 2025 By Dom Gourlay Photography by Josefine Larsson (lead photo), Elena Perota (live photos) Web Exclusive

Gothenburg’s Viva Sounds has emerged as one of the most adventurous, welcoming and unmissable events on the showcase festival circuit in recent years. Although the first one only took place in 2017, its already grown in stature to the point where artists, bookers and agents from every corner of the globe wants a piece of the action. Resulting in this year’s edition being the biggest one so far, both in the number of participating artists (a whopping 90 acts performed this year) and venues (15 including a couple of new additions from previous years and 2 live shows in the lower deck of a mini-cruise liner). In addition to the live music, Viva Sounds also hosted 2 full days of music industry conferences, panels, speed meetings and talks on subjects ranging from How To Build A Relationship With Your Audience to How Indie Labels Build The Next Wave to whether networking really works. Bringing together artists and delegates from as far afield as Canada, the US, Estonia, Poland, Portugal and the UK as well as representatives from the other Nordic nations, Denmark, Norway and Finland.

With such an international flavour and a diverse range of acts covering every genre from pop, hip hop and r’n'b through to indiepop, punk, metal and post rock, Viva Sounds really does have something for everyone. Each of its participant venues are within walking distance (or a short tram ride) of one another and situated in a way that its possible to venture into all 15 on the same night if one has the inclination to do so. A favourite of ours is The Abyss, which specialises in all things metal while the city of Gothenburg itself seems to have a record shop on every street corner, with two of them - Andra Långgatans Skivhandel and Bengans - also among the venues hosting live shows over the course of the festival.

Nevertheless, it’s on the lower deck of a mini0-cruise liner where Gothenburg’s esteemed indiepop scene of yore meets the latest heirs to the throne as critically acclaimed five-piece Makthaverskan play an exclusive set back-to-back with newcomers Sylvie’s Head, who’ll also play the next night later at Pustervik. For the former, it provides an opportunity to test out new material from their forthcoming fifth album which is scheduled to come out next year alongside old favourites from the band’s extensive back catalogue. With singer Maja Milner in fine voice and backed by a taut musical tour de force, it’s an honour and a pleasure to witness them play in such intimate confines. Breakthrough singles “Antabus” and “Witness” gleefully rub shoulders with latest release “Pity Party” and as yet unreleased material that only has working titles so far (“Riff”, “Gumbo”) but also suggests the new record might just be their finest yet. While the latter - named after a My Bloody Valentine b-side - might wear their influences on the band’s collective sleeves, but with the groove laden “X2”, claustrophobic “Sharp Shooter” and incisive “Gun Court” which moulds XTRMNTR era Primal Scream stylings with drum and bass, have a repertoire that’s anything but predictable. They also perform a note perfect cover of Psychic TV’s “Godstar” that evokes Manchester circa 1989 while the penultimate number revolves around a Bo Diddley riff with singer insistently repeating “Sylvie’s Head are the best band in town” over the top. Closing number “Maintainer” is dedicated to Mani from The Stone Roses and Primal Scream, who sadly passed away last month and packs a mean punch with its driving riff not that dissimilar to the Scream’s “Accelerator”.

Staying with Gothenburg, the opening night’s pre-party hosted a secret set from local duo PHSEII (pronouced “Phase 2”) in a rehearsal/recording studio that provided the perfect introduction to Viva Sounds 2025. Although only relatively new, the duo - Henrik Bäckström (guitar, vocals) and Sebastian Jannesson (synthesizers, beats) - have already started making a name for themselves, attracting the attention of highly respected psych label Fuzz Club and having most recent single “God” remixed by Brooklyn duo The Vacant Lots. Playing four songs here that veer from Recurring Spacemen 3 inspired drones (“Tomorrow”, “Aeroplane”) to upbeat death disco with Suicide overtones (“Fade Into Blue”).

Another hometown band making a massive impact were EF, whose colossal and often skyscraping take on post-rock and all things associated has been wowing audiences at home and abroad since 2003. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of debut album Give Me Beauty… Or Give Me Death and backed by an orchestra featuring both strings and brass, EF are a revelation that leaves half the room crying tears of joy by the time closing numbers “Tomorrow My Friend…” and “...We’ll Meet In The End” brings their euphoric set in Musikens Hus to a tumultuous finale. With no plans to record or play any more shows in the foreseeable future, this is as good a way as any to close the curtains on an illustrious career.

Canada was well represented at Viva Sounds this year, and provided some of the standout acts such as Montreal’s Boutique Feelings. Essentially the solo project for Atsuko Chiba’s Karim Lakhdar, the live show takes on a whole new dimension as they play as a six-piece including the other members of Atsuko Chiba plus flautist Vanessa Atscher. Fusing elements of hip hop, funk, psychedelic rock and krautrock, Boutique Feelings are one of the most unique musical ensembles Under the Radar has witnessed all year, never mind Viva Sounds. Playing a total of 3 shows here, each in vastly different surroundings, they’re arguably 2025’s “must see” band of the festival and one that will undoubtedly become household names over the coming months. Recently signed to the excellent Mothland, Boutique Feelings are another welcome addition to the label’s near-flawless roster.

Fellow Canadians Virginie B also pack a punch with their insatiable electro pop that sits somewhere between the new wave punk of Le Tigre and Confidence Man style disco anthems. While Toronto’s Semiah is another fascinating performer whose music transcends genres thanks to the full-on pop of “White Lightning and “Nothing At All” (think Charli XCX or Sabrina Carpenter), the melancholic “I Cry The Same” (The Smiths) and even the Six Nations inspired “Broken Heart”, which sees Semiah use a traditional indigenous hand drum as its main instrument. With a new EP entitled LVR GRL out soon, we’re predicting big things ahead for Semiah.

Staying with Canada but this time hailing from the far north town of Whitehorse YT, Franklin make an almighty racket for a two-piece. The duo - Kirsty Wells (vocals, bass) and Evan Joel (drums, vocals) fuse elements of grunge and sludge rock with ear piercing slabs of stoner and death metal that makes for a riveting concoction. Playing a set consisting of six songs in the darkened confines of The Abyss, they’re one of our finds of the festival. As too are fellow metalheads Agabas, a six-piece from Trondheim in Norway who list Converge, Gojira, John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman among their diverse list of influences. Seeing them live, it all becomes clear as their incendiary fusion of jazz and metal (or “deathjazz” as they like to call it) makes for one of the festival’s most memorable shows. Hard hitting riffs and ear piercing combine with deft pieces of saxophone to create something entirely original of their own, and in closing number “Steg Etter Steg” they possess an anthem many bands would kill for.

Having released their debut album Incompletent in October to a wealth of critical acclaim, New York four-piece Skorts have a lot to live up to. Thankfully, they don’t disappoint and with songs like “Dizzy”, “Burden” and “Eat Your Heart Out” in their make-up actually exceed all expectations in the flesh. Obvious reference points are Elastica and early Blondie which are no bad thing, and they even treat us to a couple of new tracks during their excellent show at Musikens Hus on Saturday evening. Welsh outfit Mellt are an entertaining watch too, combining the slacker rock of Teenage Fanclub with the native language musings of a modern day Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci that makes for a charming set in 2 Lang.

Elsewhere, Danish singer/songwriter Dork aka Lærke Simoni channelled the sprit of Dry era PJ Harvey into her semi-acoustic laments while Glaswegian artist PG Ciarletta raised the roof in Hangmattan with rabble rousing anthems such as “The Streets” and “Until You Get Home”. Oslo-based four-piece Veps - think Sleater Kinney or The Organ seen through a Nordic lens - also hit the right spot in front of a packed Pustervik on Saturday evening. Recently signed to another of our favourite independent labels PNKSLM Recordings, recent singles “My Champagne Socialist” and “Didgeridoo” suggest their best work is yet to come. Watch this space!

Which brings us to the end of another hugely enjoyable and ultimately successful Viva Sounds.

Here’s to the 2026 edition!