Oh Laura

A drowsy, sensual alternative country-rock outfit based in Stockholm, Sweden, Oh Laura were launched into the European mainstream in 2007 thanks to their breakaway hit, "Release Me." The group, which was originally called Laura, grew out of a collaboration between Jörgen Kjellgren and Jocke Olovsson, and eventually expanded to include lead singer Frida Öhrn (recruited by Olovsson, who fell in love with Öhrn's voice when he caught one of her early live performances), bassist Rikard Lidhamn, and drummer Magnus Olsson. Cosmos Records signed the band in early 2006, and Oh Laura's debut full-length, A Song Inside My Head, a Demon in My Bed, hit stores in Sweden later that year. One year later, the album's first single, "Release Me," went platinum in Sweden and was featured in a popular Saab television commercial that aired throughout Europe. The track went on to snag the title of "Song of the Year" at that year's MPA awards. ~ Margaret Reges, All Music Guide