Album Notes

Louise Hoffsten follows her Memphis International debut, the acclaimed Knäckebröd Blues with From Linköping To Memphis, a collection of original songs, that run the gamut from evocative to atmospheric to contemplative to rocking and funky.

With numerous gold and platinum albums on her resume, Louise Hoffsten is one of the most widely respected contemporary artists in her native Sweden. Her reputation has been built on her prowess as a smoldering vocalist whose songwriting ability matches her musicianship. Over the course of her career, she has shown an uncanny knack to connect with listeners and now, in an entirely new context, she succeeds once again as never before.

The album reflects the life journey Louise has taken from Linköping, her small hometown in central Sweden, to the city that is synonymous with soul, blues and rock 'n roll and the players who brought it to life.

Louise recorded the album at Ardent Studios and Memphis Soundworks working with producer (and Memphis International co-founder) David Less and Posey Hedges. The band was an all-star aggregation of the best Memphis has to offer including Stax studio veteran Lester Snell (keyboards), Booker T & The MGs' Steve Potts (drums), David Smith (bass), Steve Selvidge (guitar), Jim Spake (sax), Scott Thompson (trumpet) as well as a string section consisting of Jonathan Wires, Jonathan Kirkscey and Peter Hykra.

Unlike Knäckebröd Blues, a collection of blues classics that were "hoffstenized," Louise had a hand in writing all but one of the eleven songs that comprise From Linköping To Memphis. Standouts include "My Favorite Lie," a wry song about enablement and the sensuous "Good For You." There are rockers - "Shut Up and Kiss Me" and ""Slow Train" and more introspective songs - "Fall Like Babylon" and "I Wish You Had My Heart." Of special note is "Myggan," the album's only song in Louise's native language, a mosquito's eye view of human love that is understandable strictly on a visceral level even for those whose entire Swedish vocabulary consists of "Volvo" and "Ikea."

It is expected that Louise will return to the U.S. (where she was an exchange student during her high school years) for select performances. Memphis International is supporting the album with a multi-format promotion approach, an intensive press campaign that builds on the awareness generated by Knäckebröd Blues, and an aggressive retail program.

While not a soul album, per se, From Linköping To Memphis is an album brimming with soul, the kind that comes from the wellspring of human emotion and artistic expression. You don't have to take our word for it, take k.d. lang's who, upon listening commented, "Louise delivers these songs with absolute conviction. " Or Nancy Sinatra's; she remarked, "I feel as though I know Louise through her songs." You will too, if you make the journey with Louise Hoffsten From Linköping To Memphis.