Kolonien is a four-member family band from Sweden that has been one of the leading voices of the Swedish folk revival for over a decade. With a sound that blends acoustic roots music with anthemic, sing-along pop, Kolonien has a fresh, appealing sound that brings multiple musical worlds together.

To announce their signing with the Cumbancha label and the upcoming release of their new album Till Skogen (which is scheduled to be out in early 2022), Kolonien will present the first single and music video from the project on June 24th. The song “Time Will Tell” offers a rousing call for environmental accountability and action against climate destruction, couched in catchy melodic hooks.

Kolonien's lush vocal harmonies are reminiscent of Fleet Foxes, their Nordic folk-pop sound might remind some listeners of Of Monsters and Men, and their hipsters with strings vibe makes them Sweden's answer to Mumford & Sons. At the same time, Kolonien's music and inspirations are deeply rooted in the Swedish folk tradition as well as the natural environment and progressive philosophies of the alternative-lifestyle community where they were raised.

Kolonien is made up of brothers Erik and Arvid Rask, their cousin Anna Möller and their childhood neighbor, and “brother from another mother,” Mischa Grind. The members of the band were raised in and around Järna, a community south of Stockholm that is known as a back-to-the-land destination for hippies, progressives and people seeking an alternative lifestyle. While they had been making music together since childhood, the band formally came together during a music festival in Tanzania in 2010. Since then, they have toured extensively across the world and released a number of well-received albums and EPs.

The “Time Will Tell” music video was filmed in the Swedish countryside and focuses on a quartet of familiar-looking young children as they explore the world around them. As they journey through the forest, they come across evidence of human environmental destruction as well as striking natural beauty. Their adventure brings them to an abandoned house filled with exciting treasures, including a walnut tree seed that they plant together. The music video ends as the children climb aboard a small, viking-inspired boat and sail off to destinations unknown. It’s an inspiring and moving video that perfectly captures the curious spirit, respect for the environment and social mission of the band.

According to Eric Rask, the first single from the new album “grew out of a frustration I often feel around the constant nitpicking concerning people’s differences and shortcomings. We are all incomplete and if we are to get somewhere and change something, we need to put more focus on what we have in common and focus less on who is doing right or wrong. Social change requires that many people choose to go in the same direction, and for that to happen there must be a positive enthusiasm. One thought that has been in the back of my mind is a slogan we used for a performance about climate change that we did as teenagers: “It should be fun to save the world!”