“For some reason my friend Linda Hedström showed me these videos of herself posing, listening to Oh Please Be A Cocky Cool Kid and I wanted her to make them into a music video for me,” explains Åsa Söderqvist, a.k.a. ShitKid. “I think it took her as many minutes to make that as it did for me to make the song.” For the record, 24-year-old Åsa isn’t shit. If you’re into lo-fi grungy rock and roll, then, like us, you’ll also think she’s really great.
Sitting at just under two minutes, Oh Please Be A Cocky Cool Kid races along with Asa’s distorted vocals sitting atop a simple bass line as she tells of seeing a cocky cool kid across the room at a party and crushing on him hard. Arriving home that very same night she recorded the song on GarageBand in a half whisper, trying not to wake the neighbors. While the track still gives us those tipsy house party feelings, the accompanying visual is like Skyping an old friend to a great soundtrack, or sticking the cam on during an MSN chat with your school crush and posing away to your heart’s content.
Freshly relocated from Gothenburg to Stockholm, Åsa is currently working on her second EP and gearing up for her debut UK show this Friday 30 September alongside PNKSLM label mates Swampmeat, Hater and Chemtrails. We’ll see you down the front, but until then, take an exclusive look at the video below and get to know this not-so-ShitKid…
Growing up, what kind of kid were you?
Super shy. Very theatrical with just mom, dad and close friends, but really shy in school and stuff. Like, I didn’t even wanna look at people.
Your lo-fi sound… did it start out as a necessity or total creative choice?
Both. I like the sound of it. I guess I could make it a little more serious if I really wanted to but I didn’t want to.
Which fictional crew are you and your band most like?
Damöb!
How’re you feeling about your debut UK show?
Great! I really wanna eat some pork sausages and haven’t been on a ‘longer’ trip with friends in forever.
What can we expect from the PNKSLM night?
Birthday cake and prosecco!
What is the RnR scene like in Gothenburg vs Stockholm?
I guess i think Stockholm is more hip-hop and pop and Göteborg is more rock. But I’m not sure that’s true. I think it’s pretty bad everywhere.
You just moved to Stockholm. What’s your favorite thing about it?
It’s so big! I love tall houses, large parks and anything big.
If you were a wrestler what would your entrance theme be?
Meredith Brooks, Bitch.
What’s inspiring you right now?
Boys 🙂
What is your music writing process like?
I sit down, put some drums on, play some guitar and then I usually know what ‘theme’ I wanna sing about. I just improvise something and hope it turns out well.
How would you describe ShitKid in three words?
Rock and roll.
What movie do yo think your music would best soundtrack?
Pirates of the Caribbean 5.
If you could only listen to one record for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Britney by Britney.
What’s your greatest ambition?
To be happy.
What do you know now that you wish you had known when you were 16?
Not to cut all my hair of at 23, and that nothing is impossible or something cheesy like that.
What’s the last dream you remember having?
Last night I dreamt I found a case for my keyboard. It was written on a big board like “Hey, you need a case for your keyboard, use this voucher!” And I got a dark blue velvet one. So sad it wasn’t real.
Join us at PNKSLM’s The Slime Ball at The Lock Tavern this Friday 30 September for ShitKid’s first UK show.
Credits
Text Frankie Dunn
Photography Moa Romanova