When Birgit Bidder recorded her first ever written songs for her debut album, the music world fell into an economic collapse. In autumn 2008, no record company suddenly dared to go for romantic newcomers with bleeding hearts and magnificent pop visions. So Birgit Bidder did what she had to to fulfil her vision – record her story live together with her band, producer Jari Haapalainen and engineer Christoffer Lundqvist (Brainpool, Roxette) in a rebuilt barn in southern Sweden, and make sure that it’s heard.
“To me music is everything. And these songs, written in a quite dramatic time in my life and my family’s, were many times like poison that needed out. Especially since I had just stumbled across the whole songwriting part of me. And it felt like I had an allie in them, something that sounded like I felt. After that I could relaxe for awhile. Until next song needed to be written. It was an extreme relief to finish the album together with Jari and my friends, it felt right and wonderful. Then I just had to make sure it got out.” Birgit says.
After the album was finished she started her own label Kerstin Records, (named after her grand mother) and relased her first single, pop ditty, melodic “Parking Lot Paradise” (UK underground release August 9th 2010). The song saw heavy rotation on Swedish radio, with popular national radio stations P3 (who’s made Birgit Artist of the Month) and P4 showcasing her music in the form of live radio sessions before any official release.
The video for “Parking Lot Paradise” was shot during a rainy night in Botkyrka, Sweden, following a script she wrote herself. With borrowed cameras, furniture and a truck, friends of Birgit and Swedish pop photographer Martin Norberg helped the pair direct and produce the video themselves using inventive and low cost solutions. For Birgit everything has to have a meaning and the video is filled with small personal methaphors to discover if you listen to her story and lyrics. The extras are not strangers but musicians who participate on Birgit Bidder’s “The Life Home”.
“It was an insane night, but at the same time it felt like the album had come up to this and we were together again, listening to a song we had recorded, and it was such a nice moment, to hang out and do this.” “I just have an interest in films in general, but I knew I could do it if I had the right feeling to it.” Birgit says.
While waiting for herself and the world around her to catch up with her album, she’s toured as a keyboardist with some of Sweden’s biggest pop artists, getting a taste of the UK and Scandinavian crowds in great venues and festivals like Hammersmith Apollo and Slottsfjell.
In Sweden, Birgit Bidder has had supporting slots for respected artists Lonely Dear and P3 Gold winners Deportees, Joel Alme, Rebecka Törnqvist and Ane Brun producer Tobias Fröberg. Birgit Bidder is also featured on notorious Swedish hip-hoppers Ison & Fille`s popular single “Ikvall ar vi kungar”, she’s sings duet-like backup vocals on punk legend Kajsa Grytt’s new album and has recorded a duet with indie hero Mattias Alkberg, making it clear that good music knows no boundaries.
In May and June 2011 Birgit Bidder goes on tour in Scandinavia supporting Katie Melua (UK) who’s released the new album “The House”, her fourth since the 2003 debut “Call off the search”. Birgit will open for Katie alone on stage in venues like Cirkus in Stockholm and Spectrum in Norway.
Birgit Bidder’s lead single, “Coming Down”, released February 21th 2011 in Sweden, while spreading to radio stations across the country and since April 2011 added to national radio P3′s playlists, is described by legendary Swedish music journalist Per Sinding-Larsen as “a radiohit impossible to resist”. A song that in many ways is the given heartbreaking centerpiece of her selfwritten debut album. This is just the beginning for Birgit Bidder.”