With their Columbia Records debut Stay Gold, First Aid Kit – Swedish sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg – have honed their lush arrangements and blossomed as vivid storytellers in creating this ambitious 10-song collection of originals. Recorded at ARC studios in Omaha and produced by Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, Monsters of Folk), the duo also enlisted The Omaha Symphony Orchestra to play on the record, with arrangements by Nate Walcott (Bright Eyes, Broken Bells, Rilo Kiley).

They say of the recording process, “We took new directions and turns with the arrangements, building them up and creating more dynamics, yet always following where the songs wanted to go.” Drawing inspiration from sources as varied as Spaghetti Westerns and Lee Hazlewood productions, “My Silver Lining” features the duo’s most sophisticated songwriting and arrangements to date.

They explain “Silver Lining’s” genesis, “It’s song about searching for a reason to keep on keeping on, to find the good that comes with the bad. We wanted to create a piece that was dark yet uplifting at the same time.” Elsewhere, songs like “Master Pretender” capture the lush, confident instrumentation of ‘Graceland’-era Paul Simon.

Hailing from a southern suburb of Stockholm, Klara and Johanna began composing songs as teenagers in 2007. Their heart-wrenching song “Emmylou” off The Lion’s Roar was chosen by Rolling Stone as a ‘Single of the Year’ in 2012. They have also shared the stage with such acclaimed artists as Jack White, Lykee Li, and Bright Eyes among others.

“The sisters Soderberg further refine their blend of rootsy Americana, channeling their inner Johnny Cash over a mix of rumbling guitars and sweeping strings.” – Consequence of Sound