Amid all the familiar creative journeys made back and forth between Europe and the United States, a brand new route is opening up for business in 2006. It's the one between Malmö (Sweden) and Nashville, with a little diversion to Dublin, and the group making the connection is Calaisa. The four girls in Calaisa are ready to demonstrate that the pop sensibilities of Scandinavia and the musical traditions of Tennessee are perfect partners. Especially when you add some Celtic instrumentation and the experience of two pairs of sisters, who prove that the group that plays together stays together. ...show more

Amid all the familiar creative journeys made back and forth between Europe and the United States, a brand new route is opening up for business in 2006. It's the one between Malmö (Sweden) and Nashville, with a little diversion to Dublin, and the group making the connection is Calaisa. The four girls in Calaisa are ready to demonstrate that the pop sensibilities of Scandinavia and the musical traditions of Tennessee are perfect partners. Especially when you add some Celtic instrumentation and the experience of two pairs of sisters, who prove that the group that plays together stays together.

It's there to be heard on 'Hey Girl,' the first single from a self-titled debut album that will establish Lisa, Caisa, Anna, Malin and their custom-made Calaisa sound, which marries confident songwriting, golden harmonies and instruments like the violin and accordion. That song is also a great example of the great songwriting cohesion and amazing teamwork that exists between the four members of the group, developed and honed during many years of creating music together. "Sometimes," says Caisa, "one of us comes up with an idea of maybe a chorus, takes that to the other girls, and we make it into a Calaisa song. Together we'll add an intro, an outro, a bridge or whatever.

'Hey Girl' was one of those songs." The album is the result of the girls' absolute determination to make their way in the record business, and a refusal to take no for an answer that lured them from Sweden, onto the concert roads through Ireland and Poland, and on again to the USA and Nashville. When they got there, it turned out the man who was absolutely knocked out by their charm as writers and performers just happened to be the head of Universal Music Nashville. Cue record deal, an album cut in just five weeks and a sound already being hailed as the perfect mixture of the Corrs and the Dixie Chicks, with plenty of personality that's all Calaisa. "We come from musicians's families, so our parents taught us a lot about instruments and music," says Lisa. ...show less