Figurines was formed in the mid-'90s by three childhood friends: Christian Hjelm, Andreas Toft, and Claus S. Johansen. In 2001, they recorded the EP The Detour and were soon signed to Morningside Records. Later that year, Kristian Volden (AKA Volle) joined the band, completing the ensemble that you hear today.

Figures started recording their debut album Shake a Mountain in late 2002, which was released the following April in Denmark. The album was also released in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria in the spring of 2004. Standout track "Bright" reached #1 on the Danish Alternative Chart for several weeks in August 2003, and the debut had its debut at the Roskilde Festival that same year.

Two years after the release of Shake A Mountain, Figurines released their second full-length album, Skeleton. The album was recorded in Tambourine Studios in Malmö and Destruction Studios in Aarhus. The band topped the Danish charts again, this time with "The Wonder." "Silver Ponds" also garned heavy radio play. Skeleton was released in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria in June 2005 by the German record label Pop-U-Loud. Both a 7" vinyl and the Skeleton album will be released in Canada and the US in January and April 2006, respectively, on American label The Control Group.

When the Deer Wore Blue
Control Group
9.11.2007

Skeleton (Canada/US release)
The Control Group
3.7.2006

Shake a Mountain
Morning Side
1.1.2003

In November 2006, the scruffy-faced Figurines appeared in the Arts and Leisure section of the New York Times. Apparently, their recent tour had been partially financed by Denmark's government. The Danish rockers had accepted an offer to be musical ambassadors of sorts, touring parts of the world to raise Denmark's international profile and generate export sales. It's not an honor to be taken lightly, and the Figurines' live show proves they're serious about the job.

In addition to being intercontinental diplomats, the Figurines are pop-schooled rockers with a knack for writing sunshine melodies and hummable guitar riffs. The American press has compared this five-piece to Modest Mouse, but these songs are happier, less lo-fi, and simply different from any stateside equivalent.


-Andrew Leahey

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www.figurines.dk