Taken By Trees

Taken by Trees is the solo project of Swedish singer-songwriter Victoria Bergsman, launched in 2006 after she left The Concretes, a band in which she served as lead vocalist for about a decade. That same year, the artist gained international recognition by sharing vocal duties on “Young Folks,” a major hit by Peter Bjorn and John, included on the album Writer’s Block.

Bergsman also starred in The Temptation of Victoria, a music video for the track “Temptation” by New Order, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2006. Directed by Michael Shamberg and Steven Lippman, the short film follows a young woman as she walks through Paris, steals a vinyl copy of the 12-inch “Temptation” single from the now-defunct, iconic record store Bimbo Tower, and, upon arriving home, she puts the record on the turntable and dances.

With Taken by Trees, the singer began to explore a more intimate and minimalist pop style, marked by her delicate voice and a melancholic atmosphere. Her debut album, Open Field, was released in 2007 by Rough Trade, produced in collaboration with Björn Yttling, a member of Peter Bjorn and John.

The second album, East of Eden (2009), expanded this sonic universe. Recorded in Pakistan with the participation of local musicians, the album brought Bergsman’s sound closer to the country’s musical traditions. Among the tracks is “My Boys,” a reinterpretation of “My Girls” by Animal Collective, with adapted lyrics. Panda Bear, a member of the American group, provided vocals on the track “Anna.” Later that year, Taken by Trees’s cover of Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child o’ Mine” gained widespread attention as the soundtrack for the traditional Christmas campaign of the British department store chain John Lewis.

In 2012, Bergsman released Other Worlds, her third album, on the Secretly Canadian label. Inspired by a trip to Hawaii and produced in collaboration with Henning Fürst, the album incorporated elements of dub, synthesizers, and nature sounds, creating a tropical and contemplative atmosphere.

The fourth album, Yellow to Blue, was released in 2018, marking a shift toward a more direct and luminous pop sound. In December 2022, the artist returned to Rough Trade with Another Year, an EP consisting of five reinterpretations of songs recorded by Colin Blunstone, lead singer of The Zombies. The tracklist includes tracks such as “Say You Don’t Mind,” “Caroline Good Bye,” and “I Don’t Believe in Miracles.”