General
SWEDEN the Band: Origin Story
Before, SWEDEN UNLIMITED was known as the go-to design agency for anything fashion or ecommerce related the three founders were known simply as just SWEDEN, the band. A Casiocore electro-rock group with a unique symmetrical look that often headlined at lower east side nightclubs or music venues.
Formed in the mid-1990s, SWEDEN was a New York City-based trio comprised of twin sisters Alex and Leja Kress on vocals, guitars, and synths, with Richard Agerbeek on Casio guitar and drum machine. They explored a sound that took the shoegaze fuzz of Spacemen 3 and mixed it with an electro-pop, drum machine-heavy, New Order-like atmosphere. Richard’s voice had an abrasive quality echoing Mark E. Smith’s ruggedness in Manchester’s post-punk heroes, the Fall. Meanwhile, the sisters shared lead vocals and harmonized in what sounded like early-80s Bananarama on psychedelics.
The journey started when the three found each other through the downtown art and fashion scenes. Leja and Alex were in front of and behind the camera, modeling at fashion shows and shooting interesting people in the NYC downtown fashion and music scene. Richard was the frontman in a few indie bands and a usual suspect in art and fashion circles.
They bonded over a shared love of Spectrum, Suicide, Stereolab, Stone Roses, and The Smiths—telling themselves that if they started a band, the name must begin with an “S” so they could be filed in with their favorite artists. So a good friend and artist, Jack Early, who had a knack for turning nouns into adjectives, took one look at the retro 80s-loving trio and said, “You guys look so SWEDEN; your band name should be SWEDEN.”
SWEDEN emerged as a regular fixture of the downtown music scene, playing at trendy spots like Coney Island High, Luna Lounge, Don Hills, Mercury Lounge, CBGB’s, and Spa. They released a full-length called “4-Track Demo” in 1999, a full-length CD called “CD-8T12” in 2000, and in 2002, issued a single twelve-inch titled “Keep It Set.”
But even aspiring rock stars need to eat and pay rent, so while at night we played Club Spa for drink tickets, during the day we were making some of the earliest ecommerce and flash websites for New York’s fashion insiders.
On Apple Music:
Our Values
Like most businesses, we have a set of values. These, however aren’t built on a series of corporate buzzwords. We agonized over these for… well, too long, but, as you’re probably beginning to understand by now, that’s what we’re like.
Grit
You know when you’re up against a tight deadline and you’re working on something and you know there’s a quick and dirty path, or, an easy (but incorrect) answer to a problem, we don’t take it. We stick with it, until the thing which makes your heart go “yes!” presents itself. We chase that, because it’s always worth it.
Positivity
Whether you’re joining us as an account director, developer, creative or project manager is irrelevant, the point is, try always to come with a positive mindset. Whinging and moaning never got anyone anywhere. That’s not to say we expect everyone to run around like Gary Vaynerchuck on speed. More what we refer to is a quiet willingness to work together, to push forward and face adversity with as much grace and enthusiasm as you do your successes, which leads nicely onto…
Humility
The bottom line is, we’re a team. When we present work, we present it together. No man (or woman) is an island. Don’t worry, you’ll get the recognition you deserve for doing great work, as we encourage regularly letting your teammates know when they’ve done something brilliant. Don’t be afraid to congratulate others, just try not to congratulate yourself too much????. Be kind. Be gracious.
Growth Mindset
Now we don’t want to get too ‘woo woo’ here, but this is really about maturity. About being able to listen to peers and learn from the things they tell you – but also, from other experiences. We all admit, we’ve been doing this for 20 years + but every day we learn something new and find a way to use that knowledge in the next thing we do. None of us know it all, we’re all still students, really.
Collaboration
This was touched on earlier – but being able to act as part of a team is vital. It’s important to know where your strengths lie and be honest about your weaknesses. You’re already through the door, we won’t lambast you because you drop on us you don’t know how to find your way through Confluence. A willingness to show your inabilities is as strong as your ability to demonstrate your strengths – because when we know where you need help, we make sure you’re supported. It takes bravery, so be brave and share the load.
Accountability
Because we all work from our various parts of the world, this business is built on the trust of the team. Each individual is trusted to get their job done. When and where you do that is largely up to you – but the important part is, you get it done. You take responsibility for all that is assigned to you and if things go wrong (as they sometimes do), you hold your hands up, accept it and find a way to fix it. And if you’re stuck, see above.
Style
You know what we were saying earlier about not being fashion junkies? When we talk about style, this is exactly what we’re referring to. This is not about looking great, it’s about having your own ‘way’ of being. We all have a personal style – whether you’re lighthearted, down to earth, or an ethereal stargazer : for some that’s more readily demonstrated than others, but here is a place where we encourage that to come out. Be who you are. There’s nothing more cool and stylish than someone completely comfortable in their own skin.