Hearts & Colors is the musical duo of Philip Tillström and Nicolai Kjellberg, who hail from Alingsås, Sweden, a town located just north of Gothenburg. Having known each other since high school, their musical collaborations and entry to internet fame started with a video they posted to YouTube in late 2014 - an acoustic cover of the song, "Fireflies," by Owl City. The video received significant attention, and the rest is history. Their tight harmonies and melodic, acoustic accompaniments make me think they are Sweden's male equivalent to First Aid Kit. All the tracks they have on Spotify, their videos on YouTube, are gorgeous and flawless. While many are excellent cover versions, the duo have written some pretty incredible compositions of their own.
Which brings me to their recently released single, "For the Love." My first exposure to the band and this song was with a short glimpse of Philip and Nicolai performing an acoustic snippet of this song in one of their Instagram posts. I was floored by the melody and tight harmony and needed to hear more. The studio version of the single incorporates some additional production and effects, and introduces the band to a wider, more pop-oriented audience. Yet, the acoustic elements, exceptional songwriting and vocals brightly shine through the accompanying production. Check out the official lyric video for the song below.
HEARTS & COLORS "For the Love" (Official Lyric Video)
And I can't end this post without sharing a video that spotlights the awesome acoustic and vocal synergy this talented duo delivers in a live performance - in this instance, with their stunning cover of Niall Horan's hit single, "This Town."
HEARTS & COLORS "This Town" (Niall Horan cover)
You can find more information about Hearts & Colors on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, watch videos on their YouTube channel, and hear their music on SoundCloud and Spotify.