When singer Mariam Wallentin visited Fasching last year, it was as Mariam The Believer. Bewildered, SvD’s Dan Backman gushed about her “colorful and crooked and absolutely lovely” performance.

The same can be said about Mariam Wallentin’s and Andreas Werliin’s duo Wildbirds & Peacedrums. The guiding star here is crooked and transcendent, too—together they blend pop and blues seamlessly with powerful drumming and fervent, ritualistic vocals.

After a few self-published CDs in the mid-noughties, which gained acclaim from both critics and audiences, the duo went on to record The Snake at Svenska Grammofonstudion. After sessions in Iceland collaborating with cellist Hildur Gu∂nadóttir, Ben Frost, and Valgeir Sidur∂sson led to an EP, they then stripped back on the album Rhythm—sounding direct, naked and raw.

Despite these impressive recordings, one should really experience Wildbirds & Peacedrums live. Their stage presence is formidable, confident. They’ve had plenty of time to sculpt their live expression, having toured with, among others, Lykke Li, Arcade Fire, Joanna Newsom and St Vincent. They have even performed a tribute to Björk during the Polar Prize ceremony in Stockholm, and were invited by Nils Frahm to perform at The Barbican.

In other words, this duo is not lazing about. Both Wallentin and Werliin are also involved in Fire! Orchestra, and Werliin plays drums for another Fasching favorite: The Abuse. But Wildbirds & Peacedrums is what they hold most dear—no one else really sounds like them, so don’t miss out!

Support: Nuri

Tickets 31 maj. With a festival pass there’s a 50% discount (use code clandestino).