David Ritschard

David Ritschard stretches out his arms, leans forward and lets the audience catch him. The 2,000-strong audience carries him on their hands through the concert hall. David closes his eyes. The location is Fållan, Söderort, Stockholm. Spring 2022. In one year, David Ritschard has become one of Sweden's most loved and talked about new artists.

The album Blåbärkungen was released in autumn 2021 and was preceded by a series of attention-grabbing singles. Surely a steadily growing fan base had discovered him earlier than that. From the years as a hard-working member of the bluegrass and country bands Spinning Jennies and The Greenline Travelers to the acclaimed solo debut Brobrännaren from 2019.

But with the Blueberry King, things really fell into place. Aftonbladet called it "Album of the Year" and DN "Little genius". To take just two examples from the flood of good jokes from the press. Above all, something happened with the audience. From having been a matter for a small group of connoisseurs, the fan base expanded in all directions and corners. People of all ages and backgrounds flocked to the concerts and spread the word about the man from Björkhagen.

"The voices are getting more, the characters are fewer" sings Ritschard's tour mates Bob Hund. David's revelation became a counterweight to that truth. His generous, sincere, humorous and quirky personality was something the people didn't know they were missing but immediately embraced.

Mostly, however, the successes are not about David Ritschard's own person, but about the people he sings about. The destinies, worlds and stories that populate his songs. Often taken from a working-class reality that is otherwise not depicted in Swedish music. In addition, he drew with a particularly skilled poetic precision and human warmth.

In the summer of 2022, David was part of the nationwide Kalasturnen and then followed an autumn tour with, among other things, a record for the number of sold-out nights at Debaser in Stockholm, a whole four dates.

In the spring of 2023, David Ritschard's third album will be released and he appears in the popular program Jills veranda on SVT.

The audience's hands will carry David Ritschard high and long.