The Leslies

by Stewart Mason A Swedish band that sounds rather like their compatriots Eggstone and the Cardigans, the Leslies released two fine albums in the mid-'90s that should be of interest to any fans of the Swedish indie scene. Formed in the southern Swedish town of Kristianstad in 1993, singer Martin Berndtsson, guitarist Martin Engvall, keyboardist Jens Faltman, bassist Jonas Johansson, and drummer Tony Ivarsson made a home-recorded demo in 1994 which they sent to Tambourine Studios owner Tore Johansson, a key figure in the Swedish pop scene. A Johansson-produced Tambourine demo led to a deal with the new label Harry Lime Records. A single, "The Limesong," came out in 1995, followed by the group's full-length debut, Totally Brilliant, in 1996, and a follow-up, Of Today, for Today, in 1997. In 1998, the U.S. label American Pop Project released The Leslies, a five-song EP compiled from the group's two albums.