(Norrköping) Five thirty-something fathers from the town of Skellefteå in northern Sweden are becoming an internet sensation with their a cappella covers of pop hits. “Typically Swedish” singing dads who film themselves at home, looking after their children.
Currently touring the country for the first time, the band Dad Harmony has tens of millions of views on social media.
“It all started on the day of my bachelor party, the summer of 2022,” explains Peter Widmark, a 33-year-old salesman. “We were singing, as we often do, and my brother posted the video on TikTok where he has seven subscribers. »
The next morning when they woke up, the five singers discovered that the publication had been viewed 40,000 times. A figure that will jump to 20 million across the planet in just a few weeks.
The “quintet” then got into the game and decided to regularly post videos from their kitchens or on their sofas, often with their toddlers on their knees. To a unison cover of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, one of them holds his baby, a few weeks old, in his arms.
“It has a calming effect on them when we sing,” says Peter. “We are typical Swedish dads,” notes his brother Tomas, another member of the group. “For us it’s not so special to have the children with us. Here, almost all men take paternity leave, so we’re used to it. »
Dad Harmony’s repertoire ranges from Michael Jackson to the Beatles, including Christmas songs.
Since the end of November and for a month, the group has traveled across Sweden every weekend to meet its audience, the five dads continuing to work during the week and be with their families. They each have two children.
“I came across one of their videos and it completely captivated me, it’s probably their nature,” enthuses Louise Elgström, 41, a resident of Nörrkoping who came to see the group who were stopping off in her town.
Will success make them lose their sense of reality? “You won’t see us throwing TVs out of the hotel window,” promises Sebastian Åkesson, one of the singers.
Without having delusions of grandeur, the members of Dad Harmony do not refrain from seeing the future in a big way.
So they are considering dates in the United States and Asia. And dream of one day performing in front of another young dad… Elton John.
