Inspired #458 - RIVER
Swedish alt-pop artist RIVER has just released her haunting new single 'I AM CANCER' - a poetic exploration of emotional defence mechanisms.
Opening with ghostly synth textures and gradually unfolding into a dreamlike landscape of shimmering guitars and intricate percussion, "I AM CANCER" is a bold and intimate portrait of a fractured self. RIVER's airy, aching, and emotionally charged voice floats through the track, evoking the disorientation of living with unresolved inner wounds.
Raised in Gothenburg and now based in Sweden, RIVER is a boundary-pushing alt-pop artist whose music explores grief, identity, and the complicated beauty of being human. Drawing from a rich palette of influences including Portishead, Mazzy Star, Prince and FKA twigs, her songs fuse cinematic instrumentation with fiercely introspective lyricism.
Originally a quiet and stage-shy child, RIVER's journey into music began as a secret, sparked by the loss of her father at 17 and nurtured in private moments of piano-playing and record-digging. Since then, she's become a uniquely visionary voice in Sweden's underground, known for her emotionally charged performances and genre-blurring soundscapes.
She took a moment to talk to us about the influences behind her music.
Who are your top three musical inspirations and why?
I don’t want to romanticize the idea of the suffering artist but I’m undeniably only able to write when I’m going through some kind of suffering. Outside of that I don’t really see myself as a songwriter at all, at least not a good one. Everything I’ve made that felt worth sharing came from an overdose of shame, loss, regret or greed. But the creative part doesn’t really happen until the thoughts start to lose their pull and the hangover of it begins. That’s when some kind of clarity appears and I can finally see the light in the dark and the beauty in what’s ugly inside me. Besides vulnerability I’m currently very inspired by Swirlies and Nabeel.
Is there a certain film that inspires you and why?
Antichrist by Lars von Trier, because I love its raw and disturbing visual artistry, the portrait of shame, sexuality, chaos. It’s a perfect example of how imperfection can be so insanely beautiful.
What city do you find the most inspiring and why?
Probably Berlin or New York. I’m uncompromisingly drawn to individuality, in music, minds, art overall. But I have to admit I like being in Stockholm since it doesn’t take much to stand out in the Swedish culture where most people do and look kind of the same. There’s always a chance to be disturbing or a moment to shine hehe.
Who is the most inspiring person to you and why?
My biggest inspirations are the people around me and the ones I’ve worked with on this album. And my dad will always be my guide, even though he passed away many years ago. I idolize him for his bravery, truthfulness and his uncompromised investment in his passion. He felt larger than life, he had a certain presence. Anytime I start to feel unsure or make decisions based on fear, I ask myself what my dad would do. It helps me stay truthful and fearless in my decisions.
What were your inspirations when writing your new track?
The song is about shame, obsession and the fear of emptiness, but also about beauty and the relief that comes when you finally stop hiding from it. I see a connection to the quote “One wants to be loved, in lack thereof feared, in lack thereof loathed and despised. One wants to instil some sort of emotion in people. The soul trembles before emptiness and desires contact at any price.”
How would you like to inspire people?
I don’t think you should go against the stream just for the sake of it, but if I could inspire someone to be genuine and not follow what’s expected of them, to actually follow their heart instead then I would feel like I’ve done something right
