Vargen is the eponymous fourth album of acclaimed Swedish Bob Dylan interpreter and singer-songwriter Vargen (“The Wolf” in Swedish). Through 9 tracks he continues to showcase his ability to infuse his music with all kinds of emotions, something that is palpable in every single note. It takes the listener on a ride with the likes of lounge-inspired and hum-worthy “Toxicon”, Nick Cave-esque “The Bullfighter” and features a guest appearance by Swedish guitar legend Jojje Wadenius on “Them Cats”.

Formats: Vinyl/CD/DL. Release Date: November 10, 2023
Singles: Toxicon (September 8), Easter Soul (October 13), The Bullfighter -Edit/Single Version (December 1)
Earlier singles: Mindy Morning (June 17, 2022), The Bitch In Me (April 28, 2023)

Credits: 
Songs written by Reine Johansson. Produced and mixed by Fredrik Larnemo at Recordia, Varberg, Sweden. Mastered by Thomas Eberger at Stockholm Mastering. All rights reserved © (P) Vargen Music

Musicians:
Reine Johansson – vocals
Per Bengtsson – lead & rhythm guitars
Andreas Alm – acoustic guitar
Dag Hallberg – keys
Christian Kullberg – bass
Klas Assarsson – drums & percussion
Märta Sylvander – backing vocals on “Easter Soul” and “Toxicon”
Jojje Wadenius – wah wah guitar on “Them Cats”
Fredrik Larnemo – additional arrangements

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Vargen

Written by Reine Johansson. Produced and mixed by Fredrik Larnemo, Recordia, Varberg, Sweden. Mastered by Thomas Eberger at Stockholm Mastering.

Lyric:
A MIDNIGHT DREARY  

Midnight dreary 
Clockwork float downstream
Love laid near me  
Life was but a dream
Whispers echo in my head 
Sirens wailed, the muses played 
a blessed guitar 
Silken robes, lip burning red
Eyes a maze of floating stars

Entangled
Pride’s ugly web 
See my heart, how it dangles  
Hangin’ by a thread

Si Sol Mi Si Do Mi Tay Sol Si
Yonder dawn unfolds
I’m at the steep, down below,
the endless sea 
Wonders of the old please hear me 
I’m beaten and I’m chained 
and I cannot speak

Then, the deep it trembled, 
and made way through the sea
A path through the great waters
Yet your footprints were unseen

Them chains, chains, chains,
chains cried and jangled
and cried - and I laid down 
on the beach.

Musicians:
Reine Johansson – vocals
Per Bengtsson – lead & rhythm guitars
Andreas Alm – acoustic guitar
Dag Hallberg – keys
Christian Kullberg – bass
Klas Assarsson – drums & percussion
Fredrik Larnemo – additional arrangements

All rights reserved © Vargen Music

A Midnight Dreary

Written by Reine Johansson. Produced and mixed by Fredrik Larnemo, Recordia, Varberg, Sweden. Mastered by Thomas Eberger at Stockholm Mastering.

Lyric:
THE BULLFIGHTER 

There she sat, 
with her back against the wall
Solitaire. Scotch. Neat.
My neck felt bare 
Where you been
‘Around’, she said 
and looked around

Old Carter 
reciting a children’s book
Once he was Achilles, 
now he can barely walk
Sisyphus  
A millisecond at the top
Outside the ships were crashing 
against the cliffs
The waves were smashing 
Sirens of the apocalypse

There they blow - oh, had to know
She copes - oh, had to know                          

Change of scene, an old motel,
busy stairs everywhere
Most doors are locked, they lead nowhere 
but to empty rooms and darkened streets
where there used to be 
a market square

It’s the end of the 19th century, 
I hear somebody callin’ me  and I’m fallin’ –   
Like Loki, without a realm 
@theendlessocean

Oh - Love is a ghost    
She knows - Flash by, the latest posts

Look at him go - oh, had to know
There he blows - pick up his horn
Little did I know - oh, there he blows

Musicians:
Reine Johansson – vocals
Per Bengtsson – electric guitar
Andreas Alm – acoustic guitar
Dag Hallberg – keys
Christian Kullberg – bass
Klas Assarsson – drums & percussion
Fredrik Larnemo – additional arrangements


All rights reserved (P) © Vargen Music

The Bullfighter

Second single from Vargen's upcoming eponymous album. Written by Reine Johansson. Produced by Fredrik Larnemo, Studio Recordia, Varberg, Sweden. Mastered by Thomas Eberger, Stockholm Mastering.
Released as single April 28, 2023. 

Lyric:
THE BITCH IN ME
Wish you were deeper
Now, you couldn’t be much sweeter to me
Everything about you 
brings out the bitch in me

Now, ain’t it funny, 
the way you stack your money
You used to be special 
when you were playin’ for keeps

Now, is it an obsession? 
This thing about possession
This wolf can’t be dogged 
Just hold your leash

An’ baby, baby, it’s killin’ me 
to see the way you drag your face 
down in the mud

Yeah, I wish you were deeper, 
now you act the gatekeeper of love
Love can’t be owned, 
now that’s what I’ve been told

An’ baby baby, I’ve been told 
you already got someone new 
in the sights of your gun

I wish you were deeper, 
now you couldn’t be much sweeter to me
Everything about you 
brings out the bitch in me

Wish you were deeper, yeah 
now, talk 
couldn’t get cheaper than this

Rich man, poor man, 
now I’m the shut the door man
Good love, bad love, 
gonna be a ‘ve had love
Can’t you see, 
you bring out the bitch in me


Musicians: 
Reine Johansson – vocals
Per Bengtsson – electric guitar
Andreas Alm – acoustic guitar
Dag Hallberg – keys
Christian Kullberg – bass
Klas Assarsson – drums
Fredrik Larnemo – additional arrangements

All rights reserved (P) © Vargen Music

The Bitch In Me

Features a special guest appearance by Jojje Wadenius on wah wah guitar.
Written by Reine Johansson. Produced and mixed by Fredrik Larnemo, Recordia, Varberg, Sweden. Mastered by Thomas Eberger at Stockholm Mastering.

Lyric:
THEM CATS

Black cat down the alley
A riot at the city hall
An upcoming rally
And they’re building a wall
I couldn’t care less 
‘bout the marching on the streets
I listen for your footsteps
Just tryin’ to keep the beat

Tomcat’s been missin’ 
since you went away
Prowlin’ ‘round the graveyard, 
that’s what they say
Say God cursed this city, 
say God cursed our home
It sure is a pity, 
ol’ tomcat’s gone

Rats big as cats
Satan gets his share
It’s a town of plenty
n’ evil everywhere
Adam raised a Cain
Gonna lead a better life
I’ll meet you at the train
Better bring me knife

Oh, hear them cats moan 
from the pines to the rooftops 
I hear their song
Oh, I hear them moan 
from the pines to the rooftops, 
I hear their song 

Wait a minute 
There’s blood at your door
Didn’t come to meet me
See a crowd, hear a roar
There’s a fire ‘hind the fence 
and a rope from a tree
Black cat on the branch 
looking down at me

Musicians:
Reine Johansson – vocals
Jojje Wadenius - wah wah guitar
Andreas Alm – acoustic guitar
Dag Hallberg – piano
Christian Kullberg – upright bass
Klas Assarsson – brushes
Fredrik Larnemo – additional arrangements

All rights reserved © Vargen Music

Them Cats

Them Cats (feat. Jojje Wadenius)

Toxicon is a hum-worthy track with lounge-inspired beats, conjuring the feeling of strolling down the catwalk at the peak of your career. The name is a play on the words toxic and icon, combining them in the same fashion as a star can both be and ingest toxic matter. Yet again Swedish singer-songwriter and Bob Dylan interpreter Vargen (The Wolf in Swedish) showcases his ability to infuse his music with emotions. This is the third single from his upcoming eponymous album.

Toxicon

With a steady beat and a bluesy wah-wah pedal infused guitar, Easter Soul demonstrates the rock’n’roll side of Swedish singer-songwriter and Bob Dylan interpreter Vargen (The Wolf in Swedish). 
It’s a song about reluctantly becoming the scapegoat while communicating to others that one is not a savior because there is no salvation to be had. 
This is the fourth and final single before the release of Vargen’s upcoming 
eponymous album.

Written by Reine Johansson. Produced and mixed by Fredrik Larnemo at Recordia, Varberg, Sweden. Mastered by Thomas Eberger at Stockholm Mastering.

Lyric:
EASTER SOUL

Easter days 
have come by my way
Am I here to stay 
till tomorrow?
Easter sun 
Am I the only one 
Who’ll consider 
suffering for you?

Don’t wanna dance
Just shake off the rust
Down on your knees 
And reach for the soul

Easter walls 
have a new call
Down on your luck,
our reliance
Easter sun
You come and you run 
Down on your luck 
You break in silence

Ah… 
All long, for sure 
They all got the chance now 
Can’t wait for the rain to fall

Got no place to live and love, 
No high grace from above
Now everyone’s looking 
for a new disaster

And I don’t wanna dance
Just shake off the rust
Get down on your knees 
And reach for the soul


Musicians:
Reine Johansson – vocals
Märta Sylvander - backing vocals
Per Bengtsson – electric guitar
Andreas Alm – acoustic guitar
Dag Hallberg – piano
Christian Kullberg – bass
Klas Assarsson – drums & percussion
Fredrik Larnemo – additional arrangements

All rights reserved © (P) Vargen Music

Easter Soul

Written by Reine Johansson. Produced and mixed by Fredrik Larnemo at Recordia, Varberg, Sweden. Mastered by Thomas Eberger at Stockholm Mastering.

Lyric:
TAR & FEATHERS

Man, look at that face 
It’s the face I’ve been longing for      
Written in the lines of my palm

I realize
what I’ve been waiting for
This is the call, to call off your guns

Body’s bruised and battered 
Your soul’s a cold embrace 
Heart, mind and matter 
– time to fill the space

Call out my name 
Through the breeze ‘cross the milky way
Right through the fear and alarm

Body’s pierced and battered 
Soul’s put to waste
Heart, mind and matter 
– no smell, no taste

Body’s scarred and battered 
Your soul’s an empty cage
Heart, mind and matter 
– put the pen to the page

Man, look at that face 
It’s the face I’ve been longing for
It’s written in the lines of my palm

Musicians:
Reine Johansson – vocals
Dag Hallberg – piano
Christian Kullberg – upright bass
Klas Assarsson – drums
Fredrik Larnemo – additional arrangements

All rights reserved © (P) Vargen Music

Tar & Feathers

Written by Reine Johansson. Produced and mixed by Fredrik Larnemo at Recordia, Varberg, Sweden. Mastered by Thomas Eberger at Stockholm Mastering.

Lyric:
LIKE A BIRD OF PREY

All the days have drawn their curtains
All the days lie then and there
All the things I took for certain
now have vanished in the air
I’m in need of a twist or something
You know I’m far astray
Now the night comes closing in
Just like a bird of prey

I watch the she-hawk hover
Over meadows wide and plain
To discover a mate, a lover,
Or more likely, something to slay
I recall the scene, I was wild and free
Then suddenly I was swept away
When your love struck down 
Like a bird of prey
Two lovers lost in Eden
All’s new, nothing’s wrong
No wisdom, all is freedom
Knew nothing ‘bout the snake’s tongue
Crawled up on my backseat
Blew the skies and heavens away
All was flesh, we all dug in 
Like birds of prey

I hear the children playing
Hear their laughter and their tears
I remember a young man sayin’
“No hesitation, no hate, no fear”
All flesh is grass and it’s withering
Its flowers will fade away
Now the night comes closing in
Like a bird of prey

Musicians:
Reine Johansson – vocals
Per Bengtsson – electric guitar
Andreas Alm – acoustic guitar
Dag Hallberg – piano
Christian Kullberg – bass
Klas Assarsson – drums
Fredrik Larnemo – additional arrangements

All rights reserved © (P) Vargen Music

Like A Bird Of Prey

Written by Reine Johansson. Produced by Fredrik Larnemo, Studio Recordia, Varberg, Sweden. Mastered by Thomas Eberger, Stockholm Mastering.
Released as single June 17, 2022. 

Lyric:
Mindy morning 
She sleeps until noon
Mindy calls me, 
‘Better get here soon’

“Dreamed a bad dream, 
come keep me safe and warm”
“Scheme, baby, scheme” I say, 
“You must be puttin’ me on”

Mindy morning 
Hit the bed at dawn
It’s a Mindy call-in, 
I know she’s never alone

Mindy was a fire-eater 
Did her flicflac and then blow
I know I just gotta meet her, 
I wonder if she still got that glow

Speaks of the silver moon, 
the daisies, the howlin’ rain
The air’s a-tremblin’, I’m doomed 
– all Mindied again

Mindy morning
Mindy morning 
Mindy morning

Musicians: 
Reine Johansson – vocals
Per Bengtsson – electric guitar
Andreas Alm – acoustic guitar
Dag Hallberg – keys, mini-moog
Christian Kullberg – bass
Klas Assarsson – drums
Fredrik Larnemo – additional arrangements

All rights reserved © (P) Vargen Music

Mindy Morning

Vargen (“The Wolf”) is the stage alias of singer-songwriter and actor Reine Johansson. Genres: Rock, americana, folk.
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BIO (Press text "Vargen" LP/CD/DL 2023)
Over the recent years the Swedish singer-songwriter and Bob Dylan interpreter Vargen, has carved a reputation for infusing his music with both mystery and raw emotions.

Vargen’s previous albums have firmly established his presence in the spotlight. His acclaimed renditions of Bob Dylan’s songs in both Swedish and English, along with his unique takes on the works of Swedish poet Dan Andersson, have garnered widespread recognition. 
This time around Vargen takes a step away from interpretations and instead debuts with original songs on an eponymous album. An album which makes it clear that his ability to capture and convey emotions musically, whether joyful or melancholic, remains as sharp and powerful as ever.
Through 9 tracks the album takes the listener on a ride with among many others the playful and lounge-inspired Toxicon that invokes the sensation of strolling down the catwalk, the Nick Cave-esque The Bullfighter, bluesy and rock-infused Easter Soul – a song about reluctantly taking one for the team, playing the victim or becoming the scapegoat – and Them Cats – which features a guest appearance by Swedish guitar legend Jojje Wadenius.
Concealed beneath the moniker is Reine Johansson’s skill, an artist with origins in the rock and punk domains, who shares the inspiration behind the album here:
”Our minds associate, connect and draw conclusions. It was when people, times, places – real or imagined – collide or combine that I found inspiration for many of the songs.” He continues ”I don’t really know how it happens. It might be a dream that lingers. It might be a memory or feeling that changes in an instant if put in a new light. Sometimes it’s just plain fiction.”
Vargen was released on November 10 2023 digitally and on vinyl and CD via his own record label Vargen Records and is distributed by Border Music / Redeye.

-	Kniven PR / Vargen Music