UW Buchanan Center Special Events Presents Nordic Sensation Fränder Jan. 30

Presented by Buchanan Center Special Events, a night of genre-bending Nordic folk and modern rock is coming to the University of Wyoming.

Renowned Swedish-Estonian band Fränder is bringing its mesmerizing live show to UW Friday, Jan. 30, at 7:30 p.m. in the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts concert hall.

Tickets are $30. UW students may receive a 50 percent ticket discount with a valid W number.

Tickets are available at www.tix.com/ticket-sales/uwyo/6984/event/1450817, in person or at (307) 766-6666 at the Performing Arts box office, Monday through Friday, noon-6 p.m. and one hour before performances.

Born from a thunderstorm near Uppsala, Sweden, in 2015, Fränder has emerged as a powerhouse in contemporary folk music, infusing Swedish and Estonian musical traditions with a contemporary rock idiom to create a unique sound dubbed “heavy folk.” The group’s name, Fränder, an old Swedish word for “kin” or “family,” reflects the band’s close bond and belief in music as a universal, unifying force.

Known for its captivating performances that defy categorization, the band uses acoustic instruments -- including Swedish låtmandola, fiddle, double bass and Estonian flutes/bagpipes -- to deliver driving grooves and seductive harmonies. The result is a forward-facing, visceral soundscape that evokes the mystery of Scandinavian and Estonian landscapes.

The ensemble features founding siblings Gabbi Dluzewski (Swedish mandola/vocals) and Daniel Dluzewski (double bass/vocals), alongside Säde Tatar (flute/vocals), percussionist Andreas Berglund and fiddler Gabriella Josefsson.

The group’s acclaimed 2017 debut brought international recognition and led to a global tour, as well as the establishment of the band’s semiannual curated music festival Fränder & Vänner Folkmusikfestival in its hometown of Uppsala. In 2021, the band released a collaborative album titled “Across the Baltic Sea” with the Polish band Sutari, again experimenting with different musical traditions.

The 2023 album, “FRÄNDER II,” recorded in a studio built by Fredrik Thordendal of the metal band Meshuggah, further challenged boundaries with a raw, almost progressive-rock intensity, sometimes compared to the likes of Led Zeppelin or Jethro Tull, solidifying the band’s reputation as one of Sweden's most exciting contemporary folk acts.

The band has since continued to tour and, in 2024, organized a festival in New York City for the first time under the name Nordic Now! The event featured both emerging and established Nordic bands performing in a full house theater to bring the beauty of Nordic folk music to a wider audience in the U.S.

For more information, call Lexis Hamilton at (307) 766-5139 or email lhamil10@uwyo.edu.