Plok and Spy in Mes bring unique sound to the States

Scandinavia is probably better known for blonde supermodels than its music scene, but Jesper… Scandinavia is probably better known for blonde supermodels than its music scene, but Jesper Holm and Mikkel Hansen are trying to change that. Holm and Hansen are the frontmen of The Spy in the Mes and Plok, respectively, two bands from Denmark currently on tour in the United States for the first time. They performed at the Garfield Artworks Monday night.

The Spy in the Mes originally began as Holm’s solo project but is now a duo with drummer Hasse Mydtskov. Holm describes their style as “playful, crazy rock tunes.”

“The idea for the band is allowed to be very different from tune to tune. We go from punk to polka to singer-songwriter,” Holm said in a recent interview with The Pitt News.

This impressive versatility is evidenced by the opening troika on their debut album, the lengthily titled And That’s Why I Breathe Through the Illusion of Wanting to Be Used to Be Wanting to Do. The album opens with “Lasso Road Show,” a short intro reminiscent of carnival music. It segues into a driving punk number called “Episode 3 1! 2! 3! 4!” and then the beautiful “Coffee Mornings,” which features just Holm and an acoustic guitar.

The confusing album title references Holm’s “major crush” on a girl in Denmark, a crush that he harbored for five or six years.

“It’s about the illusion of being in love with her, and I’m just breathing through it,” he said.

Plok’s frontman is Mikkel Hansen, who also appears on the Spy’s record. Plok is short for the Danish phrase “plokumulige,” which translates into “completely impossible.”

Hansen says that this phrase encapsulates the band’s sound. “Our musical style has always been out there – it’s like a washing machine, tossing every conceivable musical style into the song.”

This is apparent on the band’s U.S. debut, an EP called You Tie a Rock to Your Leg Cuz It Fits You. Dirty guitars, pounding drums and various sounds permeate the six tracks. One of the band’s members is credited with “trash and keyboards” in the liner notes. All of these elements combine into a surprisingly coherent mess.

Plok has some amusingly humble origins. Drummer Peter Jorgensen was discovered passed out in the children’s section of a library the rest of the band was visiting.

“We just saw him laying over there and thought ‘Hey, Peter can play drums in the band!'” Hansen said.

The band’s first show was at an international showcase in Denmark with four other bands. Hansen’s vocal performance consisted of non-lyrical Russian words, and they still managed to endear themselves to the audience, who began throwing flowers onstage.

While The Spy in the Mes and Plok are distinctly different bands, their first foray into the United States has resulted in some shared experiences. Although almost everyone in Denmark speaks English, there’s still a difference in culture. “It’s a bit awkward when we talk onstage, sometimes people are sitting there confused,” explained Holm.

Hansen says the biggest difference between the States and Denmark is the level of curiosity toward the band.

“People say ‘Where are you from? You have an accent!'” he said. “In Denmark, you’re not allowed to think you’re special. Here, everyone is special.”

Both bands are truly independent, as their albums are self-released. Both Holm and Hansen have mixed feelings about this. Although they agree that a label would be nice, both are relatively content with their current situations.

“Any band has some criteria for success, but this way, we’re free to do whatever we like,” Hansen said. “The hard part is that playing music this way is a 24-hour job.” Hansen adds, “We’re not exactly looking for a label, but if one came, we would listen.”