Concretes Change to Dance Music Thanks to Clubs and Stubborn Bandmates

The Concretes haven't gone all Gaga or anything, but the smooth electro-pop jams that make up half of their new album, 'WYWH,' are bound to leave some fans scratching their heads. As founder Lisa Milberg explains, the shift from '60s-inspired indie-pop to dance music had to do with her climbing out from behind the drum kit and replacing frontwoman Victoria Bergsman, who left in 2006.

"It's a combination of a few things," Milberg tells Spinner. "First, we got a new drummer. [Dante Kinnunen] is an amazing man, and he's really a terrific drummer. He could do things I could only dream of doing. He started doing dance music about [age] 10 or something. He's a very talented drummer, so for that reason it made sense, I guess, to focus on drums and bass."

"Also, personally, I listened to dance music for a long time, but in recent years, I started DJing a lot in Sweden and London, and I started looking for that [rhythmic quality] in music," she adds. "I never used to think about music that way. I guess I used to just sit around my house and drink tea and listen to songs late at night, but now I want them to be in other places."

The Concretes' dance-floor dabbling has necessitated some instrumental change-ups, as 'WYWH' does little to showcase the mandolin, trumpet and saxophone prominent on earlier recordings.

"Everyone in the band is very open to change," Milberg says, adding that saxophone player Ludvig Rylander, in particular, refuses to play in the same style he did on past albums.

"He just moves on to new instruments and wants to try new things," Milberg says. "We have these discussions all the time. If we do an old song, and we want him to pick up the flute or whatever, he'll be like, 'I lost it,' or 'It's broken.' He just comes up with excuses."