Mary Anne’s Polar Rig takes their name from a mining-station (now hotel) on the Arctic island of Svalbard, an identification that implies a little bit of toughness, an ability to take a few knocks and keep on rolling. You can certainly hear some of that in their sound – the guitar duo Malin Hofvander & Harald Ingvarsson serve up rough-and-tumble rock and roll that can handle anything the world has to throw at it.
Over the past few years, the band has played shows in Berlin, London and Dortmund, besides of course countless concerts in both Sweden and Denmark. Starting off life in Malmö, Mary Anne’s Polar Rig honed their sawn-off-shotgun punk, pop and rock on the road and eventually collected enough songs to create their debut album 'Makes You Happy' (2021) which was physically released in EU, the US and Japan, on vinyl, cassette and CD respectively. After having recalibrated to a two-piece (joined by 2 more people on stage for live concerts) the band signed with Stockholm label Rama Lama Records and swam into more experimental waters for the follow-up 'Makes You Wonder' (double album, 2023).
Their sound has become more complex, mature and heavy, with melodies and sharp refrains striking through in places like lightning bolts. Some songs skid and roll chaotically, like an out-of-control dirt bike, while others are carefully nursed and layered into something crashing and grand, like towering progpyramids, taking Mary Anne’s Polar Rig's music onto a level beyond anything they’ve ever done before.
