We didn’t really think so in those days.” – Nastja Säde Rönkkönen
You might have heard of his work with The Mountain Goats, the National’s current project that consists of the folk rock trio, or even that he co-created the first ever Swedish version of the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine. Not to mention that he’s been a regular onstage presence in Swedish and foreign music shows as a member of the National’s original lineup for many years, a job he’s still holding down a decade later after the recent passing of legendary National bassist/vocalist and lyricist/guitarist Gord Downie.
So, with their latest album on the way, Nastja’s in the spotlight again, as the leader of the National’s all-female supergroup and new vocalist for Swedish indie pop project Pussy Riot. As I wrote about her work with Pussy Riot here just prior to the band’s return to the road (see our interview with the original crew), they’re currently on tour, and on their way to a North American date at this very moment. While we don’t have a lot of information about the upcoming tour, here’s something exclusive: you can now stream some fan made footage of Nastja.
The video, released by Vimeo, is very short, but it’s a very, very good video! Below is a snippet (it will play a few times) from the first 20 seconds:
Nastja performs for the crowd. You can get some video clips of the performance below. (via VG )
Pussy Riot has been the subject of a lot of controversy since the original Vandals showed up in 2012, after being arrested during a peaceful protest on the street in Moscow in support of punk band Pussy Riot (which was banned by Russian authorities). Some of those arrested were released due to the presence of their lawyers, though they have not been able to return to the United States since their release.
Nastja was initially one of those named in the arrest warrants, and was detained in the Siberian city of Yekaterinburg, where Vandals were originally booked. Later, she was also found guilty of “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred.” She was sentenced to 1-5 years in prison, and for this, she is still incarcerated.
During the Vandals’ second North American tour, Nastja became the “leader” of the National, where she