Blues Pills' 2014 EP "Psychedelic Blues" captures a Swedish-American-French quartet channeling late-sixties blues-rock with disarming authenticity. Vocalist Elin Larsson commands four meticulously crafted tracks with a voice that recalls decades of tradition, supported by Dorian Sorriaux's mournful guitar and Cory Berry's natural drumming. Producer Don Alsterberg's restrained hand lets the warm, tight performances breathe. Essential listening for anyone still moved by blues-rock's foundational language.
⚡ Quick Answer: Blues Pills' 2014 EP "Psychedelic Blues" showcases a young Swedish band channeling late-sixties blues-rock with authentic conviction. Led by vocalist Elin Larsson's commanding voice, the group—formed internationally through internet connections—delivers four meticulously crafted tracks that rival full-length albums. Producer Don Alsterberg's restrained approach lets the warm, tight performances breathe, particularly Cory Berry's natural drumming and Dorian Sorriaux's mournful guitar work.
There is a twenty-two-year-old Swedish woman standing in front of a microphone in a studio in Stockholm, and she sounds like she has been doing this since Cream was still a band.
Elin Larsson’s voice is the whole argument. Blues Pills formed in 2011 with a lineup spread across Sweden, the United States, and France — guitarist Dorian Sorriaux grew up in Nancy, drummer Cory Berry came up through the American South, bassist Zack Anderson out of Wisconsin. They found each other through the internet and mutual obsession, which is a very 2011 way to form a band that sounds like it was assembled by a record collector in 1969.
Lady in Gold had not come out yet. This EP — four tracks, just under seventeen minutes — was the introduction.
The Session
Psychedelic Blues was recorded in Stockholm and produced by Don Alsterberg, who also handled the band’s debut full-length the following year. Alsterberg had the right instincts: keep it close, keep it warm, don’t over-produce what doesn’t need producing. The drums sit in the room like drums are supposed to sit in a room. The guitars have weight without being sludgy about it.
Berry’s drumming deserves its own sentence. He plays with a looseness that session players spend careers trying to fake — the kind of feel that comes from believing in the song rather than marking time through it.
Sorriaux runs his Les Paul through tones that reference Peter Green more than anyone writing in 2014 was willing to admit. There’s a moment in “Jupiter” where the guitar bends into a note that sounds genuinely mournful, not decorative. You notice it.
Four Songs That Feel Like a Full Record
The title track opens things and announces the band plainly: here is a groove, here is a voice, here is a band that has done their homework and then done something with it. “Little Sun” leans folk-psych, acoustic and unhurried, Larsson sounding almost conversational before the thing opens up. “Jupiter” is the centerpiece — six minutes, proper build, the kind of track that justifies the whole enterprise.
“Gone Too Long” closes it and lands like a closing track should: a little heavier than expected, Larsson pushing into the upper register without straining.
The EP format suits them. Nothing outstays its welcome, and you flip it over wanting more, which is the correct relationship to have with four songs from a band you’ve just met.
I’ll say it plainly: this is a better record than most full-lengths released that year. The influences are worn openly — Jefferson Airplane, early Fleetwood Mac, the bluesier end of late-sixties British rock — but Larsson’s voice isn’t a costume. She’s not performing an era. She means it, and you can hear the difference.
There is a specific pleasure in putting something like this on after a long day and letting the room change. Not complicated music. Not trying to be. Just four people in a studio getting something right.
🎵 Key Takeaways
- 🎤 Elin Larsson's voice carries authentic conviction—a 22-year-old delivering late-sixties blues-rock authenticity that sounds genuinely earned, not performed.
- 🌐 Blues Pills formed across three continents (Sweden, US, France) entirely through internet connections in 2011, then recorded this EP in Stockholm with restrained production by Don Alsterberg.
- 🥁 Cory Berry's drumming feels loose and believing rather than metronomic—the kind of session-player looseness that takes years to fake, suggesting genuine investment in the material.
- ⏱️ Four tracks under seventeen minutes (with 'Jupiter' as a proper six-minute centerpiece) creates a complete listening experience that outpaces most full-length albums from 2014.
Who are Blues Pills and where did the band members come from?
Blues Pills formed in 2011 as an international internet collaboration: Elin Larsson (vocals) from Sweden, Dorian Sorriaux (guitar) from Nancy, France, Cory Berry (drums) from the American South, and Zack Anderson (bass) from Wisconsin. They found each other through shared obsession with sixties blues-rock and formed a band that sounds like it was assembled by a record collector in 1969.
What makes Elin Larsson's vocal performance stand out on this EP?
Larsson's voice carries genuine conviction without relying on era-specific affectation—she sounds like she's been performing since Cream's heyday, but she means it rather than performing a costume. Her range spans conversational (on 'Little Sun') to powerful register-pushing (on 'Gone Too Long') without straining.
How did producer Don Alsterberg approach recording this EP?
Alsterberg kept the production warm and restrained, letting natural performances breathe rather than over-producing—the drums sit in the room like drums should, guitars have weight without being sludgy, and nothing feels decorated. This approach to minimalism lets the band's tight execution be the focus.
Why is 'Jupiter' considered the centerpiece of Psychedelic Blues?
'Jupiter' runs six minutes with a proper build and structural arc that justifies the entire EP—Sorriaux's mournful guitar bends genuinely express emotion rather than decoration, making it the track that proves Blues Pills' ability to develop material beyond simple grooves.