Softies - The Softies

by Admin

published: 24 / 11 / 2008

In our 'Soundtrack of Our Lives' column, in which our writers tell of the personal impact on them, Tommy Gunnarsson writes about the mid 90's American indie pop band the Softies, whose song 'The Best Days' at the funeral of his brother's girlfriend, who died in 2000 at the age of 20

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First of all, let me tell you a little about the Softies... Back in 1994, Rose Melberg (a former member of bands such as Go Sailor, Tiger Trap and Gaze) and Jen Sbragia (then a member of Pretty Face and later of All Girl Summer Fun Band) decided to make music together, and immediately settled for a setting of two electric guitars and two harmonizing voices, mostly singing slow love songs. During the next six years, they would go on and release three full-length albums, a 10" album and some singles and EP's. In 2000, their last album together, 'Holiday in Rhode Island' was released on K Records, and since then I haven't heard a thing from the two girls, which is very sad, as their albums are all amazing, especially the second one, 'Winter Pageant', which came out in 1997, an album that included the song 'The Best Days'. And that brings us to the subject of this column. In May 1999, my older brother's girlfriend was diagnosed with cancer, and not just any cancer, but a kind that was incredibly hard to battle and treat (I can't remember the name of it now). When the 20th century turned into the 21st, things were kind of hopeful, but just a month or so later, we got the news that it was incurable, and, in April 2000, she passed away, just 20 years old. The funeral was held later that same month, and as she was a huge fan of the Softies (she had a great taste in music in general, I must say), she asked for 'The Best Days' to be played in the funeral chapel, along with 'I Say a Little Prayer' by Aretha Franklin. Needless to say, it was very hard to sit there in the chapel for what felt like many many hours (but I suppose it wasn't even a full hour), and, also needless to say, it was almost as hard to hear those songs afterwards. Now, more than eight years later, I can listen to those songs again, which is great, as I return to that Softies album every now and then. But that doesn't mean that I will ever forget that moment in the chapel. Because I won't.