“I think I suffer heavy from limerence,” says Stockholm-born singer-songwriter waterbaby. Upon learning the term, she realized how much it resonated with the type of person she is, especially as an artist. 

“I’m extremely nostalgic. I ruminate, both good and bad. I romanticize. I can be very much stuck in the past, but it doesn’t feel like a sad way because I’m cherishing my history.”

On Memory Be a Blade, the Stockholm, Sweden-born singer-songwriter’s second release on Sub Pop, the nostalgia runs deep. Her follow-up to 2023 EP Foam is darker, richer, and more personal than ever. She wanted her lyrics to dig deeper and evolve her writing forward, something she accomplishes stunningly across the eight-track project.

To spark inspiration for her new lyrics, waterbaby reflected on a past break-up. She had mostly moved on and was seeing someone new while recording the album. But when the newer relationship ended, she witnessed how much the album took on a new meaning to reflect the heartbreak she hadn’t anticipated experiencing.