Liss creates a sound that feels like a warm, slightly damp hug in the middle of a cold city. It is centered around the late Søren Holm's remarkable voice, which slides effortlessly into a fragile, androgynous falsetto that carries the weight of every lyric. The music is fundamentally rhythmic but never aggressive, relying on 'elastic' basslines and clean, staccato guitar work that owes as much to Prince as it does to modern indie pop.
What truly distinguishes them is the tension between their slick, professional grooves and the raw, unvarnished emotion of the songwriting. There is a specific kind of Danish minimalism at play here: every instrument has its own space, creating a sound that feels airy and intimate at the same time. It is soul music stripped of its usual bombast, replaced by a quiet, persistent yearning.
Start with their debut EP 'First' to hear the band at their most infectious and groove-oriented. Then, move to their posthumous full-length 'I Guess Nothing Will Be The Same' to experience the full emotional depth and tragic beauty of their final recordings, which document a band finding profound meaning in the simplest of melodies.
Liss was a Danish pop band. Formed in 2014 in Aarhus, the group consisted of Søren Holm (lead vocals), Vilhelm Strange (guitar), Villads Tyrrestrup (bass and backing vocals), and Tobias Laust (drums). The band released its debut song, "Try", in early 2015, and received attention in the international indie music industry, signing with Danish indie label Escho and British XL Recordings that year. They released their debut EP, First, in May 2016, followed by EPs Second in 2019 and Third in 2020. The band was plagued by Søren Holm's issues with mental illness, and he died by suicide on 25 May 2021. Their debut album, I Guess Nothing Will Be The Same, recorded in 2020, was released in June 2022. In 2025, Danish newspaper Politiken ranked "Try" as the 91st-best Danish pop song of all time.
Shares contemporary r&b, indie pop, soul (subgenres); minimalist, analog warmth, dry intimate (production style)
Shares contemporary r&b, indie pop, soul (subgenres); minimalist, analog warmth, studio polished (production style)
Shares indie pop, contemporary r&b, soul (subgenres); vulnerable, bittersweet, tender (moods)
Shares contemporary r&b, indie pop, soul (subgenres); vulnerable, bittersweet, tender (moods)
Shares contemporary r&b, indie pop (subgenres); minimalist, analog warmth, dry intimate (production style)
Shares contemporary r&b, indie pop, art pop (subgenres); falsetto, breathy, crooning (vocal style)
Shares contemporary r&b, soul, indie pop (subgenres); minimalist, analog warmth, studio polished (production style)
Shares contemporary r&b, indie pop, soul (subgenres); minimalist, analog warmth, dry intimate (production style)
Shares contemporary r&b, indie pop, soul (subgenres); minimalist, analog warmth, studio polished (production style)
Shares falsetto, minimalist, soul, tender (signature)
Shares falsetto, minimalist, soul, vulnerable (signature)
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