Swedish cool-pop wunderkind Erik Hassle releases his brand new single ‘Hurtful’ through Island Records on February 7^th. Having already spent over a year at the top of the Swedish chart it’s now the UK’s turn to sample a song that Popjustice has described as ‘a total modern masterpiece’.

Full of sweeping musical melodrama ‘Hurtful’ is an all-out heart rendering slice of modern angst-pop, perfect for the Twilight generation. It’s is an unexpurgated apologetic love letter that manages to be both deeply personal yet universal, and is destined to become one of the tracks of the 2009.

A hugely talented performer, musician and songwriter with a truly exceptional voice

21 year old Erik is already making waves here in the UK. His debut single ‘Don’t Bring Flowers’ was playlisted at Radio 1 and he is picking up plaudits from media and other artists alike.  Marina and the Diamonds said in the NME of ‘Hurtful’ “It’s amazing. Classic Swedish pop with beautiful string arrangements, it’s just gorgeous”. Meanwhile the London Paper said ‘A listen to Erik Hassle will leave you blown away in your armchair. Hurtful is almost certainly a No1 Record’.

‘Hurtful’ showcases the powerful and emotive voice that Erik discovered as a child, encouraged by his music obsessive parents – his mother was a singer who performed on stage whilst pregnant with Erik, and his father ran a music studio and got Erik into his collection of Sam Cooke and Wilson Pickett records from an early age.  Erik grew up in a remote place, once voted ‘The Most Boring Town in Sweden’, and it was his early love of music that drove him to leave home on his own, aged 15, and move to Stockholm to study music.

Five years on and the debut album, ‘Pieces’ is ready to be released later in February 2010. A collection of incredibly powerful and dramatic songs, ‘Pieces’ is an album filled with sweeping melodies and grand romantic gestures destined to ensure that the Erik Hassle story is only just beginning…..