Karin Dreijer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Karin Dreijer
Dreijer performing as Fever Ray in 2023 at Sentrum Scene in Oslo
Background information
Birth name	Karin Elisabeth Dreijer
Also known as	Fever Ray
Born	(1975-04-07) 7 April 1975 (age 50) Gothenburg, Sweden
Genres	Electropop ambient trip hop experimental
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter record producer
Instruments	Vocals guitar keyboards
Years active	1994–present
Labels	Rabid Brille Mute Cooperative

Dreijer performing as Fever Ray in 2009

Karin Elisabeth Dreijer (born on April 7, 1975) is a Swedish singer, songwriter, and music producer. They are known for their unique voice and creative stage shows. Dreijer was also part of an electronic music duo called the Knife with their brother, Olof Dreijer.

Karin Dreijer started their solo music career using the name Fever Ray. Their first solo album, also called Fever Ray, came out in 2009. Their second album, Plunge, was released in 2017.

Dreijer's singing style is very special. They can sing in both high and deep voices. They also use technology to change their voice, making it sound layered and unique. In their performances and photos, they often wear masks, face paint, and cool costumes. They sometimes perform behind a screen, which makes their shows even more mysterious.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Karin Dreijer was born in Gothenburg, Sweden. They started playing guitar when they were ten years old. This led them to form a band called Honey Is Cool in 1994. Before becoming a full-time musician, Dreijer worked as a web designer. In 1998, they moved to Stockholm.

Music Career Highlights

The Knife: A Duo with Their Brother

Karin Dreijer and their brother, Olof Dreijer, formed the Knife in 1999. They made electronic music together. Their first album, The Knife, was released in 2001.

The duo became more famous after their song "Heartbeats" came out in 2003. This song was from their second album, Deep Cuts. The Knife started performing live in 2006. They went on the Silent Shout Tour to support their album Silent Shout.

In 2009, the Knife worked on an opera called Tomorrow, in a Year. It was based on Charles Darwin's book On the Origin of Species. The duo released their fourth and final album, Shaking the Habitual, in 2013. The Knife stopped making music together in November 2014.

Solo Work as Fever Ray

While the Knife took a break, Dreijer started their solo project as Fever Ray. Their first solo album, Fever Ray, was released online in January 2009. It came out on CDs and records in March 2009.

The song "If I Had a Heart" (2008) was the first single from this album. This song became very popular and was used in many TV shows. These included Person of Interest, Breaking Bad, and Wentworth. It was also the opening song for the TV series Vikings.

In September 2009, Dreijer created music for a collection of short films called Dirty Diaries. Fever Ray performed at the Coachella Festival in 2010. They also played at Electric Picnic in Ireland that same year.

A song by Fever Ray called "The Wolf" was featured in the 2011 movie Red Riding Hood. This song was also used in the announcement trailer for the video game Far Cry Primal.

Dreijer wrote music for a play based on the 1968 horror film Hour of the Wolf. The play opened in Stockholm in 2011. One of the songs, "No Face," was included on a charity album in 2012. This album helped victims of the 2011 Japanese tsunami.

In February 2016, Dreijer shared that they had written music for a play called Vahák (meaning Violence). This play explored themes of violence. Later that month, Dreijer mentioned they were working on new solo music.

On October 20, 2017, Dreijer released the song "To the Moon and Back". Their second album, Plunge, was then released just a week later on October 27. Critics really liked the album.

To support Plunge, Dreijer went on a world tour in 2018. They performed in Europe and North America. In 2018, Dreijer and the producers who worked on Plunge won "Producer of the Year" at the Swedish Grammys.

Fever Ray performing at Glastonbury Festival in 2023

On March 10, 2023, Fever Ray released their third album, Radical Romantics. On July 25, 2025, Fever Ray released The Year of the Radical Romantics. This album features live versions of songs from Radical Romantics and Plunge. It also includes new versions of older songs.

Collaborations with Other Artists

Karin Dreijer has worked with several other musicians. In 2005, they sang on the song "What Else Is There?" by Röyksopp. This song was very popular and helped Dreijer become more known.

In 2008, Dreijer provided vocals for the song "Slow" by the band Deus. They also sang on two more Röyksopp songs, "This Must Be It" and "Tricky Tricky," in 2009.

On September 6, 2019, a special music collection was released. It featured Björk, Fever Ray, and the Knife. It included remixes of songs by each artist.

Musical Influences

Karin Dreijer has shared some of the artists who have inspired them. In 2004, they hosted a radio show in Sweden. They played songs by artists like Peaches, PJ Harvey, Kate Bush, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. They have also mentioned Courtney Love, Kim Gordon, and Kim Deal as important artistic influences.

Personal Life

Karin Dreijer prefers to keep their private life mostly out of the news. In a 2017 interview, they shared that they had been married and later divorced. They also described themselves as "definitely a queer person" and "very gender-fluid." Dreijer uses the pronouns they/them in English. They have two daughters. In 2023, they shared in a radio interview that they are autistic.

Awards and Nominations

Karin Dreijer and Fever Ray have received many awards and nominations for their music.

Discography Highlights

Karin Dreijer has released several albums and singles as Fever Ray.

Main Albums

• Fever Ray (2009)
• Plunge (2017)
• Radical Romantics (2023)

Popular Songs

Some of Fever Ray's well-known songs include:

• "If I Had a Heart" (2008)
• "When I Grow Up" (2009)
• "To the Moon and Back" (2017)
• "What They Call Us" (2022)

See also

In Spanish: Karin Dreijer para niños