When Mette Lindberg of the Danish band The Asteroid Galaxy Tour calls Friday morning to talk to me from her apartment in Copehagen; it’s a call that I’ve been nervous about all week.
The nerves aren’t related to being starstruck. They instead come from a more subtle division in our cultures. Our 9 a.m. call means its 6 p.m. on a Friday night in Denmark, and, at 8:58 here, I still can’t seem to find the correct way to pronounce her name. When the call comes in, I cross my fingers, hoping she’ll forgive me for my American accent and a potential butcher of her name. We start to talk a bit and, as it turns out, she seems to be just as curious about the pronunciation of my name as I am of hers. I suppose the number of Bryces in Copenhagen must be somewhere near the number of Meetes running around in San Diego.
Through light conversation, laughter and comparisons between Copenhagen and San Diego, it dawns on me that Lindberg seems to be guiding this interview in an entirely different direction, a more laid-back and relaxed conversation. She tests my knowledge of Danish music as we talk about the music scene in Copenhagen, one that The Asteroid Galaxy Tour has become a staple of. It’s becoming clear to me that Lindberg, treats all people like good friends.
As the business aspect of the conversation begins, I can’t help but to touch upon the fame that the band has received following the success of having “Around the Bend” featured in an iPod Touch commercial. Lindberg tells me that when the band had only been together for a year, they hadn’t released any actual albums, but made the decision to release a few songs.
As someone at Apple heard “Around the Bend,” they thought it would be the perfect song for the soon-to-be-announced iPod Touch. The band signed off, jumping at the chance for exposure but thought the song wouldn’t really be used. They forgot about the potential commercial, and were unprepared for the sudden growth of fans. Because the band saw the death of the record industry as imminent, they wanted to start their own label to release their songs. Demand for the band quickly exceeded the output of the small label and Lindberg and Iversen (The Asteroid Galaxy Tour’s producer) decided to hit the road on European tours. Slots opening for Katy Perry and Amy Winehouse soon followed as well as a quick tour of the U.S.
October marked a new chapter for the band as they released their first full-length album titled “Fruit.” This album has expanded upon the success of the initial EPs while rounding out the dance pop feel with songs that seem to focus on more serious topics than seen before. Lindberg explains to me that the added songs on the full-length are some that Iversen has been working on for years. They tend to incorporate a more primal connection to sound while leading the listener along a lyrical search for something more. Overall, the album seems to be a wonderful blend of Iversen’s multi-instrumental genre blending arrangments and Lindberg’s’s soulful, yet striking, voice.
As I wrap up my call with Lindberg, we talk about the band’s upcoming show at the Casbah on March 21 with local favorite White Apple Tree. It turns out that she hates playing 21+ venues and she wishes there was a way to get all of her fans into the show. Her solution? “Any problems, – we will sneak them in!” she jokes. I wouldn’t hold her to it though. Underage listeners can just head to Los Angeles on March 23 to catch the band at Echo. Wherever you see them, you’ll be in for a treat, as The Asteroid Galaxy Tour has been known for their amazing live shows.

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