Cutting her teeth with Saint Cava (a duo with Andreas Vasegaard), who garnered enough attention to play Roskilde (2015) without having released so much as an EP, Erika went on to pursue her earliest pleasures out on her own. Whilst this meant venturing into the sonic hallmarks of RnB and pop-tropes of the early 2000s MTV era, there’s nothing passé about Essentials. Instead, de Casier recasts these influences for a more ethereal, airy production that succinctly fuses with her warm vocal performances – combined with splashes of bossa nova and breakbeat.
Elsewhere, delivering memorable videos for tracks like the G-funk infused Do My Thing, filmed by Catharina Stoltenberg of Smerz, has only served to raise the profile of the Aarhus-raised, Copenhagen-based artist. Assisted with co-production from brothers El Trick (aka Central) and DJ Sports of Aarhus’ Regelbau Crew, Essentials sees de Casier “coming real with it” (Story of My Life) as she captures the realities of modern life – like ubiquitous phone use – in amongst timeless topics including the delicate sides of relationships.
This year, alongside upcoming tour dates across the US and Australia – now postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak –, Erika returns to Roskilde as a solo artist with a much deeper back catalogue that’s full of acclaim; Essentials made numerous best-of-year lists (Crack Magazine, The Guardian, and Fact to name a few) and even best-of-the-decade (Gorilla Vs. Bear). With endearing humour and poise, Erika discusses her takes on astrology, media misconceptions and owning your musical references.