The Ark

Born in Rottne, near Växjö in Sweden, The Ark formed in 1991 around Ola Salo, Mikael Jepson and Lars Ljungberg, later expanding and over the years refining a carefully crafted rock-band aesthetic. They initially developed a repertoire marked by psychedelia and art rock, then evolved toward glam rock blended with pop rock and indie rock, featuring very melodic choruses, bright guitars and a strong taste for theatricality. After a first EP in 1996, The Ark reached a wider audience in 2000 with the single "It Takes a Fool to Remain Sane" and the album "We Are the Ark", followed by the darker, denser "In Lust We Trust" in 2002 and "State of the Ark" in 2004, which emphasized a more direct, danceable approach. In 2007 The Ark released "Prayer for the Weekend" and represented Sweden at Eurovision with "The Worrying Kind". The band then released "In Full Regalia" in 2010 before announcing their split in 2011. The Ark reunited from 2020 for a series of reunion concerts, with no major new recording direction announced.