Pop-country phenoms, Harmonica ruled the circuit, boasting sold-out arena tours and lavish lifestyles. When they find themselves on the other side of that fame decades later, Monica (Josephine Bornebusch) and Harry (Jonas Karlsson) have to decide whether to embark on a reunion tour or stay firmly planted in their present-day, lives racked with grief and angst. Their marriage on the brink of collapse, the two agree to take one last shot at living their passions outright, the traumas they’ve accumulated in tow.
Vivid flashbacks establish a profound dichotomy in this Swedish-language, Viaplay Original drama series. The cast, rounded out by Eric Ericson (“Department Q”), Nina Zanjani (“Hedda Gabler”), Jorgen Thorrson (“Border”), and Dag Malmberg (“Gåsmamman”), offers sporadic comedic relief while serving to superbly flesh-out the scenes of excess and tension.
At its core “Harmonica,” is a story of true love grown apathetic, ravaged, holding on by a thread. Produced by Sofie Palage (“Love Me”) at Warner Brothers International and distributed worldwide by Nordic Entertainment Group (“Veni Vidi Vici”), the three-episode preview grants compelling glimpses of hope and despair as the outfit tours Europe.
Creators Bornebusch (“Älska mig”) and Karlsson (“The Snowman”), who co-wrote, directed, and play the lead roles in the series, spoke to Variety on the shows’ narratives and the high price of success, ahead of its Berlin preview:
How do you obtain longevity in the arts and avoid the burnout associated with excess to maintain your passions?
Bornebusch: Good question! My attitude to life and career has always been: As long as you love what you’re doing it gives you energy and power to continue. We’ve both been working for a long time in the industry so, by now, we know how much we’re capable of doing at the same time. Also, what we shouldn’t take on.
Maybe it sounds nuts, but sometimes it’s even easier to direct and act what you’ve written yourself. You have all the images in your head, you know exactly how you want the scene to look and feel like.
Karlsson: Haha! That’s really the million dollar-question! Because when you’re fortunate enough to be able to work as much as you want, like Josephine and I, no one really tells you when to stop. I think you just have to ask yourself which projects are worth your time and energy. If you’re lucky you can even gain some energy from it.
The pilot presents a series about the proverbial band getting back together, but it also feels like a redemption story. Is redemption always possible, or are there times when it might be too little, too late?
Bornebusch: Interesting. I’ve never looked at it as a redemption story. To me this is a story about an old country duo that goes on a reunion tour to save their marriage. Their comeback as a band is definitely too little, too late. That’s a fact. The question remains: is it also too late to save their marriage?
Karlsson: When we started to write we had this really happy ending in mind. But as the story developed, things changed. Harry and Monica’s relationship became much more complex, and we just had to go along with it. In one way I guess you could say that this trip is the journey they need to take. They need to be reconciled. With each other and with the state of things. Whether they can go on as a married couple? I don’t know.
The depiction of the roadside eateries, small towns along the highway, gritty venues the band’s tasked with performing offer a real glimpse into the reality many smaller touring acts face. How important were these roadside aesthetics in advancing the narrative? Did you have these sorts of images in mind as you were writing or did you allow your team to delve deeper into the scene?
Bornebusch: We wanted to create a world behind that glossy surface. Show the dirty side of being famous. The true, sad story of being hasbeens. I had lots of references wallpapered in my office space and then I invited our DOP, light designer, production designer, costume designer, makeup and location to pick their brains, ask them what they thought. This isn’t a one man show. We’ve done this production together.
You should always allow your team to do what they are there to do. Always pick colleagues more talented and experienced than you, listen to them. Our team has been amazing and I’ve learnt so much working with them all.
Karlsson: We knew from the beginning that we wanted this sort of “worn” look. To correspond with Harry and Monica’s state of mind but also because it’s what it looks like for most bands. I’ve also kept that in mind when it comes to the score, music. I wanted it to feel close and natural. I wanted you to actually hear the fingers against the strings, sometimes even a little breath, stuff like that.
We see a lot of shattered expectations and relationships in the first three episodes. Can you speak to the pressure of never living up to the expectations others have for you? Will this be a common theme this season?
Bornebusch: I think expectations are a big ingredient in a relationship. Sometimes, unfortunately, they are too high. We wanted to tell a story about an old relationship, how to find your way back to each other after years of quietly growing apart. Our main characters have been together since high school. The first couple of years their relationship and career was a success story but after a life changing moment they’ve slipped apart. They never divorced but their grief has taken over, their friendship and relationship are long gone and they’re facing ruin. When we come into the story, Monica sets an ultimatum: Let’s go on this tour or let’s get a divorce.
Karlsson: It’s also the expectations they put on themselves. Harry’s constantly torn between what he feels is good music and what is just making money, a concern he shares with his father. Can he live with who he has become? Monica has this idea of herself as a “star” and perhaps needs to realize that’s not what she really wants?