Fever Ray = Karin of The Knife who are writing an opera

What would you do if one decade into your career you suddenly saw one of your songs turned into a worldwide hit, won six Grammys in your native Sweden, and your latest release was declared album of the year by one of the world's most influential music websites? If you're Karin Dreijer Andersson, formerly singer with '90s pop hopes Honey Is Cool and now one half of The Knife, the answer is to take a couple of years off and return as a solo artist under a new name: Fever Ray.

In Karin's own words, "I had so many songs to record that I just had to make an album. I thought I was going to have a longer break but I guess it will never happen. I can't stop working. My aim was to finish the album and now that it's done I'm a bit restless (good that The Knife has an opera to write then.) During the last years I discovered that I like to sing too, so I hope that my newly found live band will make it to the stages next year. We are rehearsing and building something beautiful and brilliant."

'If I Had A Heart' is the first single from Fever Ray: a stirring mantra, a boundless loop, a deep sleep spreading over fields and endless oceans. A dark evocation of hope and a demand for "more, give me more". The track will be available digitally on December 16.

Music and lyrics are by Fever Ray with production by Fever Ray & Christoffer Berg. The video for "If I Had a Heart" will be directed by Andreas Nilsson.

Mute will release the debut album physically on March 24th, 2009.