Rikard Sjöblom

Rikard Sjöblom
Sjöblom performing with Big Big Train in 2024
Sjöblom performing with Big Big Train in 2024
Background information
Born (1982-02-23) 23 February 1982
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer-songwriter
Instruments
Member of

Rikard Sjöblom (born 23 February 1982) is a Swedish singer and musician, best known as a member of Beardfish and Big Big Train, and also for his solo project, Gungfly.[1] In 2026, Loudwire ranked him as the 4th greatest progressive rock singer of all time.[2]

Biography

Sjöblom started playing accordion at age 6, under the encouragement of his grandfather.[3][4] He started playing guitar at age 10, and bought a Hammond organ at age 17.[4] He started playing guitar because of metal bands like Helloween, Iron Maiden and Metallica.[3]

Sjöblom (left) performing with Beardfish in 2015.

After buying a Hammond organ, he formed a duo with drummer Petter Diamant called Bootcut,[4] who released two CDs, Hammond vs Drums (2002) and De Fluff (2005) and a digital release called Suspended Animation.[4] They continue to be active to the present day,[5] and released an album in 2017.[6]

He formed Beardfish in 2001, with guitarist David Zackrisson (with whom he had played in a Grunge band called Wooderson), drummer Petter Diamant (of Bootcut) and bassist Gabriel Olsson.[7] Diamant soon left the band due to not being into the bands progressive direction.[7] He was replaced by Magnus Östgren. The next addition to the band was multi-instrumentalist Stefan Aronsson in 2002 who played keyboards, guitar and flute.[7] Olsson was replaced Robert Hansen later in 2002. Aronsson left in 2003 reverting the band to a four piece line-up which it would stay until 2015, when they toured with keyboardist Martin Borgh.[8] Beardish mainly made progressive rock music, as well as verging into metal with The Void (2012).[9]

Sjöblom has also performed with The Tangent, providing narration.[10]

Sjöblom was recruited by Big Big Train in 2014 as a touring guitarist and keyboardist, as the band was considering the possibility of live performances.[11] He has since become a permanent member appearing on all of their releases since Wassail (2015).[12]

Gungfly is Sjoblom's pseudonym for his solo work, he releases studio work and also performs live under the name.[13]

Discography

with Bootcut

  • Real Music Beauty Of Soul (2000) demo[14]
  • Hammond vs Drums (2002)[15]
  • De Fluff (2006)
  • Suspended Animation (2013)

Solo

  • Kretslopp (2001)[16]
  • Cyklonmannen (2006) with Den Gyllene Orkestern[17]
  • The Unbendable Sleep (2016)[18]

as Gungfly

  • Please Be Quiet (2009)[19]
  • Lamentations (2011)[20]
  • On Her Journey To The Sun (2017)[21]
  • Friendship (2018)[22]
  • Alone Together (2020)[23]

With Beardfish

With Big Big Train

Other releases

Year Band Title Notes Cite
2001 Wooderson Wooderson album by band with David Zackrisson[7] [24]
2008 Ground Mower Ground Mower Hammond organ [25]
2009 Anna Frank Harriets' Grief noises on one track [26]
2010 The Saigon Sickness Invocation Of My Demon Brothers organ on four tracks [27]
2013 The Tangent Le Sacre Du Travail narration on one track [28]
2020 Dyble Longdon Between A Breath And A Breath accordion on one track [29]

References

  1. ↑ Lawson, Dom (2023-11-09). ""Maybe we could play a show at Stonehenge? That would be very cool." Rikard Sjoblom's Gungfly and the making of Friendship". louder. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
  2. ↑ Blum, Jordan (April 20, 2026). "The 11 Greatest Prog Rock Singers of All Time (Ranked)". Loudwire. Townsquare Media. Retrieved 2026-07-06.
  3. 1 2 "15 questions | Interview | Rikard Sjöblom | Zappa and Beyond". 15questions.net. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "The Band". Big Big Train. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
  5. ↑ "BootcutBand on Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2023-12-14.[self-published]
  6. ↑ "Bootcut - MERRY CHRISTMAS BABIES!!! We might get the thumbs out of our bottoms and get the new album out in 2017. Thumbs crossed! | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2023-12-14.[self-published]
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Biography - BEARDFISHBAND.COM". BEARDFISHBAND.COM. Archived from the original on 2013-06-13. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
  8. ↑ "Interview: Rikard Sjöblom from Beardfish". Echoes And Dust. 2015-02-04. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
  9. ↑ Ling, Dave (2022-08-25). "How Beardfish went heavy with The Void". louder. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  10. ↑ "Issue 2013-044: The Tangent - Le Sacre du Travail - Round Table Review • Album Reviews • DPRP.net". www.dprp.net. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
  11. ↑ BEARDFISH (January 8, 2014). "Big Big Train Recruit Beardfish's Sjoblom". beardfishband. Retrieved 2023-12-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  12. ↑ "Sold out gigs and new band members – third gig added". Bigbigtrain.com. 2014-10-21. Archived from the original on 2014-11-05. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
  13. ↑ "Rikard Sjöblom's Gungfly on Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2023-12-15.[self-published]
  14. ↑ Real Music Beauty Of Soul (liner notes). 2000. BLACD 2000.
  15. ↑ Hammond Vs Drums (liner notes). Jet-Set Music. 2002. JSM 001.
  16. ↑ Kretslopp (liner notes). 2001.
  17. ↑ Cyklonmannen (liner notes). No Budget HI-FI Productions. 2006. 7320470075715.
  18. ↑ The Unbendable Sleep (liner notes). Gungfly Productions. 2016. JSM006.
  19. ↑ Please Be Quiet (liner notes). Gungfly Productions. 2009. JSM 005.
  20. ↑ Lamentations (liner notes). Progress Records. 2011. PRCD 044.
  21. ↑ On Her Journey To The Sun (liner notes). Inside Out Music. 2017. IOMLP 477.
  22. ↑ Friendship (liner notes). Inside Out Music. 2018. IOMLP 517.
  23. ↑ Alone Together (liner notes). Inside Out Music. 2020. IOMLP 559.
  24. ↑ Wooderson (liner notes). 2001.
  25. ↑ Ground Mower (liner notes). Casket Music. 2008. CSK144.
  26. ↑ Harriets' Grief (liner notes). Magpie Hollow Recordings. 2009. MHCD 01.
  27. ↑ Invocation Of My Demon Brothers (liner notes). Suicide Records. 2010. SR005.
  28. ↑ Le Sacre Du Travail (liner notes). Inside Out Music. 2013. IOMLTDCD 382.
  29. ↑ Between A Breath And A Breath (liner notes). English Electric Recordings. 2020. EERCD0026.
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