Nina Persson at Amazon

Nina Persson (IMDb Biography): With 'First Band on the Moon', released in 1996, the band developed into a more complex, darker animal, the songs were about heartbreak, infidelity and despair. The album also contained Persson's first solo writing credit, the plaintive `heartbreaker'. After being featured in Baz Luhrmann Romeo + Juliet (1996), the song `Lovefool' rocketed the band to international stardom. However it was unrepresentative of the album and though it helped it go gold in America many critics branded them saccharine soft-pop on the basis of 'Lovefool'. Annoyed by this inaccurate description, the band reappeared in 1998 as a souped-up rock beast with 'Gran Turismo'. The video for `Favourite Game' featured a tattooed Persson in a Thelma & Louise (1991) esque role as a criminal on the run. It was the band's most consistent album to date, with several tracks written by Persson individually. It spawned the European hit singles `My Favourite Game' and `Erase/Rewind' and sold 2.5 million copies worldwide, however it failed to make a dent in the American market. After touring and promoting the album, the band decided to take a hiatus. In 1997 Persson had formed the experimental indie act `A Camp' with Swedish musician Niclas Frisk. `Cardigans' business occupied Persson for the next couple of years, however in 2000 they reconvened. Long a fan of alternative singer / songwriter Mark Linkous of `Sparklehorse', she got him in for production duties and her boyfriend `Shudder to Think' guitarist Nathan Larson. Their catchy, melodic lead-off single `I Can Buy You' was released in September 2001. The self-titled album, 'A Camp' (2001), was a wonderful piece of work, showcasing both Persson's lyrical and vocal talent as well as her own musical affinities. She brought this musical influence and lyrical confidence to the next `Cardigans' album, `Long Gone Before Daylight'. The album chronicles Persson's disillusionment, disappointment and her ultimately finding love with Nathan Larson (who she married on June 16th 2001). Under-promoted and not commercially successful, it is `The Cardigans' most accomplished album.

Cardigans (Wikipedia): After their success with Life, The Cardigans signed to Mercury Records, under which they released First Band on the Moon worldwide in 1996. With this album, the band had developed into a more complex, darker animal, the songs included themes of heartbreak, infidelity and despair. "Lovefool" was a hit across the globe, especially in the United States and again in Japan, where the album reached platinum in only three weeks. However, it was unrepresentative of the album as a whole and, although it helped it achieve gold sales status in America, many critics branded them saccharine soft-pop on the basis of "Lovefool". The song was shown on MTV in the late 90s as a music video with clips from the 1996 hit film Romeo + Juliet starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. 1998's Gran Turismo was darker and more moody, and was followed by a long hiatus during which the band members pursued solo side projects. The same year they also released a compilation of rare B-sides called The Other Side of the Moon as a Japan-only release which makes this album somewhat rare outside Japan. The video of the song "My Favourite Game" was censored by MTV for showing reckless driving. That year also saw their song "Deuce" appearing on The X-Files: The Album.