Kashmir

On their second album, Kashmir remained playful and filled with unusual ideas, and experimented with a mix of genres -- but Cruzential (released in 1996 and produced by Ron Saint-Germain) was also darker and more hard-hitting compared to the mainstream form of their first album. It was obvious that Cruzential wouldn't spin off many singles or hits. With this growing reputation, Kashmir became respected by fans and the music industry, and the members found themselves involved in different projects during the mid-'90s, co-writing songs and recording albums for other Danish artists. After nine years together in Kashmir, the trio members' inspiration turned toward bands like Radiohead, as they began to write lyrics with more depth and personal perspectives. The Good Life was released in 1999, produced by Joshua (aka Jon Schuman) and mixed by James Guthrie. In many ways, it was a turning point for Danish rock. Kashmir's sound was big, authentic, and almost heroic; the songs were melancholic, dynamic, and emotional; and the fact that the album had been mixed in the U.S. by Guthrie brought hope for fans and the Danish music business that Kashmir could become internationally successful. Kashmir had became the most popular Danish rock band, scoring six Danish Grammys in 2000. Meanwhile, Henrik Lindstrand (guitar, keys, vocal) had joined the band in 1999 as a live musician and later became the fourth member of Kashmir.