El Perro del Mar is the alter ego of Swedish singer, multi-instrumentalist, and composer Sarah Assbring. Named after a stray dog she once encountered on a Spanish beach, El Perro del Mar released her first music in 2005, captivating audiences worldwide, even David Bowie. She won awards, toured internationally with artists like Lykke Li and José González, and yet always somehow remained true to herself.
El Perro del Mar has always made music with passion and dedication, with an open heart and mind, wild and independent. On her new album Big Anonymous (2024, City Slang), she ventures into places most people would rather avoid voluntarily: it's dark, dim, moody, with conversations with the dead and reflections on her own mortality. Big Anonymous is simply brilliant, a darkly shimmering masterpiece that draws you into an inexplicable spell. And despite all the darkness, it might even be uplifting in the end—at least for her. Why all of this? After losing too many family members over the years, Sarah was haunted by a grief that wouldn’t fade. She felt guilty for being alive and became increasingly aware of her own mortality.