What do you get when you bring a young musical talent to the United States from Sweden and give her a sample of American music to inspire her?

Why, you get Sofia Talvik’s brand of unique folk-pop.

Influenced by her Swedish heritage, her music takes on an entirely new edge than what most people think of when someone brings up folk music.

In 2008, Talvik became the first Swedish female singer to play the Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago. Since then she has toured the U.S., like a troubadour bringing a fresh new sound to people. This year her two-month tour includes 20 American states, for a total of 47 shows. She returns to Berkeley Bob’s in Cullman on Tuesday, Sept. 22.

Talvik spoke of her her previous visit to Cullman. “The last time we were here I was surprised at how the whole town was in transfiguration mode,” she said. “There was a lot going on — so many places we play have a lot of stores that are shut down — but Cullman was full of life.

“Berkeley Bob’s is like one of those original coffee houses that grew up on the west coast,” Talvik continued. “People come there to be a part of the music, it’s like playing in someone’s living room.”

Born on an island just off the coast of Sweden, Talvik left her familiar surroundings at the age of 18, to venture into a world for which she longed, but was not totally prepared for. However, the bright lights in Stockholm, gave her inspiration to draw on from every new experience, both good and bad. From the life lessons she learned she formed stories in song that reflected her emotions, which ran the gamut from funny to heartbreakingly beautiful melodies and lyrics that have made audiences from coast to coast sit up and take notice of this strikingly beautiful artist and her equally haunting and evocative music. When set to Sofia’s gentle, melodic acoustic guitar and unobtrusive back up of cellos, double bass and soft percussion, folk music takes on a new and delightful twist.

Her first solo album, “Blue Moon”, was released in 2005, followed by “Street of Dreams” in 2007. This album features a duet with Indie pop icon, Bernard Butler from the British band Suede, and was released on her then newly introduced record label Makaki Music. Since then, she has prolifically produced other albums, including the 2008 release of “Jonestown”, in memory of the tragic 1978 mass suicide/massacre which took place in Jonestown, Guyana.

U.S. indie distributer CD Baby, reviewing Talvik’s 2010 release “Florida” wrote, “It’s not often that an album takes your breath away, and I hate to sound hyperbolic, but ‘Florida’ actually has several ‘Oh my god!’ moments of sheer beauty.”

Sofia continued to tour the U.S. several times after her first success at the Lollapalooza festival in 2008, and was invited to officially showcase at SxSW, the annual South by Southwest Music and Media Conference and Festival, held in Austin, Texas, as well as to the Folk Alliance International Conference in 2012. She completed a 16-month tour of the U.S. promoting her fifth release “The Owls Are Not What They Seem.” The tour took her through 37 states and she did more than 250 concerts.  

In October 2013, she released the album “Drivin’ & Dreaming LIVE” an album with live recordings from a U.S tour.

According to her website, in April 2015 Talvik’s sixth studio album “Big Sky Country” was released. “This storybook of adventures and hardships, about sometimes doubting yourself but also finding strength within yourself features 10 original songs written on the road as well as in the contemplation after, beautifully packaged in a simple yet powerful production. ‘Big Sky Country’ also contains a cover of ‘Starwalker’ by Buffy Sainte-Marie. The album is being distributed in the USA and Canada by ILS/Caroline/Universal.”