Sudden Lights is a Latvian indie rock band, founded back in 2012 by members Andrejs Reinis Zitmanis (lead vocals) and Mārtiņš Matīss Zemītis (drums) when they were at school together. They were joined by Zitmanis’ brother Kārlis Matīss Zitmanis (guitar) and Kārlis Vārtiņš (bassist). In 2023, they participated in the Eurovision Song Contest with their Latvian single ‘Aija’. Since then, the band has released multiple songs in both Latvian and English, with ‘Eastern European Dream’ being their newest, released on March 15th.
The track opens with a short intro of electric guitar before being joined by the soothing vocals of Zitmanis. The first verse is the only moment where the band mentions the song’s title, when Zitmanis sings “immerse yourself in the Eastern European Dream” – a clear reference to the so-called ‘American dream’. Backed up by drums and guitar, this song sounds like indie rock perfection right from the start. The instruments become even louder in the chorus, which ends with the catchphrase “I am free now” before diving into the second verse. The instruments lie down again so Zitmanis can state that “It doesn’t feel like the future that we read about in magazines”.
The second chorus is just as loud and catchy as the first one. The bridge following up on it is the softest part of the song. Zitmanis’ lovely vocals really stand out in this bridge, being backed up by only the soft strumming of the guitar before the drums join back in halfway through. “The swan lake’s over now” Zitmanis sings, referring to the Russian ballet in which princess Odette is turned into a swan. The song ends with a final repetition of the chorus and a fast-paced instrumental outro.
The band has stated that the track is about young people who live in a Baltic state – Latvia being one of those – and have thus far not been able to forget about these countries’ Soviet past. Even, or especially, in today’s climate, people live in fear of war breaking out and are unable to live their lives unafraid. While the ‘American dream’ might be about becoming rich and famous in the ‘land of the free’, that is exactly all that the Baltic people want too – to be free and fearless, as sung in the chorus.
In its essence, ‘Eastern European Dream’ is a beautiful and haunting track that many people who live in a country that has known war and oppression will be able to relate to. One cannot begin to think about gaining success when one isn’t even able to feel safe. Set to catchy, yet angry, instrumentals, this is one of those tracks that one just wants to put on a continuous repeat and scream along to.
Written by: Mandy Huibregtsen
Edited by: Marieke Weeda
