Bulletproof Poets plays some kind of rock, using the poetry of Monika Kostera as basis for the songs. The instrumentation is mainly acoustic, and the influences range from folk, jazz to metal .. hopefully making it extremely difficult to label. The name of the band comes from a song about Charles Bukowski, penned by Tyla and the band The Dogs D’amour – originally called The Bulletproof Poet. Extraordinary song with poetical lyrics: “He gave Jesus tattoos and took the devil's soul. He got the angels drunk and gave them the gutter for a home.” The teenager Tommy took this to his heart – and many years later it resulted in the Bulletproof Poets. 

Bulletproof Poets is a low-key but energetic, moody, band that starts out from poetry. Tommy, the main songwriter in the band says:
“It happens something to my songwriting when I turn to poetry. I get sick of my own lyrics, always ending up in the same space. Using poets and poetry is great because it upsets song-structures, and the mood of the songwriter becomes very elastic.” The poet behind the lyrics is Monika Kostera: a Polish professor in organization theory and management but also, then, a poet. Monika has published three books of poetry.

About Monika Tommy wrote (on the back of Going to Delos): “Monika Kostera’s poetry is in minor, I read it in the keys of Am, Em, Bm. It is blues, outspokenly honest. Most importantly, Monika is blues, and as the tradition have it, she is constantly on the road. This book of blues thus invites you to access many places and people. Have words, will travel.”

Bulletproof Poets plunges into Monika’s poetry, with the blessings of Monika. As she said, “You know in past – the beginnings of poetry – it was shouted, moaned, talked, sung. Poetry cannot be read only. Something disappears.” Poetry is life – unpredictable, in and of all colors, ups and downs, and in all keys! Poetry and music goes well together, or so it seems.

More could be said about the music of Bulletproof Poets, for example that there is no devotion to a specific genre. People who listen to our music has a hard time positioning us. We think this band is about freedom from structure, routine, and authoritarian need to be in a specific genre – the same time we like to think that there is something distinct about the music and the lyrics. Just Bulletproof Poets!

The band has five members:

Bodil Björklund: Vocals

Tommy Jensen: Songwriter, guitar, backing vocals.

Christer Larsson: Drums

Thomas Lundborg: Bass

Daniel Midholt: Violin