Srdana Eriköhemsli

**Srdana Emilia Eriköhemsli** (18 February 1960 – 13 June 1990) was a Lashardian singer and songwriter, best known for being a member of The Cherry Bombs in the early 1980s.

Eriköhemsli began her career in 1979, performing with The Cherry Bombs. They released two successful albums in 1981 and 1983, before disbanding in 1984. She then began a successful solo career, and was widely known for her 1989 number-one single, "Cosmos".

In 1990, on a road trip with her husband Karl Roböpöka to visit relatives in Basya, the two were struck by a drunk driver and plummeted to their deaths from over 70 feet in the air.

She was inducted into the Lashardian Music Hall of Fame in 2008.

## Life and career

### Early life

Eriköhemsli was born on 18 February 1960 in Basya, Nortensland. Her father, Erik, was a Lashardian of mixed Lashardian and Belarian descent who worked in finance, while her mother, Marija, was from Zakharia and was a housewife. Eriköhemsli had an older brother by seventeen years, and an older sister by twenty-one years.

When Eriköhemsli was three years old, her father retired and moved the family into a farmhouse in the Dragonstone district of Ubenmoor. The family was upper-middle class, and Eriköhemsli grew up speaking both Lashardian and Zakharian fluently.

Eriköhemsli attended primary school in Dragonstone, where she met and befriended future bandmate Dasha Franköforson. According to Franköforson, they were "the only artistic people in a conservative vanilla community". They informally founded The Cherry Bombs in 1970 when they were ten years old, and would perform concerts in their backyards for family members.

Eriköhemsli graduated from primary school in 1975 and began attending a nearby performing arts high school. She graduated from high school in 1978, and moved into an apartment in Tenichi with Franköforson to pursue music careers.

### 1978–1984: Early career and The Cherry Bombs

After intital attempts at a music career proved unsuccessful, Eriköhemsli and Franköforson found themselves working as cashiers at a supermarket. While reminiscing about The Cherry Bombs one night in 1979, the two decided to recreate the band as a girl group, and recruited their close friends and fellow struggling musicians Lara Bergöklem, Marina Helenöporm, and Sabina Charköglas.

The band soon began performing gigs throughout Ubenmoor and were signed to Akai Music Group in 1980. Later in the year, they released their debut single "Somebody". The song became a smash hit, reaching number-one in four countries. Their debut studio album, *Ignition*, was later released the following year, and became the best-selling album of 1981.

In 1982, rumors arose of the group's possible breakup due to Franköforson and Eriköhemsli's desire to pursue solo careers. However, when asked about the rumors, all five members of the group dismissed them as fiction and that they'd begun work on their second studio album. The album's lead single "Vacation", was released in autumn 1982. The song was a massive success, and peaked in the top three of six countries' singles chart. Their second studio album, *CB*, was released in early-1983.

Rumors of a possible breakup resurfaced after the abrupt cancelation of their Asmatys-wide tour to promote CB. Many news stories began reporting that Franköforson and Eriköhemsli had signed solo recording contracts and that the other band members were furious. In 1984, the group confirmed that they had split up.

### 1984–1986: Solo career and *Drumming Noise*

After the 1984 breakup of The Cherry Bombs, Eriköhemsli revealed that she had begun work on her debut studio album and that she wasn't on speaking terms with any other member of the band. Regarding her solo work, she stated in 1984, "My solo stuff will be completely different. I'm trying to make it artsy and meaningful, so not Lashpop at all".

She released her debut solo single, "A Deal with God", in 1985. The song was mildly commercially successful, but received critical acclaim from music critics. It saw a drastic change from the music released with The Cherry Bombs, and was categorized as art pop and indie pop. It reached the top forty in two countries.

Her debut solo album, *Drumming Noise*, was released in late-1985. The album received rave reviews from critics, and it debuted atop the Lashardian albums chart, also peaking at number-one in Adoriam and Zakharia. The album also contained the singles "Chase" and "Daydreams".

### 1986–1988: *My Garden*

In 1986, Eriköhemsli confirmed that she had been writing and recording new music for her followup album. She also stated that she wished to record an album in the Lashardian or Zakharian languages sometime in the future. In 1987, Eriköhemsli released the lead single to the album, titled "The Awakening". The song reached the top ten in Lashardia, in addition to peaking at number-four in Adoriam.

Eriköhemsli's second studio album, titled *My Garden*, was released later that year. The album was noted for being far more experimental than her debut, but was similarly acclaimed by music critics. It also contained the singles "Follow My Steps" and "Silva".

### 1988–1990: *Chronicle* and death

In a 1988 interview, Eriköhemsli revealed that she had begun work on her third studio album, but that it likely wouldn't be released until 1990 in order to prioritize her wedding. In late-1989, she released the single "Cosmos", the lead single to her upcoming third studio album. The song was a large success, peaking at number-one in three countries and becoming her most successful single of all-time.

Eriköhemsli had plans to release her third studio album in summer 1990, and preceded its release with the single "Catherine", released in early-1990. The song reached the top ten in Lashardia. However, in June 1990, on a road trip with her husband Karl Roböpöka to visit relatives in Basya, the two were struck by a drunk driver and plummeted to their deaths from over 70 feet in the air.

Eriköhemsli's death was heavily circulated in the Lashardian media, especially due to it being at the time of her solo career peak. During the 1990 Lashardian Music Awards, her former friend and bandmate, Franköforson performed a cover of "Cosmos" in honor of Eriköhemsli. Her third studio album, *Chronicle*, was released posthumously in summer 1990 and debuted atop the albums chart of five countries.

## Personal life

Eriköhemsli began a relationship with Ubenmoor-based tattoo artist Karl Roböpöka in 1986. The became engage in 1988, and were married the following June. The couple never had children, but in a 1989 interview, Eriköhemsli stated her desire to. For most of her adulthood, Eriköhemsli resided in the Jorden district of Ubenmoor.

## Awards and nominations

 Best Female Artist
 Best Alternative Song
 Best Alternative Album