Edson was formed by Pelle Carlberg in the summer of 1998, and he named the band after the great soccer player Edson Arantes do Nascimento, i.e. Pelé. The first couple of months the piano took a prominent part in the sound, giving the songs a tangible jazz pop flavour. Initially the band was Pelle's solo project, but since then it has more and more developed into a democratic unity, with Pelle as the songwriter and lead singer.