Since Strengeplukk (translation: “string plucking”) formed in Stavanger, Norway, in 2015, we have established ourselves as one of our country’s most dedicated bluegrass bands. For the last ten years, we’ve played hundreds of concerts spanning the entire latitude of our homeland, as well as several festivals around Europe. Known for combining differing bluegrass traditions with Norwegian lyrics in our diverse and distinct dialects, Strengeplukk consists of Andreas Barsnes Onarheim (mandolin), Jakob Folke Ossum (guitar), Mikael Jonassen (banjo), Nikolai Storevik (fiddle) and Vidar Starheimseter (bass). We are now based in Oslo, but Andreas still resides in Stavanger.
As an introduction to Scandinavian bluegrass, we have collectively gathered a playlist of Norwegian and Scandinavian bluegrass-adjacent music. The list is populated with some favourite music from our friends and colleagues on the scene, as well as some historic cuts from Norwegian bluegrass history. It also features some brand-new tracks from our newest album, Neste steg, which released on March 7! – Strengeplukk
“Aust-Vågøy” – Strengeplukk
This is one of the more progressive Strengeplukk tunes, featuring lyrics from a war poem written by Inger Hagerup in 1941. Musically, it’s a song that pays tribute to many of the present day bluegrass musicians and bands that influence us. It was composed by Andreas as a homage to his grandfather who fought in the resistance during WWII.
“Kjekt å ha” – Øystein Sunde
Inspired by the ’60s folk revival, Øystein Sunde was part of the first generation of bluegrass musicians in Norway – and started Norway’s first bluegrass band, Christiana Fusel & Blaagress in the late ’60s. For the ’80s song “Kjekt å ha,” well-known by all Norwegians, he went to Nashville to record with the best of the best session musicians at the time, including Béla Fleck, Mark O’Connor, and Jerry Douglas.
“Springar” – Earlybird Stringband
An early example of Norwegian folk music and bluegrass fusion, pioneered by our friends in the Earlybird Stringband.
“Havly” – Strengeplukk
For our fiddle player Nikolai’s graduation fiddle concert, we arranged his tunes inspired by a mix of Norwegian folk music traditions and bluegrass. The resulting arrangements turned into half of our 2020 album, Nyslått Gras. This song is based on one of the oldest forms of folk music in Norway, the folk music from Setesdalen.
“Gone With the Wind” – Dunderhead
Dunderhead is one of neighbouring Sweden’s best known bluegrass bands. This one is a real banger, sung by Angelina Lundh.
“Father’s Presence” – Lars Endrerud
Lars is mostly seen playing bass with various bands and artists, but also picks guitar, mandolin, and more like a pro. This beautiful instrumental is from his solo album, Mandouche, and features him playing his Norwegian-built Rian mandolin. Rune Thoen, who joins Lars, plays various other string instruments.
“Et hundredels sekund” – Strengeplukk
This one is about getting lost in your hobby. An amateur photographer wants to take a photo of him and his girlfriend, but he spends too long fumbling with the gear and the girl disappears.
“Oriental Hoedown” – Gammalgrass
Norway’s foremost multi-instrumentalist Stian Carstensen – known for his work with artists eclectically ranging from Jacob Collier and Michael Brecker to Mike Patton – spearheads the band Gammalgrass together with award-winning jazz fiddle player Ola Kvernberg.
“Creedence på kassett” – Ila Auto
With a four-figure number of concerts played and several Spellemannprisen (Norwegian GRAMMY) wins and nominations behind them, Ila Auto has for the past 20 years been the face of bluegrass bands featuring original songs with Norwegian lyrics. This is one of their hits.
“Legg han i bløyt” – Strengeplukk
On this uptempo song, we wanted to recreate a fast and fierce sound inspired by bands like Kentucky Thunder. The lyrics are about an angry housewife who grows tired of raising both her kids and her husband and ends up taking matters in her own hands.
“Fast Forward” – The Bluegrass Playboys
This band consists of present and former members of Øystein Sunde’s lineup. The tune is written by Dobro player Knut Hem.
“Bode’s Reel” – Open String Department
More good friends on the list. These guys are on the A-list of virtuosos in both bluegrass and jazz. Open String Department combines these genres in a smooth and tasty way. Their compositions are both complex and catchy, and their improvisations are creative and inspiring. They’ve always been someone to look up to.
“Caravelle” – Strengeplukk
Strengeplukk spent our early days touring the western parts of Norway in an old, red Volkswagen Caravelle. This song is about those days, those memories, and the fact that even though you’re on the road doing what you love, there’s no place like home.
“Annie on My Mind” – Happy Heartaches
Some of our best jamming has been together with these lovely Swedes, who we’ve run into at numerous bluegrass festivals over the years. Last year they released their debut album, A Place to Land, on CD only, but it will be available on streaming later this spring.
“Dry River” – Twang
The Danish trio Twang are kings of tasteful arrangements and their take on swing-inspired folk with a bluegrass-inspired instrumentation and beautiful vocal sounds.
Music is all about moments. It’s a fact we tend to lose sight of, forest for the trees, despite the fact that music can only exist in this, the present moment. Each pluck of a string, each breath of a voice, each lick, hook, and improvisation – no matter how practiced or free – is but a mere moment.
As we all rewind the calendar year to relive the last twelve months and all of the turmoils and triumphs they held, we asked our BGS contributors to reflect on which musical moments they experienced this year that were most memorable, most moving, and most transportive. Which musical moment would you return to, if you could? Which musical moment returns to you, again and again and again?
Our year-end lists are not intended to center on superlatives or “bests;” we don’t so much care about what “should” or “shouldn’t” land in one of these collections. Curation of this sort is never truly objective, so why pretend it is? Instead, we hope our writers and our readers will be able to demonstrate and appreciate that music is never about measuring or comparison, metrics or accomplishments, accolades or awards. Music is about moments – and about wholly inhabiting those moments, together.
Below, our first-rate writers, thinkers, and contributors share the musical moments from 2024 that impacted them most. From Beyoncé galloping through our hearts with Cowboy Carter to intimate, people-first festivals like Laurel Cove Music Festival in Kentucky. There’s also music from harlequin creators like American Patchwork Quartet, Kaia Kater, and Rhiannon Giddens alongside memories of the late Dexter Romweber and the strength of mutual aid and community solidarity in Western North Carolina post-Hurricane Helene.
2024 held so many intricate, ineffable, one-of-a-kind moments, good, bad, ugly, and gorgeous. We hope you’ll take a second to recall your own most memorable musical moments of the year while we share ours – and while we all look forward to many more in the year to come.
August 20, 2024 – Chris Acker and Dylan Earl at Folk i Storgata, Oslo, Norway
Photo by Dana Yewbank taken at a show by Chris Acker and Dylan Earl at Folk i Storgata in Norway.
While this doesn’t quite fit any stereotypes about Scandinavia, black metal, or Viking-inspired neo-folk, Norway has a thriving Americana music scene that welcomes and celebrates even lesser-known American folk and country artists. Chris Acker and Dylan Earl are two of these undersung artists, both represented by Nick Shoulders’ record label Gar Hole Records out of Arkansas. This past summer, Acker, Earl, and I all coincidentally ended up in Oslo, Norway, at the same time, where the pair put on an intimate, inspiring, and tightly-packed show for a crowd of about 30 people in a tiny bar with pink walls. They bantered with the audience, backed each other up on a few songs, and even spontaneously formed an unrehearsed superband with the bar owner and their Norwegian opener – and they were damn good. Acker and Earl are both deeply thoughtful musicians who use their power and presence as men on stage to question the status quo of “good ol’ boy” country and stoic male musicality. Their candidness and subversive humor drew the room together that night with a sense of camaraderie, safety, and concentrated joy. – Dana Yewbank
Act Now! A Paperface Zine Benefit Tape for the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund
A harrowing statistic from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) reports that as of March 2024, the number of children killed in Gaza over a mere five months (October 2023 to February 2024) surpassed the number of children killed in global conflict over the four years prior, combined (2019-2022). As of December 2024, we are a year and two months into the ceaseless genocide being waged against the innocent civilians of Palestine and the horrific violence only continues.
I salute everyone who has waged resistance against genocidal powers, be it contacting senators, galvanizing communities to action, participating in rallies, or, in this instance, artists and musicians who have used their platform as an act of protest. Paperface Zine, a blog that writes and interviews an eclectic mix of underground artists, spearheaded this collection of tunes in an effort to express solidarity with Palestine and raise funds towards the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. This Benefit Tape is a shining example of how most any skill can be mobilized to support greater communities; creativity and care forever go hand in hand. – Oriana Mack
American Patchwork Quartet, American Patchwork Quartet
American Patchwork Quartet have pieced together one of the best albums this year. Don’t take our word for it: they’ve been nominated for a GRAMMY for Best Folk Album. That’s the moment we want to celebrate. With all due respect to the other nominees, it’s exciting to see a brand new project get recognized so quickly – particularly one that colors outside the lines like APQ. The quartet add a number of global influences to traditional American songs: a guitar solo here, a sitar there, and a fine sprinkling of tabla make the quartet live up to their name. Now, especially, we need statements that American traditions were born of a tapestry of European, African, and Indigenous cultures that continue to be built upon by everyone who chooses to make this place a part of their own quilts. – Rachel Cholst
September 26, 2024 – Asheville, North Carolina’s Music Scene and Hurricane Helene
On the night of September 26, Hurricane Helene ravaged Western North Carolina with unprecedented rainfall and flooding. What resulted was a tight-knit area completely decimated and utterly distraught by the destruction of numerous communities. The current death toll for the state sits at 103, with many others still missing.
Beyond the cultural, economic, and unbelievable physical devastation to Asheville and surrounding towns, the city’s vibrant and world-renowned live music scene was brought to its knees – a radio silence that lasted several weeks, with numerous unknowns lingering for certain storied venues. But, with great resolve and a steadfast attitude of helping your friends and neighbors, the vast music community in Asheville and greater WNC came together with countless benefit concerts and fundraiser album compilations (Caverns of Gold, Cardinals at the Window) — an effort that remains at the forefront of the region’s recovery that will take years, if not decades, to return to normalcy. – Garret K. Woodward
Beyoncé, “Jolene”
Country music is for everyone and there is something fascinating about an album which ends up in the territory between categories. Beyoncé is a great singer, and has been flirting with country for a very long time; she has the chops to sing “Jolene” better than Dolly. So, when she sings that she’s “still a Creole banjee bitch from Louisiana,” she is making a series of arguments: that country exists in response songs; that the other woman should be given the mic; that the landscape mirrors the territory; and that the gatekeepers should be torn down, like the walls of Jericho. – Steacy Easton
February 4, 2024 – Tracy Chapman & Luke Combs, “Fast Car”
Luke Combs released his version of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” in 2023, but it was his performance with Chapman on the 2024 GRAMMY Awards primetime telecast that rocketed the song from country radio back into the mainstream zeitgeist. Where Combs’s recording highlighted the song’s working-class vibes, seeing him perform it alongside its (Black, queer, female) writer gave the song’s legacy even greater heft. “Fast Car” was always a song about women carrying more weight than any single human can; about the urgent, nagging desire to flee toxic cycles; about how fleeting freedom can sometimes feel. For better or worse, all these things became emblematic of 2024. – Kim Ruehl
Rhiannon Giddens
You would be hard-pressed to cite anyone in any genre who had more memorable musical moments in 2024 than the superb vocalist, composer, and instrumentalist Rhiannon Giddens. Her writing brilliance was showcased through the Silkroad Ensemble group and project. Her arrangements of folk songs were part of their landmark American Railroad tour program along with commissioned pieces from jazz artist Cécile McLorin Salvant and film composer Michael Abels, as well as fellow Silkroad artists Wu Man, Layale Chaker, Haruka Fujii, and Maeve Gilchrist. Giddens was featured on banjo and viola on the hit single “Texas Hold ‘Em,” part of Beyoncé’s huge Cowboy Carter LP. Giddens added another GRAMMY nomination for Best American Roots Performance with “The Ballad of Sally Anne” from the excellent compilation My Black Country: The Songs of Alice Randall, too. Hard to believe there’s any ground left to cover for the MacArthur Genius and Pulitzer Prize winner, but Rhiannon Giddens continues to stun and surprise audiences with everything she does. – Ron Wynn
November 14, 2024 – Zachariah Hickman’s Power Outage Party! at Club Passim, Cambridge, MA
Not sure how bassist and music director Zachariah Hickman (Josh Ritter, Ray Lamontagne, Barnstar!) pulls off his many acts of mischief, but the Power Outage Party! shows are the most creative, beautiful, and emotional musical experiences around. Presented in mid-November by Club Passim, the shows featured a collective of musicians (including members of Della Mae and Session Americana) and guests (this year including Taylor Ashton, Mark Erelli, and Kris Delmhorst) performing without any power in the historic 100-seat club in Harvard Square. The band is lit with camping lanterns and tea lights. The audience is shoehorned in so tight (I was nearly sitting on the cello players’ lap) that you can’t help but feel a part of a very special community. Every time I go, I carry the experience and inspiration with me as we all work through the darkest part of the year. – Cindy Howes
February 24, 2024 – Kaia Kater, “In Montreal” at Folk Alliance International
One of my favorite and most memorable musical moments of the year occurred at Folk Alliance International, where Kaia Kater and her band performed tracks from her brand new album, Strange Medicine, at BGS’s private showcase. In a small hotel room with a handful of audience members, Kater began “In Montreal” with her looping, cyclical, trance-like clawhammer banjo groove. I was immediately transported, immediately grounded, gently – and forcibly – brought to the moment. I still experience the same visceral sensation each time I hear this track begin, the old-time banjo hook leaving and rejoining the beat deliciously, sketching out an expansive pocket. This night, in cold Kansas City, Kater was joined by flutist Amber Underwood (AKA Flutienastiness), who was even further transportive and dreamy in her interpretations of the track. It was a transcendent song, a daring banjo-flute dialogue, a mind-blowing mini set, and a perfect harbinger of what Strange Medicine would cure and balm. – Justin Hiltner
June 7-8, 2024 – Laurel Cove Music Festival
The gem of a festival located just north of the Cumberland Gap in Pineville, Kentucky, has fostered several special moments in recent years, but none come close to matching the memories from Wyatt Flores and The Red Clay Strays headlining sets there this past June.
The first came when Flores’ mics were cut off before an encore, leading to his band sitting atop the speakers lining the stage for a crowd sing along to Tyler Childers’ “Lady May” that to this day still gives me goosebumps. But if that wasn’t enough, The Strays topped it the following night when their show turned into an impromptu baptism after people in the crowd began jumping into the shallow pond surrounding the stage during a performance of their hit song, “Don’t Care.”
Both occurrences were pure magic from two of the year’s hottest country-adjacent acts in an intimate setting with only 1,500 people in attendance, showing that even in the age of corporate mega-festivals the best things still do come in small packages. – Matt Wickstrom
Though he was never top of the pops – or even on the charts at all, either solo or with Flat Duo Jets – wildman proto-rockabilly guitarist John Michael Dexter “Dex” Romweber was still an inspirational icon in the roots-rock world and a key influence on major bands like White Stripes and Black Keys. Romweber was just 57 years old when he died from a cardiac event this year, a shocking event that inspired a worldwide outpouring of tributes that went on for days. Maybe the best of all came from Jack White, who was always wide open about the depth of Romweber’s influence on White Stripes. Writing on Instagram, White proclaimed that Dex “was the type that don’t get 3 course dinners, awards, gold records and statues made of them because they are too real, too much, too strange, too good.” That’s the truth. – David Menconi
July 27, 2024 – Langhorne Slim, “We the People (Fuck the Man)” Live at the BGS Jam at Newport Folk Festival
While putting together the set list for the BGS Late Night Jam, “A Bluegrass Situation,” at Newport Folk Festival back in July, our old pal Langhorne Slim suggested a new tune he had just written. Would the house band be willing to learn it for this special occasion? In the words of our jam host and BGS co-founder Ed Helms, the song was an “instant Newport Classic.”
Slim’s new tune, “We the People (Fuck the Man)” – later released on streaming platforms just before the election – echoed through the Pickens Theatre that Saturday night and immediately got the audience on their feet. Its lyrics are as timeless and rallying as any Guthrie tune, but amidst all the declarations against greed and polarization there’s an optimistic plea in the chorus:
So let us love our neighbors Protect the land Look our brother in the eye When we shake his hand It’s been this way a long time It’s hard to understand The time has come for everyone We the people, fuck the man
In these tumultuous times, Slim gave us words (and a performance) we shouldn’t soon forget. – Amy Reitnouer Jacobs
Sam Williams & Carter Faith, “‘Til I Can Make It on My Own”
Sam Williams and Carter Faith drape their fringe-laced voices over Tammy Wynnette’s “‘Til I Can Make It on My Own.” While honoring the song’s 1976 roots, the two rising stars spin their own lonesome and delicate performance that seems to transcend time and place. “Lord, you know I’m gonna need a friend,” they sing, trading stunningly confessional lines and background harmony. “‘Til I get used to losing you/ Let me keep on using you, ‘til I can make it on my own.” Through a honeyed, emotionally resonant arrangement, Williams and Faith demonstrate exactly why they’re among the best of today’s new crop of talent. – Bee Delores
Yasmin Williams, Acadia
The guitar is perhaps the most ubiquitous instrument in the modern world, making it even more notable that a picker like Yasmin Williams could still stake out fresh territory on the instrument, finding and championing her own truly original sound and approach. Acadia is a masterwork, breaking still new ground after Williams’ incredibly successful 2021 album, Urban Driftwood. While Acadia isn’t exactly a reinvention for the picker-composer-innovator, it does limitlessly expand the acoustic universe she’s been fleshing out since releasing her debut, Unwind, in 2018. That’s a fairly short runway for a creative to accomplish so much, especially given Williams seemingly treats her guitars as brand new devices each time she picks them up to compose. The results are often bafflingly, jaw-dropping, and dramatic – but always musical and ceaselessly inspiring. – Justin Hiltner
Photo Credit: Tracy Chapman live on the 2024 GRAMMY Awards; Kaia Kater by Janice Reid; Langhorne Slim with Ed Helms at Newport Folk Festival by Nina Westervelt.
Oregon-bred indie folk music outfit Blind Pilot go on a deep spiritual journey on their new album, In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain, produced by Josh Kaufman. The music inspiration for frontman Israel Nebeker lay in his songwriting process. This is the first Blind Pilot album in eight years, because after struggling with writing for years, Nebeker set aside the songs he had been working on. (Which will be included on a new solo record in 2025.) He gave himself a month to write an album’s worth of songs to present to the band. He demo-ed the songs and headed out for a trip centered around spiritual growth in Norway.
Searching for ancestral connections and tracing his own roots, Nebeker sought out the Sámi – a semi-nomadic Scandinavian people – their culture and community. He participated in a Sámi shamanic journey exploring indigenous spirituality. A shaman took him on a drum journey and invited him to listen for ancestors and visions. His vision included his ancestors beckoning him to a path that led straight to a mountain, which was clearly his family legacy and origin. Back in the studio with the band, he re-listened to his songs and was very surprised to realize that the album was about his ancestors. The connection that the rest of the band felt in delivering the music is palpable. The special emotional dynamic that always exists with Blind Pilot is supercharged on In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain.
Artist:Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra Hometown: Oslo, Norway Song: “Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)” Album:The Broken Circle Sessions Release Date: March 3, 2023
In Their Words: “Bob Dylan is a legendary songwriter whose impact on popular music is undeniable. His songs are rich with storytelling, and they provide a perfect foundation for a bluegrass interpretation. The song ‘Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)’ is a classic example of his masterful storytelling and evocative lyricism. By combining the traditional sounds of Nashville bluegrass and the energetic improvisation of New Orleans Dixieland Jazz, we aim to pay homage to Dylan’s timeless songwriting while also putting our own unique spin on it. The result is a high-energy, dynamic interpretation that highlights the strengths of both genres and captures the spirit of this iconic song.” — Joakim Borgen, mandolin, Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra
Artist:Silver Lining Hometown: Oslo, Norway Song: “The Dream” Album:Go Out Nowhere Release Date: May 13, 2022 Label: Die With Your Boots On Records
In Their Words: “We kind of struggled with this one in the studio, couldn’t really find the right sound, vibe, rhythm… After our first week of recording I was ready to scrap it, as I figured I wouldn’t be able to nail the vocals; the song requires a happier and more on-point way of singing than I’m used to, and at the time I couldn’t find the way out of my comfort zone. But when we came back for another round a few months later the pieces suddenly fell into place, and when the drums and bass were laid down by the mind-blowing duo Kim Åge Furuhaug/Chris Holm, the song finally found its form. I love how our producer Yngve Sætre pushed both me and the rest of the band to keep working on this tune, as it turned out so fulfilling in the end!” – Live Miranda Solberg, Silver Lining
Two guys with acoustic guitars singing quietly — it’s not as easy as it looks. For the Norwegian acoustic duo Kings of Convenience, a lot of forethought went into the simplicity that shines through Peace or Love. Because it is sonically spacious, the album feels like a respite in an increasingly loud world. The comforting vocal blend, the lilting melodies, and concise songwriting are all wonderfully intact, carried over from their prior project a dozen years ago.
With impeccable rhythms and an eye for detail, the collection feels cozy and even encouraging at times. But upon listening closely to the lyrics, it’s clear that band members Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe are no strangers to conflict. Note the album title: It’s Peace or Love, without an “and” in sight.
Plus, there’s a rough imagery inherent in a title like “Rocky Trail,” the album’s sprightly lead single that finds the narrator admitting to missing the warning signs in a relationship and wishing for another chance.
“‘Rocky Trail’ represents a certain kind of groove that we do a lot, which is of course inspired by bossa nova,” says Øye, speaking on behalf of the duo for the first half of a Zoom interview with BGS. “It features Eirik’s trademark technique. He has a very specific technique of playing that allows him to be as quietly funky as he is. I think it is also quite layered, like onion shells. There are a lot of details in that song, so I think it rewards recurrent listening.”
For example, one can hear a propulsive rhythm in the verses, not unlike the one-foot-in-front-of-the-other mindset of a challenging hike, and then in the middle there’s a downward glissando that makes it feel like this relationship just tumbled back to square one. Or is that overanalyzing?
“Hmm, I wish I had thought of all that,” Øye says with a laugh. “Coincidence!”
While both musicians have a number of side projects, Kings of Convenience have always managed to come back around. Asked about finding common ground in the music they enjoy, Øye says, “Although we think of ourselves as very different, in reality being together all those years – although we didn’t always hang out together all the time – we influence each other a lot with all the music we’ve gone into.”
He continues, “Just as an example, when Eirik started coming around with these bossa nova ideas, that was already in the first year of us working more or less like Kings of Convenience in ’98. My first reaction was, ‘Oh noooo. What is this elevator music?’ But then, you know, that’s how you grow, by accepting something you have a preconceived notion of. I’m recently playing a lot with some Italian friends of mine and they are particularly inspired by Latin American music, in addition to Italian music. So, just following them, trying to pick up what they do, that’s how you get inspired – and I bring that into Kings of Convenience. Without knowing it, you inspire each other.”
When the topic turns to country music, Øye says he once read an interview with R.E.M.’s Peter Buck about playing country sessions and finding different ways of getting from G to F to C. “I remember thinking that’s interesting,” he says. “I do like this aspect of country music, basically trying to dig even more around an already very dug place, and not being afraid of that. OK, it’s not the first song in the world that goes F, C, G, but that’s not so important. I think that’s the one division in Kings of Convenience where we still disagree, that I’m more sympathetic to the country music side of making music, while Eirik is very into the idea that a chord progression should be unheard of.”
But will that ever get resolved?
“It doesn’t have to be resolved,” Øye concludes. “It’s part of our ongoing creative dynamic.”
That dynamic is much more complicated to capture in a studio than one might expect. Anything from the age of the guitar strings to the length of one’s fingernails can derail a session. That’s part of the reason Peace or Love was recorded over the span of five years and in five cities, almost always in person.
About to explain how they finally got the best version of “Rocky Trail” after many, many attempts, Glambek Bøe pops up in the Zoom call. After some cheerful greetings, Øye teases that “my main contribution to that song is the end part, with the guitar solo, and also my contribution is my incredible patience of recording the song so many times!”
Recreating the scene for comedic effect — “This is going to be the one, I promise you!!” — Øye graciously signs off, ushering Glambek Bøe into a conversation about the songwriting component of Peace or Love, specifically the encouraging messages nestled within some pretty sad songs.
“A lot of our songs are sad and they bring people in touch with their sorrow,” he says. “So I wanted to also give some uplifting words sometimes. I mean, once we’ve made people sad with our sad songs – when we have their attention – it’s a nice moment to give them a little pat on the back and a piece of advice. I like that type of songwriting, which is actually advice writing. You’re writing down advice for people. And for me, some artists have been giving me advice throughout my childhood and my young years, especially The The. I listened to him a lot as a teenager. He gives a lot of advice and I cherished that. It was important advice for me.”
One nugget of wisdom in “Love Is a Lonely Thing” is emblematic of the duo’s interplay. The lyric that suggests “It will seem a fair idea / If you make it their idea” was Øye’s idea, yet it’s a trick that Glambek Bøe admits to using in the band.
“It’s funny how it describes something I often do with him, because in our relationship, Erlend tends to disagree with whatever I bring to the table. He will automatically disagree, and then I will need to let time pass, so he will forget that it was my idea – and he will start thinking it was his idea. And basically any progress that we’ve done in the field of Kings of Convenience happened through that protest phase, the oblivion phase, and then then ‘thinking that it’s your idea’ phase. So, the lines were written by Erlend but they’re very descriptive in how I see our relationship in the band.”
The musician Feist joins “Love Is a Lonely Thing” and “Catholic Country” as a third voice, yet she also served as a cheerleader. “She is our favorite singer and we respect her very much as a songwriter and artist,” Glambek Bøe says. “She didn’t actually write any of these songs, but she was in the studio telling us these songs were great. And that was very important because at that time we were starting to lose hope that there was any quality in any of these things that had been recorded during five years.”
Asked about those underlying effects in “Rocky Trail,” Glambek Bøe listens with amusement to the theories, but ultimately agrees with Øye.
“We’re a lot more dumb than that,” he says with a laugh. “A lot of times when we do something great, it’s pure accident. But we’re able to recognize the art in our mistakes. I think that’s our main quality. We are not masters of our trade, but when we do say something in a beautiful way, we are capable of recognizing, ‘Wait, that was actually pretty good!’”
There’s an element of familiarity that comes into play, too, and it stretches back into the late ‘90s, when they connected as budding musicians in Bergen, Norway, and began to write songs together. Even now, there’s a mystery about why it still works, and Glambek Bøe says he is perfectly content with that.
“I don’t know exactly what his contribution is going to do to my playing, but something happens in that meeting, and none of us are in control of it,” he says. “Being together as songwriters, we stumble upon accidents more frequently, because I will write a verse and Erlend will write a second verse and he will misinterpret what my point was. But that misinterpretation brings out another quality in the song, and then I realize that makes it so much better.”
Photo Credits: Lead photo courtesy of Grandstand HQ; Inset photo by Salvo Alibrio
Artist:Adam Douglas Hometown: Harestua, Norway Song: “Joyous We’ll Be” Album:Better Angels Release Date: March 5, 2021 Label: Compro Records
In Their Words: “‘Joyous We’ll Be’ is about taking a stand against the social and political challenges currently facing the people in the US. I have been embarrassed, and increasingly so, when I’ve seen what is going on in my native country. For the last couple of months, I have felt the tension building up and at times it has felt like we were getting closer and closer to the brink of civil war. After the 2016 election, the president gave people an excuse to be public about their viewpoints. Those viewpoints of racism and all that stuff have always been there, bubbling under the surface, but he allowed it to come out. It’s not an anti-45 song though; it is an ‘anti-idiot’ song. It is about the prior administration as well, but I am more interested in talking about how things could get better. How we can encourage hope, unity, and the prospect of a better future.
“So nice to hear that some folks are enjoying the video. I, too, feel really good about it. Nikolai (director) and I had a shared goal from the get-go to make a simple video that could reflect and perhaps balance the big themes in the song. And I’m so thankful for his creative vision, and ability to put it together. Niko is an extraordinary musician in his own right, and therefore was very interested in letting the music do most of the talking. All locations and backdrops help tell the story — and do so without getting in the way of the story or the song. I’m walking whilst singing the verses, usually in front of a wall of some sort. The largely chaotic wall behind me was to signify the heavy subject matter of the verses. We wanted to build on that tension and counter it with a large ‘release’ (of tension) in the choruses. And therefore, we used some pretty big shots (via the help of a drone) for those grandiose refrains.
“Musically, there’s a lot going on in this track. It’s supposed to sound like a large group of humans, finally able to come together, and be unified through song. Lots of voices, lots of instruments (some of which are purposefully very unique sounding), all rejoicing together. This song is all about pointing out some pretty heavy political themes of today, and at the same time recognizing that together we can progress beyond them.” — Adam Douglas
Artist:Malin Pettersen Hometown: Oslo, Norway Song: “Queen of the Meadow” Album:Wild Horse Release Date: October 16, 2020 Label: Die With Your Boots On Records
In Their Words: “My grandmother, my father’s mother, died a few years ago. She lived on this tiny island and she is buried in the graveyard by the small island church. There is a kind of flower that grows out there called Queen of the Meadow (Mjødurt) and it has the sweetest most distinct smell. It makes me feel a quiet kind of happiness that is so pure and whole. After my grandmother died I tried writing her a song, but I just couldn’t find the words that could express how I felt about her. Words can only express so much — emotions are much more complex and textured. It ended up being a song about my own funeral. I hope I can be buried at the same graveyard, and I hope it’ll all align with the bloom of Mjødurt — because it holds everything I could ever dream of being remembered by.” — Malin Pettersen
Artist:Darling West Hometown: Oslo, Norway Song: “Make It Last” Album:We’ll Never Know Unless We Try Release Date: February 7, 2020 Label: Jansen Records
In Their Words: “Spending time in California seems to have an impact on every songwriter. There’s definitely a West Coast vibe shining through on this song. We all wish for the long summer nights to last forever, although deep inside we know we have things to deal with in the light of day. And some of us are better at putting that off than others.
“This video was taped in the Norwegian woods at a place called Eina, near a friend’s cabin. It’s a beautiful spot! We hoped for a sunny day, but there are no guarantees where we come from, and of course it was raining. No biggie, we’re used to it. We had a great time recording this and hope you enjoy it!” — Darling West
Photo credit: Lars Petter Pettersen
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