Trondheim Calling : Gig Review – Antler

Photo D Mc Cloat

Electro-pop trio Antler only debuted their music last Autumn, but already they have made an indelible mark on both the Trondheim & Norwegian music scene.

Gearing up for the release of single #3 and the April launch of their debut album, they were granted the ultimate Trondheim Calling festival wish when they bagged a place on the line up for the Riot Factory/No Forevers sponsored night, at uber cool venue, Moskus.  And, if that weren’t exciting enough, they also managed to snaffle the pre-Dagny warm-up slot at venue du jour, Rockheim, on the Friday night.

Antler comprises Natali Garner on vocals, Johan Lindvall on synths and Axel Skalstad on drums/percussion, three musicians with a background in jazz but with a love of all things electronic, alternative and most importantly, eclectic.    Their sound goes beyond cold electronic mainly as a result of Skalstad’s energetic and much admired percussive techniques, that both animate and give texture to, their music, (Skalstads drumming was a much discussed topic among his percussive peers during the festival!).

Garner’s vocal falls somewhere between a Nordic Kate Bush and a left field jazzy Bjork and has a gentle, light as air dreaminess, something she shares with fellow Norwegian and upcoming songstress, ARY.  It is impressive, and it certainly impressed the two German industry types standing behind me during the bands Rockheim set.

Antler kicked off proceedings with an uptempo, grooved up tune that instantly warmed up an already buzzy crowd, and making most of the momentum, followed on with their second single, ‘The Dip’, a track which Garner sings with sparkling allure – a paradoxical vocal quirk only Norwegians seem capable of pulling off.  Her performance was hypnotic but not as spellbinding as the one she gave for her rendition of ‘Born’ : Natali Garner exudes a subtle come hither quality of which she seems completely oblivious, which only serves to make it all the more appealing.

‘Born’ features on the upcoming album, and is certainly one of Antler’s strongest compositions.  It benefits greatly from Johan Lindvall’s spacious synth sequences and Axel Skalstad’s impressively tenuous percussion.  The solid foundation and masterly techniques which come from having studied at jazz-school, shine through Antler’s music and set this band apart from most of their electro-indie peers.

Electronically, the most interesting track of the night came in the form of ‘Nude’, which allowed Lindvall to showcase his synth-tastic wares.  Starting with arid buzzing electronica, the song dipped into the most lush musical oasis during which Garner and Skalstad performed with understated perfection, before the track returned to a rawer, more edgy vibe until tailing out with sensual deliciousness.

Antler wrapped up their enigmatic set with debut single, ‘Animal’, and self-titled ‘Antler’, the opening track from their forthcoming album.  The latter is the perfect promotional vehicle for this band – it exemplifies everything that is unique and special about them and their sound.  The speed with which Lindvall’s fingers, nimbly and dexterously, played a bolognaise of synth sequences, was genuinely impressive.  Underpinning his instrumental mastery was Skalstads slick percussion, which once again he kept understated.  Garner’s intense and inviting vocal added further sheen to what was an already polished delivery.

For the new kids on the NO FOREVERS block, Antler are impressive in their ability to offer up a very assured, composed and smooth delivery.  As I stood their watching them, I couldn’t help wonder if this is how good this trio are, in the early days of their career, how good will they be in one, three, five years time.  Theirs is going to be an interesting trajectory, one I look forward to observing.

Faultless, beguiling, exciting … Antler gave one hell of a performance, and for an act so new to the scene, that was no mean feat.

Antler set list: “New Song” (unnamed), The Dip, Nude, Quiver, Born, Animal, Antler.

You can follow Antler on Facebook to keep up to date with their gig and music news.

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Their third single, tbc, will be released via the NO FOREVERS label on 4th April, and their debut album, on April 22nd.

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If you have a spare three mins – would really appreciate if you could answer this quick poll which is for research purposes vis a vis the Norwegian music industry and it’s impact on the music scenes outside of its domestic market.  Cheers.

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Trondheim Calling : Gig Review – Østfrost

I had the pleasure of seeing alt-indie band, Østfrost, play live for the first time during their recent gig at the Søstrene Karlsen venue as part of Trondheim Calling festival line up.

Made up of four diverse yet perfectly synced musicians, Østfrost played what can probably be described as the most wonderfully understated gig of the three day music-fest.

With their quirky mix of harmonium, viola, bass and drums, this quartet produce melodious, infectious indie-pop, sometimes teetering on folk, other times bordering on rock, but always evoking their inherent Norwegian sensibilities.

Front-woman Ane Bjerkan graces Østfrost’s warmly inviting songs with her golden toned vocals, whilst also playing surely one of the most unusual instruments to ever feature in an indie-oriented performance: the Indian harmonium.  She is joined in the band line up by Håkon Brunborg Kjenstad (Panda Panda, Ludwig Moon) on viola, guitar and backing vocals, Ken Erik Klaseie, on bass and Ola Even Hogstad Hagen on drums/percussion.

Notwithstanding the fact that the crowd were a little on the noisy side, Søstrene Karlsen provided the perfect backdrop for Østfrost’s set with its large space, Nordic decor and lush furnishings providing warm comfort from the harsh weather outdoors.  Its substantial size and high ceiling enhanced the acoustics and ensured that the large crowd weren’t pinned shoulder to shoulder throughout.

It came as no surprise that the seven song set list comprised the four tracks from their debut EP – a sparkling musical gem released digitally last October – although it kicked off with non EP tracks ‘Storms’ and ‘True’ which I hadn’t heard before, and, which set the stage perfectly for a slow build towards the climactic finale of single  ‘Wooden Floors’.

Photo D Mc Cloat

The first of the EP tracks came three in with the heartfelt performance of ‘When They Leave’ – a sublime affair that showcases the combined talents and superb musicianship of Brunborg Kjenstad on viola (the way he picks the strings like he would a guitar is pretty awesome) and Klaseie on bass.  In fact, this was probably the latters most subtle and effective performance of the night.  An absolutely stunning song, Ane Bjerkan’s intense, emotionally expressive vocal was effortless.

The power of a good percussionist cannot be underestimated and Ola Even Hogstad Hagen is perhaps one of the most uniquely gifted and creative percussionists I came across during the festival period. So much more than a drummer, Ola Even is a very talented instrumentalist whose subtle ingenuity is a key contributor to Østfrost’s distinctly pared back sound.

Highlight of the set came at the mid point, with the hauntingly beautiful ‘I Don’t Want To Stop’ which sees Bjerkan and Brunborg Kjenstad shine with the most awesome of instrumental accompaniments, to the former’s spine tingling vocal.  The performance of this song exemplified Østfrost’s mastery of the understated – this is not a band that need loud and dramatic to convey deep felt emotion or make a cavernous impact.

Bjerkan has a rich, warm, strong voice that she uses to great affect – nuanced, evocative, inviting, Ane’s vocal is capable of both great power and eggshell fragility.  She has a wonderful instrument in her voice, the power of which she seems very aware, thereby enabling her to use it to maximum effect.

As a whole, this is a group of extremely uniquely talented musicians, whose vision of melding what is best of traditional classical with modern day techniques, very in the mode of fellow Nordic musician and classically driven composer Olafur Arnalds, stretches far beyond the everyday standard plastic pop that could bring them such easy success in today’s Scandi-pop dominated charts.

Østfrost is a band unwilling to sacrifice the joy they get from the type of music they play by allowing themselves to slip into the anonymous mainstream.

The closest they have come to anything verging on mainstream, is the very radio friendly, indie track, ‘Wooden Floors’, which was a no-brainer to close their all too short set.  How this song didn’t crack the Norwegian charts is head-scratchingly anyone’s guess.  It is the perfect indie tune full of rhythmic beats, golden guitar sequences and a rich and powerful vocal.  It works well on “play” and it worked well on the night, giving the crowd the finale they were no doubt expecting and to which the band had been slowly gearing up.

The 30+ minutes of Østfrost’s set at Søstrene Karlsen went all too quickly, and it was with a heavy heart and an even colder shiver that I headed back out into the cold, icy night, and off to the next venue on my hit list.

Seeing Østfrost play live at Trondheim Calling was a must for me and the memory of their personal gentleness, exquisite musicianship and heart-warming sounds will stay with me for a long, long time.

Østfrost EP Out Now

 Østfrost, who you can follow on Facebook and Soundcloud, are signed to indie Trondheim Label, NO FOREVERS, and the vinyl ed of their EP is available to buy here, the digital ed can be streamed or downloaded via Spotify.

Østfrost SetList :

Storms, True, When They Leave, I Don´t Want To Stop, Meeting the Sun,

Bunk Beds, Wooden Floors

If you have a spare three mins – would really appreciate if you could answer this quick poll which is for research purposes vis a vis the Norwegian music industry and it’s impact on the music scenes outside of its domestic market.  Cheers.

Trondheim Calling : Gig Review – Rick Ashtray

Photo Rick Ashtray, D Mc Cloat

Sometimes you just “gotta roll with it”, as the song goes! Like when you decide to go see a band play live, despite the fact that you know they are going to play “not your type of music” BUT (deal-breaker) you met the guitarist once in another more “golden” guise, and he was a really entertaining, funny dude so you think to yourself, “Hell yeah, why not, nothing to lose but my hearing”.

That was the logic behind my pitching up at the Rick Ashtray gig in Cafe Lokka, during the second night of the Trondheim Calling festival.  Rick who?  Yeah, me neither until I accidentally discovered them through their connection with psych lovin’ golden boys, Gold Celeste.  You see the “not the drummer, drummer” in GC is Petter Haugen Andersen, a dude who is very much the “not the drummer, guitarist” in Rick Ashtray (he also dabbles in soon to be cult band, Odd Loves to Dance). Ipso facto PHA was the catalyst that sparked my interest and drove me to listen to their music in the first place.

Lasse Febakke (bass), Olav Austegard (drums) and Christopher Robin Omdahl (synths, tambourine & 100m dash) make up the rest of this Fuzzpunk vanguard.   Their style is a noisy, punky rock – totally against the swerve – however, having listened to their song “Cops”, the lead single from their self-titled debut album, I was convinced that I could withstand 30 minutes of full decibel noisefesting and so off I went on a snowy Norwegian night, and slip slod my way to the on-trend, bijou music venue Cafe Lokka, which to my amazement, was more jam-packed than a tin of sardines! ‘Quelle surprise’!

Attired in the full ‘denim’ monty accessorised with colourful bandanas Axel Rose stylee, our four rockers took to the teeny stage to much clamour and whistling.  The capacity crowd, which even contained some members of the Norwegian musical elite in the form of a few Dråpe-sters (yeah that was me saying hello!), were on fire before the Ashtrays even plucked a chord!

And with the crowd already “up for it” Rick Ashtray got straight down to it, belting out song after song, one more frenergetic than the next.  ‘Puddle of Bud’, ‘Cops’, and ‘Daddy’ (Are You Gonna Be My) whipped the audience into a frenzy and nonemoreso than the dude standing next to me who from the get-go shouted ‘Your Generation’ non-stop for 30+minutes.

Well he had to wait a bit longer as the standout track of the night was between him and his “special song”. ‘Clone Wars’ was by far the best track of the night -yeah, I know, I can’t believe I’m saying that either! Well, I am a hardened Manics fan, but guys you can consider this psych/indie groovin’ chick converted #Ashtrayed.

Now to call a spade a shovel, the vocals weren’t exactly 100% the may west all of the time, but to be fair, the type of songs they sing don’t exactly lend themselves to the songbird type of vocal (vocal duties are shared between Andersen and Febakke). Conversely, the musicianship was of a standard pretty much up there with the best of them, with Olav Austegard producing stand out moments courtesy of some of explosive engagement with his bass drum whilst the aforementioned duo of Andersen and Febakke fairly rocked it out on guitar and bass respectively, with the former giving some exceptional bursts of searing solos that had the crowd gagging for more.

Finally, at the end of a frantic set, our hero, Mr SuperFan finally got his wish and the band launched into crowd pleaser and obvious firm favourite, ‘Your Generation’.  It went down a storm and storm it was – less that two minutes of musical scorch that brought what was a brilliant set to a rip roaring close.

Now the one thing that made this band stand out from the “musical crowd of Trondheim” was in a word, FUN.  From the moment they stepped onto the stage it was obvious that these four guys were intent on having a blast, and in return for their full on efforts, the crowd fed them energy in spades.  Rick Ashtray weren’t just intent on putting on a good gig, they were determined to relish every minute of their set and ensure that the crowd did likewise.

Now, not only was I lucky enough to see these guys play live once, I was charmed to see them play for a second time on the following night, in the bigger, bolder and bulging venue, Dokkhuset, which was playing host to the festival headliner and closing act, Tellef Raabe.  Faced with the crowd of crowds, Rick Ashtray took off like an Airbus 320, and if I thought their performance on the Friday night was explosive, the one on Saturday was musical gelignite.

Two things set this gig apart from its precursor – the first was PHA’s mind bogglingly good guitar solo that nearly stripped the varnish off the ceiling, and the second was the bands decision, led by ‘Tambourine Man’ Omdahl, to run down onto the floor and dart through the throng whilst continuing to play, much to the delight of the audience.  Once again I’ll return to the F-word – FUN.

In the more acoustic friendly Dokkhuset Rick Ashtray’s sound and vocal was significantly improved and with a more than pumped up crowd their performance was a raucous fun-fest more than worthy of its place on the festivals closing night line up.

Rick Ashtray are a live “experience” not to be missed and while their musical style may not be to everyone’s taste, their enthusiasm, energy  and exuberance is so totally infectious, one cannot help being won over.

This band put the F into FUN and without doubt gave the most FUN-filled,  dynamic performance of TC and in return, they reaped one hell of an enthusiastic reception, which can only bode well for their new album, released on 5th Feb, available to stream and download.

If you see Rick Ashtray advertised to play a venue near you in the future, do not hesitate to buy your ticket and go.  There’s nothing like a group of fun loving fuzzsters to liven up your life and brighten up your night!

Rick Ashtray’s eponymous debut album is out now, check it out on Spotify.

Follow Rick Ashtray on FB to keep up to speed with their rockin’ out antics.

Check out Cafe Lokka on Twitter – great venue, great vibes and I believe great food.  They certainly make a decent G&T!!  You can find out more about Dokkhuset here.

Trondheim Calling : Gig Review – Panda Panda

 

D Mc Cloat

What?  Trondheim Calling Festival, Norway

Who?     Panda Panda

When?   Thursday 4th February, 2016

Where?  BrukBar / Blaest, Trondheim, Norway

What Worked?   Everything

What Didn’t?       There wasn’t a Didn’t

Before I travelled to Trondheim, I made up my mind that one of the bands I really wanted to hear/see play live was upcoming indie band, Panda Panda.  They have as yet only uploaded a few songs onto Soundcloud, but what I’d heard of their music had convinced me that they had a special something, of which I wanted to hear more.

Panda Panda is made up of Ragnhild Fangel Jamtveit, front woman and synths,  Håkon Brunborg Kjenstad, co-vocalist and guitarist , Herman Wildhagen,  guitar and backing vocals, Jonathan Fimland Kleven on bass and Oddbjørn Sponås on drums.

Panda Panda were playing on trend music venue, BrukBar Blaest, the first night of the fest, so off I went to check them out and sure enough, wasn’t disappointed.  In fact, the band turned out to be far better than I’d hope they would be, playing a cracking seven song set, including, of all things, an ABBA cover.

They kicked off their set with three scorchers, ‘A’, ‘What Are You Waiting For’ and ‘B’, after which the crowd were pretty psyched to say the least.  Whirring guitar seqs, noisy drums and might fine vocals seemed to be the order of the evening.  But, it was with their performance of ‘Pictures’, a song you can find streaming on SoundCloud (see link below), that Panda Panda took it to the next level.

‘Pictures’ is an absolutely stunning song, full of reverbed guitars, thrashing drums and Ragnhilds definite, effortless vocal; Panda Pandas live rendition on the night was electrifying.  The synergy between Jamtveit and Kjenstad is magical – their vocals are perfectly in-sync and they totally vibe off each other on stage.  This is a match made in musical heaven.  My biggest regret is that I didn’t video this performance.

I did however, have the wit to manage to catch the end of the biggest surprise of the night – the random inclusion of a cover of one of ABBA’s most anthemic songs, ‘The Winner Takes it All’.  Was it good – was it what?  It was gob-smacking.  A huge ABBA fan, the notion of this cover in foresight would have been stomach churning – to witness it however, was ‘eyebrow raisingly’ astounding.

Jamtveit’s raw and hugely evocative vocal was simply astonishing – the top of her range is at cloud level while her voice has a clarity of a quality one has come to expect of Norwegian female vocalists – pure and flawless.  While the vocal shone, the instrumental accompaniment staggered, in particular Oddbjørn Sponås’ drumming, which was ear bendingly good.

Here is a teeny clip to whet your appetite!

The venue was great, the atmosphere electric, the crowd buzzing.  In fact, the audience got into it pretty much from the off, and by the end, which came all too quickly, they were on fire, such was the rapport between them and the band.

Panda Panda wrapped their set with the ace in their musical pack, ‘New Friends’.  The trio of guitarists – Håkon Brunborg Kjenstad, Herman Wildhagen and bassist Jonathan Fimland Kleven – were on fire for the entire set, but I think it’s pretty fair to say that they were ablaze during the final number.  Complementary wonky synth sequences and crashing percussion were provided by Jamtveit and Sponås respectively, giving this song all the wonderful noisy weirdness that makes it so darned good.  It made for a super end to what was a magnetically charged performance.

Panda Panda was the big surprise of Trondheim Calling.  Without doubt, of the performances I saw, theirs was one of the best.  A young band brimful of energy, with a lot of talent, buckets of imagination and an already eager following, the world is their oyster.  Here’s hoping that TC 2017 will see them several rungs up the line up ladder, and fingers crossed with some release successes well and truly under their belt.

You can view a live snip of ‘New Friends’ here (apols for my appalling video techniques) followed by the full track via the SoundCloud link.  Follow Panda Panda on Facebook to keep up to date with their gig n music news.

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Setlist:

A —  What Are You Waiting For  —  B  —  Pictures  —  We Thought It Was Gold  —  The Winner Takes It All (ABBA Cover)  —  New Friends

If you have a spare three mins – would really appreciate if you could answer this quick poll which is for research purposes vis a vis the Norwegian music industry and it’s impact on the music scenes outside of its domestic market.  Cheers.

Trondheim Calling : Gig Review – Dråpe

Photo D Mc Cloat

What?  Trondheim Calling Festival, Norway

Who?     Dråpe

When?   Friday 5th February, 2016

Where?  Olavshallen Lille Sal, Trondheim, Norway

What Worked?   The music – their performance was faultless

What Didn’t?       The venue – like being at a disco in a school Assembly hall

Last week I travelled to Norway, Trondheim to  be exact, for the annual music festival Trondheim Calling, a three day event held across various locations in the mid northern city, set up some six years ago, with the sole aim of showcasing the best and most diverse of Norwegian musical talent, local and nationwide.  Over 70 acts played over the course of the three nights of TC, but naturally, there could only be three headline acts!  The band that filled that cherished spot on the Friday night, was Oslo based five piece, Dråpe.

Now Dråpe just kinda happen to be one of my favourite Norwegian  bands, and, given that I had never seen them play live before, it was with much excitement and if I’m honest, a heightened sense of expectation, that I pitched up at the venue, Olavshallen Lille Sal, for their 00.30am slot.  Let’s get this out of the way early on – the venue was wrong on more than one level.

Firstly, it was off the beaten track, away from where the other “attention grabbers” like Dagny were playing, and secondly, it more than resembled the local school hall I used to frequent as a 16 year old attending harmless discos.  On the up side, the stage was huge, which gave the band all the space in the world for their multiple pieces of equipment and, more importantly, for any serious “animated acrobatics” they might so desire to partake in once they hit 5th gear.

And hit 5th gear they did.

Photo D Mc Cloat

Dråpe are a band who have been playing together for some time now and it is clear they have cemented that sense of musical unity only inherent in bands who have had the advantage of  working their way through the “getting to know you” phase.  Furthermore, they have also clearly benefitted  from having followed up the late Autumn ’15 release of their album, Relax/Relapse, with an intense domestic tour of Norway, which obviously enabled them to iron out any on-stage glitches, and perfect their live sound.

The set was approx 35 minutes so the short n sweet set-list pretty much focused on tracks from the album, including crowd pleaser singles, ‘Pie in the Sky’ and ‘Round and Around’, (for which the band shot their first music video), the rendition of which was simply superb and included some super neat stick speeds from drummer Kirkemyr as well as some pretty spectacular keys playing from Eirik F.

Dråpe also played the awesome kickass “?” or Questionmark, a track which includes some of the most unique and socially cutting lyrics seen this side of Can and the Manics, as well as ‘Replica’ with its astounding ‘wonky bonkers’ guitar sequences and ‘Relapse’ both of which highlighted Evan Hafnor’s effortless talent.

Whilst animated and energetic throughout, this wasn’t by any means a jumping jack flash performance in the style of Suede or Mode, nor was it one of those gigs where the the spotlight is thrown on individual members of the band allowing them to cut loose with a 45 second solo run showcasing their wares as it were. In fact, if anything it was the reverse, with Messrs. Hafnor and Boquist pretty much staying low key, sticking to the wings, and getting on with the “job”.  And a damn fine job they did.

The focal point on the night, seemed to be on the triumvirate of front-man Ketil Myrhe, keys/guitar playing Eirik Fidjeland and drummer Eirik Kirkemyr.  It was no happy accident that placed Fidjeland beside Myhre – clearly these are two guys who share a unique bond.  The chemistry between them was electrifying and when every now and again Mr F raised his head from his synths to take a peek at his partner in musical crime, it was with a look that said, “You ok there brother?  You enjoying yourself?  Cos I am!”  Undoubtedly the connection between these two is as solid as a Norwegian Pine tree – and musically everything else around them works all the better for it.

In drummer Kirkemyr, Dråpe have a proficient anchorman – the performance of each song hinged upon his ability to keep both rhythm and tempo on point – and he did, with complete ease.  That’s not to detract from Lars Boquist’s jazz influenced “chilled” but tight bass playing which has always been a musical lynch pin for their melody lines.

The interaction with the audience switched between Myhre and Kirkemyr but as my Norwegian is limited to Tussen Takk and Gin og Tonic, which now comes with a newly perfected Norwegian influenced falsetto of “Did you say 140 krone?”, regrettably I had no notion of what they were saying – but hey, the crowd seemed to get it and were throwing back seemingly hilarious retorts, to the latter in particular.

Mid set the band launched into an as yet un-named new song – was it good? -hell yeah!  And if it’s a teaser of what is coming down the line on album number three (please please) then it is certainly going to be their best yet.  Canicular Days oldie ‘Memories’, also made the grade and you know what, it SO should not have worked.  Originally sung as a duet with Myhre and ex member Hanne Olsen Solem, this is a gloriously lush, dreamy, indie-love song to which Solem gave a delicate feminine charm.  Myrhe’s controlled, pitch perfect vocal performance, which he stripped bare, was exceptional.  There was no place to hide – he didn’t need it. This was Ketil Myhre at his vocal best and whilst very simply arranged, was surely one of the most stunning performances of the night.

Was the set 100% perfect – nope.  Did all the songs work?  I’d be lying if I said yes.  Sadly, one of my fave Dråpe songs did not translate well live.  Well, at least to these ears – others may disagree.  ‘My Friend the Scientist’ is the perfect radio song, with lots of electronic sounds, layers of texture, amazing guitar playing and buckets of reverb, but live it fails where the others shine.  What was the reason? I wracked my brains but finally put it down to the songs slightly dragging, slow single-step lurching tempo.

Be that as it may, as I alluded to earlier, the bands performance was faultless.  More often than not most bands are incapable of translating from record to live perfectly – Dråpe do so seamlessly.  And whilst I know I took issue with the venue, the sound was in fact spot on and greatly added to the impeccability of the bands live technique/interpretation.

Highlight of the night was undoubtedly ‘There is a House’ which showcased  the very best of Dråpe’s instrumental abilities.  But it was Myhre’s scintillating and searing extended guitar instrumental that made this the star of the show.  It was simply Thrilling, capital T.  In fact – THRILLING – all caps.  In perfecting the live rendition of ‘There is a House’ Dråpe took a mighty fine song and transformed it into something surreal, providing Trondheim Calling with one of the standout song performances of the entire festival – in fact – it was THE single standout performance.

My first Dråpe live show – did they disappoint, no! Did they live up to expectation – they exceeded it!  Would I recommend them to gig goers – absolutely 100%.  And if they happen by any chance to grace TC with their astonishingly good, reverbed presence in 2017, please guys, give them a decent venue, in the middle of the action.  It will only serve to enhance what is already a pretty staggering live set.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

You can follow Dråpe on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

If you have a spare three mins – would really appreciate if you could answer this quick poll which is for research purposes vis a vis the Norwegian music industry and it’s impact on the music scenes outside of its domestic market.  Cheers.

 

 

 

Trondheim Calling : Let’s Talk – Østfrost

ARTIST:   ØSTFROST

PERSONNEL:   ANE BJERKAN (VOCAL/HARMONIUM),  KEN ERIK KLASEIE (BASS), OLA EVEN HOGSTAD HAGEN (DRUMS),  HAKON BRUNBORG KJENSTAD (VIOLA/GUITAR/VOCALS)

LABEL:   NO FOREVERS

DISCOGRAPHY:

2015 Østfrost EP including Wooden Floors (Oct), Single Bakkegata 14b (Dec)

TC SET:   FRIDAY – SOSTRENE KARLSEN – 20.00

SATURDAY – ROCKHEIM RESTAURANTEN – 21.30

SEE :  http://trondheimcalling.no/artister/%C3%B8stfrost/

 

Hey, Hey – it’s Trondheim Calling week – woo !! – and, in the run up to the “main event” we have been reviewing and interviewing bands on the TC line up.

Today, we are featuring another young band signed to the NO FOREVERS label – indie outfit, Østfrost.

Østfrost have found their perfect sweet spot within the indie sound – neither jangly nor dreamy, theirs is a sound that has just enough bite to appeal to guitar loving types, whilst wielding sufficient pop sensibilities to make it very daytime radio friendly.  They scored huge media acclaim with their Autumn 2015 single, ‘Wooden Floors’, and if you’re one of the lucky ones due to see them play either of their two TC sets later this week, you’ll get to hear this powerfully catchy track live.

A huge fan of their music, I couldn’t wait to delve a bit deeper to uncover some more background  to both the band and their sound.  I asked Østfrost if they’d answer some questions, and they very kindly took time out to give me some really interesting and indeed, surprising answers (check out the really unique location where they held their debut concert!!) … Here is what they had to say …

Hey, for those that know zero about the band and its members, can you tell us something about your individual musical backgrounds?

Ken Erik: I started playing bass because I had a dream of playing in the local youth gospel choir’s band. I soon got interested in rock music in all its possible forms, and even though I spent years trying to play gospel, funk and jazz, rock music always stayed closest to my heart.

Håkon: My first musical encounter was playing the violin in a string orchestra, but I didn’t really dig music before I discovered Led Zepplin and started my first rock band. I later changed to the viola because I prefer the slightly darker timbre, and of course John Cale proved years ago that playing the viola is just about as cool as it gets.

Ane: For as long as I can remember I’ve loved writing songs and singing, but when I was twenty I decided to be a musician and moved to the Norwegian mountains where I studied traditional folk music. From the day I made that decision I’ve never looked back.

Ola Even: In my childhood I had some friends that were very interested in music and we started a rock band together. It was wonderful.  I had finally found an activity that I enjoyed! I believe that meeting those friends is the reason I play the drums today.

Cool – pretty diverse backgrounds.  So just who are your musical influences?

Ane: When we first started playing music together I was inspired by the Norwegian band 1982, a band with one of my favorite musicians, Nils Økland (a very famous Norwegian fiddle player). I guess you could say we got the idea of using the harmonium and viola from them, even though our music does not resemble theirs at all.

Håkon: Lately we have listened a lot to people that play minimalist music, like Angel Olsen (the American folk singer) and the American singer/songwriter Cat Power. When talking about minimalist pop music I would also have to mention the danish band Under Byen.

Ken Erik: We have been interested in the Norwegian scene for quite some time now. There are great bands in almost every city in the country.  Trondheim especially has had some interesting bands emerge in the last years. These bands have all stayed within the pop format, but at the same time experimented with other sounds and musical diversity. This has inspired the whole music scene, ourselves included.

It’s cool that you take your inspo from the indigenous music scene, and such an interesting mix of eclectic influences.  How did you guys come together?

Østfrost started when Håkon (viola and guitar) and Ane (vocal and harmonium) began to improvise and write songs together. In the beginning we played whatever instrument we had to hand which resulted in some interesting sounds with both viola and the Indian harmonium as essential elements. Ola Even, the drummer, joined the band before our first concert to give our music a more rhythmical feel.  Our debut concert was actually in an empty swimming pool at night, with only a few light sources, giving the music an atmospheric setting and plenty of natural reverb. (like how seriously cool was that folks!!),  Østfrost’s bass player, Ken Erik, is the newest member to join the band – he has helped give the songs a little more depth.

A swimming pool – that must be a first.  I’ve heard of people recording in bathrooms (Depeche Mode for instance) but I’ve never heard of anyone playing live in a swimming pool.  The acoustics must have been amazing – all those echoes!

Tell me, where did the name Østfrost come from?

When we started writing music together we didn’t think of it as a band, but when we were going to play a concert with the music, we chose to call the project Østfrost. This was actually an insider joke, one of those jokes between ourselves, that no-one else would understand.   As we played more concerts and became a proper band we just kept it.  🙂

My favourite subject – how would you define your style – or do you feel that music should not be pigeon-holed by constantly being categorised?

We play and write music that we like. We don’t mind people categorising music, but others can do the job of categorising our music.

Good answer.  What makes you stand out from other bands?

Ken Erik: There are very many bands playing cold synth-pop these days and it’s extremely popular in Norway. We steer clear of it in every way possible, it’s just not our cup of tea.

Ola Even: Østfrost use harmonium and viola, instruments with a warm soothing timber that aren’t traditional in the rock/pop world.

Ane: Even though we play music that might sound aloft and atmospheric, we are really quite down to earth. Østfrost consists of a plant science student, a health care assistant, a art history student and a bartender.  (You’re going to have to guess which one is which – answers on a postcard!)

Håkon: The combination of different musical references within the band shapes the sound of Østfrost. We never agreed on sounding like a certain band or style, but rather try to incorporate all of our ideas and preferences into our own sound.

Great so your sound was allowed to develop organically.  That figures, it all sounds really natural, unforced and not trying to be something or fit a genre.   Your debut EP came out last Autumn.  Are you guys working on any new music at the moment?

Right now we are preparing a killer set for Trondheim Calling. We also just received vinyl pressings of the EP that we are preparing for release the 5th February. As for the year 2016 it’s going to be a year for working hard, booking concerts and playing as many gigs as we can, writing new songs, recording and releasing some singles and getting started on our debut album.

Do you guys ever argue//fall out during recording?

The music we record in the studio have always been tried on stage quite a few times and through that process we usually agree on what we feel works the best. In the studio we are therefore effective and don’t get into any big arguments.

Perfect harmony !  Tell me, if you could cover one song, what would it be and why?

We would love to do a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Black or White”, just because it’s an awesome song and it makes everyone extremely happy. Ending a concert with “Black or White” would transform the venue to a frenzy of disco like dancing.

And, conversely, if you could get one artist to cover one of your own songs, who would it be and which song?

There are two versions of our songs we would love to hear. First of all it would be fantastic if Beyonce did a cover of Meeting the Sun. The absurdity of that cover would be, well, just absurd. On a slightly more serious note we think Angel Olsen, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Bill Callahan and Sparklehorse singing “I don’t want to stop” acapella would be lovely. It would be the perfect song to fall asleep to, gently guiding you into calm and beautiful dreams.

Awh, now I want to hear that too.  We shall have to do up a petition!! 

Finally, the Norwegian music scene is particularly exciting at the moment – it seems to have entered a really creative and interesting phase.  Why do you think that is?

There are many factors that together have stimulated the Norwegian scene over the last twenty or so years leading to the interesting scene you see today. We’ll mention a few. One very important reason for the diversity in the music scene are all the small record labels, studios, concert venues and record stores that have bloomed lately. They create an environment where small bands are encouraged to create their own thing. There are also many funds in Norway helping musicians create music without having to sell everything they produce. The applications for these funds add more paperwork for musicians, but it’s a small price to pay for the artistic freedom the funds give. There are some really good jazz schools in Norway as well. Many of the students from these schools have started playing rock and pop music as well, influencing the whole scene. There is also a very good trend where women have become more involved in all parts of the music business, though we are still a long way from balance. It’s hard to pinpoint how this has changed the music scene, but we believe the difference will be more obvious in the future and that balance between men and women undoubtedly changes the scene to be more diverse and interesting.

I think you’ll find that a more than interesting chat!!  Tune into Spotify and Soundcloud for sounds from Østfrost.  The vinyl ed of their Østfrost EP is out later this week on 5th Feb – see their FB page or the NO FOREVERS page for details.  In the meantime, I’ll leave you with their mus-mazing track, ‘Wooden Floors’ – and if you’re around Trondheim Thurs/Friday night, check these guys out.

You can follow Østfrost on Soundcloud, Facebook and Twitter.

Trondheim Calling – New Music Focus : Tellef Raabe

Erik André Nes Photography

ARTIST:   TELLEF RAABE

LABEL:   RIOT FACTORY

DISCOGRAPHY:

2012 (DEBUT) STRANGER THAN THE REST (RAABE RECORDS)

2014 (EP) OF SMITH’S FRIENDS (RAABE RECORDS)

2015 (SINGLES)  DEAR APHRODITE (RF), FAYE DUNAWAY (RF), 1+1+1 (RF),    (EP)GYMNOPAEDIA

2016 (SINGLE) KILL ‘EM WITH KINDNESS (JAN)

TC SET:  SATURDAY – Dokkhuset– 00.30

SEE: http://trondheimcalling.no/artister/tellef-raabe/

The release of Tellef Raabe’s latest single, ‘Flying on the Ground’ is a timely coincidence, coming as it does in the midst of our Trondheim themed series.  Tellef is  TCs closing headline act, wrapping the festival with his live set, late into Saturday night and the wee hours of Sunday!

It is a bizarre fact that every time I play a track by Tellef Raabe, the depth and sonorousness of his voice still catch me by surprise.  Raabe has an exquisitely rich baritone voice and alongside Susanne Sundfor, quite possibly the clearest diction & pronunciation with which I have heard any Norwegian vocalist sing.  His bio doesn’t tell me if he’s had his voice trained – but if he hasn’t, then that makes his perfect pitch and breath control all the more astonishing.

‘Flying on the Ground’ his new single, is a very 80s oriented Euro electro-pop/dance track, choc full of catchy hooks, dreamy melodies and swathes of electronica, with delicious female harmonies courtesy of the protagonists sister, Sigrid Raabe.  Tellef writes his own songs and given the highly romantic nature of the lyrics, one must assume that he is a man who is in love with love, or at least the sentiment.

‘Flying on the Ground’ is a delightful love song, with a sweet uplifting nature and a catchy rhythmical beat.  A romantic flight of fancy, it whisks me off at high speed on a virtual Eurostar bullet train back to late 80s France, azure blue skies, dazzling sun shining down on fields of golden wheat, a warm breeze perfumed by wildflowers and …

In demand by arty types to compose for both film and theatre, Tellef is also busy working on his debut album as well as doing a short EU tour. As I said at the outset, the tour includes a stint at Trondheim, and in a few days time, this will afford me the opportunity of seeing this consummate and hugely talented singer/songwriter perform live with his touring 5-piece band.  I have a strong feeling it will be a total pleasure!

Tellef’s new single, ‘Flying on the Ground’ in on release now via Riot Factory and available for download via Bandcamp.  Tellef plays the headline set at Trondheim Calling on Saturday 6th February – see here for tickets.

You can keep up to speed with Tellef’s music and gig news on his website, Facebook and Twitter.

Check out the schedule dates for Tellef’s ‘Idiographic Tour’ …

06.02 Trondheim Calling

21.02 Nordklang, St. Gallen, CH

01.04 Parkteateret, Oslo

02.04 Samfundet, Trondheim

07.04 Hulen, Bergen

EP Drop : Odd Loves to Dance – ‘Demon Wizard’

Ola!!!  Greetings from sunny Dublin, the city from which Storm George has departed and is now en route to snowy Norway!!  That’ll clear your drifts!!

Now, I love surprises …. adore them.  Even better again, I love hitting upon musical surprises that not only make me smile, but send a rush of sonic adrenalin through my veins.   Anyone who follows this blog, knows that when I hit upon something that resonates, TRULY resonates, I just have to write about it.

Guess what folks, today’s the day … IT HAS HAPPENED … Ta-Dah!

I was reminded by a post on FB that Norwegian band, Odd Loves to Dance, has an EP, ‘Demon Wizard’, out today.  So, having a million things to do, but being the mistress of prevarication, I dipped into SoundCloud, hit play on the  lead track, ‘Out of Minds’, and  released four minutes of serotonin inducing indie bliss into what had been up to then, dullsville.

I don’t know who does what in this band, in fact, I know absolutely nothing about them except that Gold Celeste (The Wonder of Love) “not the drummer” drummer, Petter Haugen Andersen is a member, and if this incarnation sees him returning to his instrumental roots then it should see him playing bass guitar, or electric guitar at the very least. (See photo for clues).

According to their FB page, the other two members of the Odd team are Axel Larsson and Hallvard Gaardløs (extensive research has show that the he be the dude in the wizard’s hat in above promo photo!!)  Further photographic evidence seems to reveal Gaardløs as lead vocalist with Larsson at the percussive helm.

Ok – PS – Since the original publication of this review, Petter (Haugen Andersen has confirmed some finer details :-

“Axel (Larsson – Drums) sings the first track – ‘Out of Minds’, Hallvard (Gaardløs – Bass) also has vocal duties, while PHA (Guitar) takes on the vocal mantle on ‘Nothing to Say’. The EP was also mixed (as well as co-produced) by Simen (from Gold Celeste) in his then studio (Greener) in Trondheim.”

Right, now that we have the personnel sorted and duties assigned, down to business!

A bit of poking around and I can see that the afore-mentioned lead track, ‘Out of Minds’ was released as a single last September.  Soundwise, it’s musical manna from heaven.  A bit Dråpe, (especially in the RS department) with its clever meandering jazz style bass and crack shot percussion, this is a pacy, animated track intermixed with interludes of clear focus riffs here and hazy effusive guitar there.  Gaardløs uses his voice well to convey nuance and emotion while his mellow timbre adds to already honeyed melody lines.  This is a cracker of an opener and was a wise choice for lead single.

‘Tango’ is an absolutely gorgeous song in which everything is – well, perfect.  The bass playing is exceptionally good and the spot on drumming packs just enough punch without  overpowering a very restrained vocal.  The track is dotted with (here we go!) “twinkling synths” and some truly lovely guitar and keys sequences.  The instrumental perfectly conveys the lyrical imagery –  dreaminess,  wistfulness, escape, colour, nature, gloom (if I’m wrong, sorry, but I’m on my own here guys!).

“Here I am with sand under my heels, Sinking slowly into the land my ego is on its knees

Now I am dead, and you’re dancing through the graveyard, I’d crawl out and dance with you, you know I would if I could”

‘Cinnamon’ is a really interesting slice of “spice”.  Playing bumper cars with tempo, it races from one pace then brakes to another and then u-turns back again.  A quirky, short lived affair, it’s got a great lyric, and one hell of a rabid guitar sequence, topped and tailed by a lovely line in “louche”. Too short – want more!

Penultimate track, ‘Melvin’ is an edgy 60s affair underpinned by the best basslines and drumming on the EP . Referencing some serious jazz blues, the RS gives this track a serious amount of cool, while expertly performed guitar solos are VERY 70s a la Jeff Beck.  One mischievously sexy tune this.  But, if you stripped everything else away and left me with just that cheeky RS sketch, I’d happily listen to it for hours! That’s how good it is.  Kudos guys.

The EP closes with ‘Nothing to Say’ and we’re back in “redolent of” territory again.  The vocal is very Ketil Myhre (always a good thing) while the instrumental is veering towards a Gold Celeste vibe, but given the close interconnections between so many of these bands and their members, it comes as no surprise that they would bring traces of sound and style across from one to the other, whether deliberately or subconsciously.

The highlight of this track has to be the guitar sequence at 3.14+ – I don’t usually use the word beautiful when describing guitar, but that is exactly what this is.  Beautiful honeyed hypnotic guitar washed over with some lovely dreamy harmonies. Then, just when you think it can’t get any better, in jumps Jimmy Page with some seriously sweet 70s rocking to close out the track.  This is one groovy tune and the perfect way to bring the EP to a close.

And that folks is about all I can tell you about Odd Love to Dance and ‘Demon Wizard’. I have no idea what the release plans for this EP are – but if I were “Mr Record Company”, I’d be looking to release ‘Tango’ as the next single!  Just sayin’.

Odd Loves to Dance aren’t playing Trondheim – but I wish they were!  Note to organising committee  … please ensure these guys are included in the 2017 TC line up.

Five-Track EP, ‘Demon Wizard’ is out now in digital format via NO FOREVERS , available through various sources, links below, and you can listen to the lead track, ‘Out of Minds’ here.  Enjoy x

iTunes: https://goo.gl/sxKYZ4
Tidal: http://goo.gl/fRF00z
Spotify: https://goo.gl/zci4gC

Single Review : Snøskred – ‘Lexington Hotel’

Today we are introducing Snøskred, an upcoming four-piece from Norway. They hail from Trondheim,  Norwegian music mecca and home of rock, and comprise Karl Klaseie (vocal/guitar),  Lars Ove Fossheim (vocal/guitar), Martin Hvidsten Berger (bass) and Kyrre Laastad, (drums).

Snøskred are signed to indie label, Riot Factory, and it was through RF sub-label, Sad Songs for Happy People, that they released their domestic debut album, Whiteout, in late 2012.  Recorded in Greener Studios, Trondheim, the album was self-produced with the help of Gold Celeste frontman, Simen Hallset.  Two singles, Come Closer and We Are (7″) were warmly received with the album itself being hailed as one of the best indie releases of the year.

Much touring, gigging, projects, writing, and recording later, September 2015 saw Snøskred release ‘Puzzle’, the lead track from their long awaited international debut album, ‘Empty House’ which they started recording in June 2014, again in Greener, and which is due for release 19th February coming.

.

In advance of the album launch, the band have just dropped new single ‘Lexington Hotel’ about which lyricist, Karl Klaseie explains:

“‘Lexington Hotel’ came to me in a dream after a late night viewing of Scarface. I was in the middle of a mobster shakedown and woke up thoroughly confused and sweaty.”

 

Louche, I think is the word I’d use to describe this track; a slow, sexy, languidly louche sonic strut.  Actually, it doesn’t so much strut, as undulate, to the provocative rhythm of its sensual pulse.

Fraught with tense, menacing, guitars, and blackened by moody, cavernous basslines, the lingering instrumental is an atmospheric slow-burn. Martin Hvidsten Berge’s bass peripatetics wholly underpin this track – a musical marvel to behold on this doom-laden composition – its dark, heavy, syrupy sound transudes through tremolo heavy walls of grinding guitars.

Kudos to Kyrre Laastad for some very cleverly arranged percussion including some lovely, lazy conga/batá beats. Actually, the sync between the RS is tighter than tight, thereby adding to the songs intensity by making it feel somewhat claustrophobic.

Conversely, the chorus is something of a release, coming like a breath of fresh air after the stifled atmosphere of the verse. Warm melodic Kraut-country lines lift the mood, with some gorgeous, shimmering guitar sequences from Lars Ove Fossheim, giving memorable if momentary relief.   And so it plays out, long stretches of dark, brief flashes of light, which lead into a final electronic fuelled thrum that gives the track an interesting if unexpected close.

The vocal has Damon Albarn stamped all over it, with vocalist Karl Klaseie having that same Albarn-esque way of letting the vocal slip effortlessly from his lips – languorous, subtly playful, and nonchalantly cool.

Timing is everything and Snøskred’s is impeccable: the arrangement is timed to perfection, thereby ensuring maximum effect.  Highly imaginative, exceptionally well mixed, arranged with pinpoint accuracy, and very perceptively produced, this is an extremely unique and very strong track that hopefully gives a pretty clear indication of what is to come on the album.

A rich, sticky ooze of dark toxicity, ‘Lexington Hotel’ lures, captivates and holds you in the thrall of its highly potent and dangerously addictive nature.  You are left longing for more …

Snøskred play two live sets during  the Trondheim Calling Festival, the first on Thursday 4th at Moskus 23.00, the second on Friday 5th at Olavshallen Lille Sal 23.30, details here – http://trondheimcalling.no/artister/sn%C3%B8skred/

‘Lexington Hotel‘ is available to stream via Spotify and to download via Amazon.  It is also available via Bandcamp.  The album, ‘Empty House’ is scheduled for release via Riot Factory, on 19th February.  You can follow Snøskred on Facebook and Twitter.

Trondheim Calling – Let’s Talk: Slutface

It’s all about Trondheim Calling this week and one of the highlights for many festival goers, including myself, will be seeing today’s featured artist live!  Raucous, riotous, punchy, spunky and awash with talent, not to mention brains to burns, Slutface are on the sofa, to give us some opinions, insights, facts, hopes and humour!

ARTIST:   SLUTFACE

PERSONNEL:  HALEY SHEA ( VOCAL),  LASSE LOKOY (BASS),  HALVARD SKEIE WIENCKE (DRUMS),   TOR – ARNE VIKINGSTAD  (GUITAR)

LABEL:   PROPELLER RECORDINGS

DISCOGRAPHY:

2013 (EP) SLUTFACE EP INC ODE TO JOHN & CALL TO ARMS

2015  (SINGLE)  SHAVE MY HEAD / GET MY OWN (OCT)

2016 (SINGLE) KILL ‘EM WITH KINDNESS (JAN)

TC SET:   SATURDAY – ORA STUDIO– 21.30

SEE :  http://trondheimcalling.no/artister/slutface-1/

Slutface currently divide their time between their university studies and creating music.  Fast becoming known for their outspoken but totally valid and correct views and opinions on subjects such as equality, misogyny and misrepresentation of emerging artists by scuzzy media types, Slutface articulate their views not just through the spoken word, but also via both the musical and lyrical content of their songs.

Current single – ‘Kill ’em with Kindness‘ is an invective against blinkered press peeps who try to kick down upcoming artists … Lyrically it gives “two fingers to the inane, dull-witted misogyny normally directed by flaccid media dullards at “she-merging” music artists as they try to kick the shit out of the musical glass ceiling, held so firmly in place by the “brothers”!  You can hear the track below …

So, without further ado, let’s hand the mic to Slutface.

Oya

“We think growing up in Norway has made us acutely aware of fairness”

It’s interesting that you guys are still in full time studies at University.  What are you studying and how does it impact on your being in the band?

“We’re all trying to slow down the study process a little bit (it’s been a bit too hectic the last few months) and just focus on band for at least the next six months. Tor-Arne and Lasse (guitar and bass) are studying business, Haley (vocal and lyrics), molecular biology and Halvard (drums), construction engineering.”

Molecular biology ! #faints  Have they set up a ‘Slutface Society’ at your Uni yet?

“Haha. We go to two different colleges so that’s not really an option. Also people we study with don´t really care we’re in a band.”

Nothing like keepin’ it real!  How do you think being from Norway both positively and negatively impacts on your attitudes (humanity, society, sexuality, the environment, culture, music) and view of the world?

“We think growing up in Norway has made us acutely aware of fairness, as it is drilled into us from childhood that Norway is one of the most balanced places in the world to grow up. That is probably why it has been so important for us as musicians to write about inequality, especially when it comes to women, because women are still treated unequally in a country obsessed with fairness and democracy we are still a long way from equality. When it comes to the music business, it has probably been a great place to start, because the industry is so small everyone makes friends with everyone. Regardless of genre. Meeting other musicians is one of our favorite parts of being in a band, so that suits us really well.”

“Women are still treated unequally in a country obsessed with fairness & democracy”

You currently reside in the realm of “noise/neo-punk/riot grrl” – do you want your music to be classified – are you happy to stay within the confines of that classification or do you see your musical style as something that will evolve with yourselves – life/musical experiences, broader range of influences, musical maturity?

“We, as most bands, will evolve as we continue to write music. We like for people to classify our music however they hear it and usually stick to very simple genre descriptions ourselves, like pop-rock. At it’s roots all of indie/punk/pop/whatever is really a mix of rock and other things, so we’re not really too bothered with how people classify our music.”

What brings you to the themes of the songs you sing about?  Do you decide – this is something we need to sing about or do your inspirations come from a mix of predetermined and random sources?

Haley: “Usually I just write about things that suddenly show up on paper as I start writing. I don’t decide to write a song about a specific topic usually, but as I think about women’s issues and pop/youth-culture a lot, a lot of our lyrics end up in that vein. As I am working with the lyrics as the song develops I usually decide I want to angle the lyrics to convey a certain message, or be about something more specific. Like how I decided during the writing process that “Shave My Head” should criticize the way women are viewed in popular culture.”

Who are your musical influences? Norwegian and Global.

“Our Norwegian influences have often been our local metal and punk bands live-wise. Kvelertak and Honningbarna are really really great. Music-Wise we are really inspired by the british sound (Arctic Monkeys, The Wombats). But everyone in the band listens to different music and get inspired of different genres and artists. Lasse loves electronic music, Halvard listens to John Mayer and Tor-Arne is really into Tweens right now and Haley loves The Smiths. The meld of all of our preferences is what makes it so fun to write music as a group.”

“There is a whole new wave of young, socially conscious people fighting for equality”

You are quoted as saying about the song “Get Your Own” that it shares the same theme as ‘Shave My Head’ but is a more “direct way of saying women deserve more space than we are given, and we are going to step up and take it” >> Why is it do you think that there is still a need to repeat a decades old mantra?  In your opinion what or who is it exactly that is getting in the way of there being male-female equality.  

“We feel the need to repeat such an old line because it is obvious that we still haven’t reached the kind of equality that men and women deserve. Mostly old habits and out-dated traditions are keeping us from the equality we should have, but luckily there is a whole new wave of young, socially conscious people fighting for equality. We are really happy to be a part of that energy.”

How do you view the history of women in punk/noise/garage and do you think that bands of your generation are now turning that view/fact on its head and leveling the playing field, or at least trying to?

“One of our favorite things about punk is actually the fact that it didn’t matter what your gender was, even though that fact has been downplayed a lot by historians. We feel like more and more women are starting really cool bands every day, but we still have a long way to go for women and men to be equal in the music industry. Bands of our generation are breaking out of all of the old stereotypes, in terms of gender, but also in terms of genre. That is one of the really great parts of being a musician in an age where millions and millions of artists and songs are just a mouse-click away, it makes you more open to experimenting and makes you less concerned with what you should be doing, because amazingly talented people are being inspiring all over the world.”

“Crazy, loud, energetic shows are one of the most fun things ever”

How participative would you like your audience to be, or how inclusive would you like to make your shows?

“We would like to try to break down the barrier between the crowd and the stage as much as possible. We want everyone that comes to our shows to feel like they are part of an experience with us, and want to be sure to make our shows a really safe place for everyone. We love to encourage people who have never stage dived or been in a mosh pit before to try something new and realize that crazy, loud, energetic shows are one of the most fun things ever.”

Ok. If you could collaborate with another artist or band who would it be?

“Our ideal collaborator would probably be Weezer or Green Day. Imagine how cool a Slutface x Weezer song would be!”

And if you could have someone do a dance remix of Shave my Head what do you think it would sound like and who would that someone be?

“We absolutely love the Disclosure x Lorde song “Magnets” and like to think it could sound a bit like that by Disclosure.”

What’s on the agenda for 2016?

“This year is going to be really busy for us. Mostly we’re focusing on writing a kick ass debut album and touring as much as humanly possible. We just really want to become a lot better this year!”

And there you have it folks … the world according to Slutface 2016.  Focused, intelligent, informed, talented, fun loving, high octane energy, youth.  These guys  have it all going for them … Their releases so far have set a pretty high bar, and have most certainly got “media – those in the know” tongues wagging around the London music scene.  It can only be a matter of time, most likely after the release of their debut album, before the name Slutface is as recognisable as the Weezers and Green Days of this world.

Author’s note – I don’t know about moshing – I’d probably dislocate something, but I’ll certainly be up there with the best of the rest next Saturday night!

Music by Slutface is available to stream via Spotify and for purchase via iTunes.  Their debut album will be released via Propeller Recordings, later this year!  Follow them on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with all their fun stuff! They play Trondheim Calling Sat 6th Feb – limited tickets still available here – http://www.billettportalen.no/nb/arrangement/trondheim-calling-2016/billetter

I’ll leave with you an acoustic version of their latest single, Kill ’em with Kindness, recorded live by NRKP3.

My sincere thanks to Haley, Tor-Arne,  Lasse and Halvard for taking the time out of the extremely hectic schedule to do this interview – cheers! Also big thanks to JG for all your help. X