Some of Norway's finest musicians, Lars and Martin Horntveth, Thomas Dybdahl, Nikolai Eilertsen and Morten Qvenild, have joined forces in a new band called The National Bank and will be making their live debut at the Øya Festival in Oslo on August 13. The debut album comes out August 16 and here's what the fest organizers had to say about 'em:
This is a goodie that'll blow up like a bomb when people get to hear the material. Who the members are isn't all that important, but the songs are. Every jaw at the Öya booking office dropped when we sat listening to demos and heard The National Bank through the speakers for the first time. What a glorious sound! This only confirms that a lot of Norwegians must have a special gene for melancholy that the rest of the world lacks. And we don't necessarily mean the sad kind of melancholy, but the gentle, lovely blend of sweet and sour. And no, it's not totally unbearable to be sitting indoors while the wind is blowing and the rain is pouring down if you can get to listen to this. Every song has vocals that will go straight to your heart, the string section will make your hair stand on end, and the backing vocals will make you want to hug somebody.