The unique voice from Halden is back!

Somebody will argue that there are too few ghost stories in popular music. Of course there had to be a Halden/ Norway singer/ songwriter to address this condition.

Four years after her third album, When my man comes to town, Hege Brynildsen is ready with her new album, Blue Birds black Knights. The album includes the song «Belltower haunted by a Ghost», inspired by the historic city of Halden´s most enduring ghost story, «The White Lady». A tragic love story that acted out on the steep walls of Fredriksten fortress in the early eighteen hundreds. A hundred years after Fredriksten and Halden entered the dramatic European history as the place where Swedish king Carl XII got shot with a bullet that went straight through his head and ended Swedish imperial ambitions.

But Hege´s song is first and foremost a celebration of her home town´ s very special musical environment that has fostered some of Norway´ s most renowned musicians and has a vital studio scene. A modern day local version of Muscle Shoals.

Hege Brynildsen put out her debut, just titled Hege, in 2012. The album was produced by American multi instrumentalist Fats Kaplin (John Prine, Jack White) at Norway´s number one studio, Athletic Sound.
Hege was immediately seen as as one of Norwegian Americana´ s (Now subject of an upcoming American documentary film) most distinctive voices. With a voice somewhere between Iris DeMent and Kate & Anna McGarrigle.

With a fervency that can be traced back to an upbringing connected to Norwegian houses of prayer and a close relationship to persons who first brought rock´n´roll and country to Norway in the 1950s.

Hege´s father, now 80 years old, still performs regularly with his band and last year celebrated with a big Halden concert with Hege at his side.

In the years since her last album release Hege has been performing with her own band and as part of Norwegian singer Paal Flaata´ s (Midnight Choir) solo band. She has also been in demand as an interpreter of Bob Dylan songs, often at events led by Norwegian Dylan scholar Johnny Borgan.

- I am simply very exited to sing Dylan songs, says Hege, - they might be difficult to «understand» sometimes, but the rewards for the effort is immeasurable.

After entering the scene with Hege, a record that contained eight songs written by Hege as well as outstanding versions of Amos Milburn´s «Bad bad whiskey» and Geraint Watkins «Only a Rose», Hege made a sharp turn with her follow up album, Till Harry (2014). Where she surprisingly sang in Swedish!

A result of Hege growing up on the border to Sweden. The album was dedicated to her locally famous grandfather, Iron Harry, who always drove a great American car when cars in itself where scarce in post World War II Norway. (Halden now has Scandinavia´s largest collection of vintage American cars).

The album includes one of Sweden’s most loved folk songs, the heartbreaking story of a Havana prostitute written by Sweden´ songwriter laureate, Evert Taube.

«Flickan i Havana» by Hege is as sad as a song can be, on par with Hank Williams «I´m so lonesome I could cry» and Townes van Zandt´s «Marie».

Till Harry and the new album was produced by piano player/ guitarist Gøran Grini (producer/ piano player for Chip Taylor and Paal Flaata) and includes participation from Omar Østli and Fats Kaplin who has contributed to all four of Hege´ s albums.

Omar Østli is also part of Norwegian Grammy winning band Onkel Tuka and and a guitarist in Halden´s version of The Swampers, The Salmon Smokers, together with this album´s drummer and bassist, Eivind Kløverød and Finn Tore Tokle.

Hege explains that the prosess with songwriting this time was harder (thus the four year gap since the last album), but that inspiration hit fast and intense last summer.

She can’t give enough credit to producer Grini for his patience and critical input regarding song choices.

- I trust Gøran enough to give him free rein with arrangements, says Hege.

One of the new songs, titled «Little Bluebell», is a song about Hege wishing for, and dreaming about, Johnny Cash to come back from heaven to sort out our increasingly miserable world.

Right after rooting for the second coming of Cash, Hege and band serve up the album´s grooviest highlight, «Foxy Magician». A tour de force that should have all prime time-Ry Cooder fans take notice. They then double down groove-vice for the tale «The old man and the Rabbit».

If we ever stay clear of this devastating pandemic, seeing and hearing Hege and band perform these songs , complete with Hege´s totally unique «movement-song»- dance moves, could help us restore spirit.