Lots of Scandinavian activity again this month, along with new releases and tour news from Germany.
One of the leading ladies of Nordicana, Malin Pettersen, has just released her latest album, “Wildflower”, on Die With Your Boots On Records. The Norwegian singer and actress’s last solo album, 2020’s “Wildhorse”, attracted a lot of attention and earned her an 8/10 review from AUK’s Tyler Davies, who said it was “a good mixture of instant ear candy, deep cuts and introspective moments throughout”. The new album showcases how far she has grown as an americana artist since that album, with her songwriting demonstrating real development. She’s particularly known for her voice and that really stands out on the new album, with its rich tone and quality well to the fore and she is particularly well supported by a band that consists of Øyvind Blomstrøm on bass, Nikolai Grasaasen on guitar/piano, Stian Jørgen Sveen on pedal steel, and Sigmund Vestrheim on drums. The album has been produced by Pettersen herself and advance tracks sound very promising.
Berlin based French singer/songwriter, Flavie Mialon, releases her debut single, ‘Highlands’ Shores‘, ahead of a planned EP release, currently scheduled for March 2026. Mialon describes herself as an Indie-folk artist, but her use of pedal steel and violin on this impressive debut recording gives her music an americana feel behind that slightly ethereal sound that marks her out as an artist with a difference. Recorded live to tape in a Berlin studio, there is a warm energy about the recording that feels very personal, a glimpse into the artist’s soul, “These songs have been crafted from a very intimate place, a place of solace within” says Flavie, “recording them live with the band allowed me to hold onto that vulnerability and capture the human imperfections that make them feel alive.”
The EP, when it is released, will contain five tracks, including one instrumental piece. A second single from the EP, ‘New Orleans’, is planned for release on November the 7th. ‘Highland’s Shores’ is an excellent track, and we think Flavie Mialon will be one to watch in the coming months. There’s no publicly available preview at this time but you can listen to some of her music on her Bandcamp page.
Also based in Germany, but in his hometown of Frankfurt, singer-songwriter Markus Rill is putting the final touches on his new album, “Good As New,” and will be playing a release show in Würzburg on November 29 at Keller Z87. The album will feature 11 new songs, and in addition to his band, the Troublemakers, the album will feature guest appearances from vocalists Joseph Parsons and Elizabeth Lee, along with slide guitar player Hank Shizzoe.
Rill has also announced a number of upcoming shows for the autumn, both with The Troublemakers and performing solo. Full details of all his gigs, through to mid-November, can be found on his website. We don’t have any preview tracks from the new album yet, but we’re including a track that’s a firm favourite in his live set, the excellent ‘Walk On Water‘.
Last month, we mentioned an upcoming EP from Oslo’s Silver Lining and, following up on that, we can announce that the EP, “Four Little Songs”, will be released on October 3rd by those very active people at Die With Your Boots On Records. The band marked their 10th anniversary this year, and it has been a decade that has seen them nominated for a Spellemann Award, extensively praised by critics, and touring across Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands.
“Four Little Songs” features four carefully chosen tracks. Two are interpretations of Gillian Welch songs: ‘One Little Song’, which lends its name to the EP, and ‘Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor’, a traditional American song with new lyrics by Welch and beautifully sung on the EP by Halvor Falck Johansen. The other two are more recent favourites, Jason Isbell’s love ballad ‘If We Were Vampires,’ performed as a duet by Stine Andreassen and Live Miranda Solberg, and ‘Right Back to It’ by Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman, a song that Silver Lining have really put their own stamp on.
Silver Lining’s story began when members of the then-emerging Oslo bands, The Northern Belle and Rattlers, came together to perform Gillian Welch’s Soul Journey album in full, at the now-closed Crossroad Club. That one-off show was such a success that the musicians decided to keep going as a unit, a decision that has proved to be a very good one. Over the years, the band has built a reputation for the quality of their interpretation of the songs they choose to cover. They have said that revisiting Gillian Welch for this anniversary release feels like coming full circle. Last month, we could only share a Bandcamp link for those wanting to listen to the band, but this time round we can feature one of the songs from the EP. We think you’ll be blown away by the quality of their harmonies.
Stockholm-based americana band Echoes and Rhymes are releasing a new single, ‘Broken Queen’, on September 26 (tomorrow!). The band describe themselves as deeply rooted in acoustic americana with bluegrass influences, and ‘Broken Queen‘ certainly lives up to that description, with some fine fiddle and mandolin work and great harmonies, very much in the bluegrass style of Alison Krauss and Union Station. It’s a song about someone who puts others ahead of their own dreams and aspirations and the sparse arrangement, and clever use of the band’s considerable vocal talents, drive the message behind the song home effectively – “The song was born one evening over red wine and deep conversations about relationships. It’s about watching someone you care about forget themselves – even though they deserve so much more”. The band started out as a trio back in 2014 and has now grown to a five-piece band that seem to be steadily making their mark on the Nordic Americana scene. Another one to watch with interest. We don’t have a preview clip of the single, but it will be available on the usual streaming services. The band do most of their promotion via Instagram and you’ll be able to see photos and videos of the band here.
We end this month’s column with a bit of bad news from Finland, where Iron Country Sisters have decided to take an extended break from performing as a band, in order to pursue solo projects. The sisters were one of the featured bands in our Continental Shift series and have produced two excellent americana albums during the 11 year history of the group. Based around the three Rautamaa siblings, Julia, Paula and Silja, the 6 piece band have been one of the brightest stars in Finland’s americana scene, so it’s particularly sad that they’ve decided to call it a day, at least for the foreseeable future. They issued a statement, saying, “We’ve been singing and making music between sisters for pretty much exactly 11 years (and of course long before that too without actually this band). These years have included two albums and great performances from the country’s number one festivals and clubs, all the way to foreign stages. A very rewarding journey, even though doing English-speaking Americana in Finland isn’t actually the easiest path. This break was honestly not an easy decision, but sometimes it’s good to focus on other lovely things, so that creativity can flow freely and space is created for new things”. Their statement goes on to thank their bandmates, Simo, Oto and Eero, and their fans and supporters. Their last gig as a band will be at the Helsinki Culture House on the 10th January next year, but their solo projects are already underway, with Julia Rautamaa releasing her debut solo single, in Finnish, next month. Here’s hoping this isn’t a permanent end to what is a very good band.
