23-year old Norwegian artist Herkedal possesses a voice quite unlike anyone else: a deep baritone that can swiftly pivot to soaring soulful high notes, and rich with resonant emotional impact and vulnerability. It’s a gift which has already captured the public’s imagination in his homeland, where he won the TV show IDOL with a mix of original material and inspired covers of songs by RY X and Tom Odell.
Now Herkedal introduces himself to a wider international audience as he shares his new single ‘When Heaven Calls’. Listen HERE. It previews the September 8th release of his debut EP ‘Wild Raspberries & Plum Trees’.
In ‘When Heaven Calls’, Herkedal’s towering voice is supported by a similarly distinctive production. Staccato strings and infectious handclaps set an immediate upbeat tone before the song grows in stature with a warm live band sound and rich orchestration. His words explore the beauty and mystery of how life keeps countless secrets from us, with Herkedal imploring, “I just wanna know when heaven calls that I´ve lived all my truth.”
Herkedal says, “I’ve been working in healthcare to earn money to do music which has been a really inspirational job.. An old lady once told me on her deathbed to go and watch a symphony for her. This was the inspiration for my song When Heaven Calls”.
Herkedal wrote ‘When Heaven Calls’ alongside the track’s producers, Kristoffer Lo and Myrtoula Røe.
Those two collaborators are also Herkedal’s main creative associates throughout the upcoming ‘Wild Raspberries & Plum Trees’ EP. Together, they have created a style which infuses the jazz and folk traditions with an engaging contemporary pop edge, with the EP’s five songs moving confidently between widescreen drama and quiet moments of reflection. Lyrically it’s inspired by his childhood, where he was raised surrounded by Norway’s natural beauty.
Since winning IDOL, Øystein Herkedal studied at the prestigious music school LIMPI where mentors include international artists including Dagny and Kiesza as well as acclaimed songwriters and producers such as Fred Ball (Rihanna, Beyonce) and Amund Bjørklund (Selena Gomez, Beyonce). He then took the time to define his own artistic style via extended time in the studio with Kristoffer Lo and Myrtoula Røe.
Originally from Ørland on Norway’s west coast, Herkedal has also been focusing upon developing his live band, a taste of which can be seen with a live living room session performance of the EP track ‘Weeping Willow’. He made a high impact live debut at Vill Vill Vest, which inspired Norwegian tastemakers Gaffa to state, “It is no exaggeration to say that Herkedal has a voice that few in the country can match.” He has also played Trondheim Calling and will follow the EP release by performing at by:Larm, which runs from September 14th-16th.
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