Page 23 - ROCKNATION ISSUE 27

ROCKNATION ISSUE 27 PAGE 23

What special guests appear on this release?
Well, I am a drummer. That`s all I do. I can play guitar enough to write songs but nothing else. So
naturally, when I started this album project I would need more than one person to make it happen.
I started out very optimistic, thinking I would have this friend on guitar on this song and another
one on that song and so on. It turned out to be very difficult because people have their own lives
to take care of, so it was hard to make everyone’s schedule to fit mine. After a year of different
delays, Hallgeir Rustan suggested that we hired someone instead. He knew a guy that could play
guitar and bass on the tracks, so that`s what I did. I hired that friend of his, Jarl Ivar Andresen, to
do that. It was a lucky move cause then things started to move forward much faster. I wanted to
make something special out of this album though and I am very happy to say that when I decided
to re-record a track I wrote for Humbucker`s second album I got PEER THARALDSEN (Many of
you will probably know him as blues rock artist PEER GYNT) to play the guitars and guitar solo
on that one. The song is called DIRTY NELLY and I wanted to reduce the distortion on the guitars
that the original version had and try to get a Status Quo kind of blues feeling on it. Peer is one of
Norway’s finest blues guitar players and he totally nailed it! If this version ain`t grooving, I don`t
know what is! Lol The same song has MARTIN STEENE from Danish metal band Iron fire on lead
vocals. He is also singing DON`T WANNA LOSE YOU. It`s a bit funny though cause the most
metal guy on the album is actually singing the least metal songs on it! But it only shows Martin`s
capasity. He can sing anything! On the song STONE IN MY SHOE, I got a friend called TOR ERIK
MYHRE to do the guitar solo (He used to play in Jorn Lande`s band). We recorded that solo in Juke Joint Studios in Notodden and Tor Erik
layed down a guitar solo that starts off with something that Ace Frehley could have done and turn into some kind of a Richie Blackmore kind of
solo. Amazing work by Mr.Myhre! On GIMME SOME ROCK AND ROLL I have ROWAN ROBERTSON (Ex Dio) doing the guitar solo. I heard
him speak on a Youtube video and he sounded like a very nice guy...which he also turned out to be! I became friends with him on Facebook and
asked if he would do it. He heard the song, thought it was really cool and also suggested that he could do some talk-box stuff on it. And so he
did both the guitar solo and the talk-box fills on that song. It is a very classic blues based guitar solo on a very classic rock song and that solo
really did fit the song well, so I am super happy with it! I think the song has something like eight! choruses in the end, so I really do think that
people will learn the words in the title before the song`s over! Rowan has become a friend now and even though I have no idea at this point, I am
pretty sure we will do something together again... We`ll see. I also got Norway`s rock queen, BENTE SMAAVIK, come in and sing backing vo-
cals on HERE COMES ROCK AND ROLL and it sounds great! She is now working on a new album called “Side Orders”, where she makes and
records very different versions of classic rock songs. Looking forward to that album! On MASTER OF THE DARK, I have AAGE STEN NILSEN
doing all lead and backing vocals. Aage is one of Norway’s biggest rock stars and is famed for his work in the Norwegian international success
bands Wig Wam and Ammunition. I was really lucky on this one... Aage was in Stargate Studios with Hallgeir Rustan to record some songs for
his own use. At that time we were missing vocals on two songs: MASTER OF THE DARK and LOUD & PROUD. Hallgeir played Master OF The
Dark to Aage (with my poor guideline vocals on it) and he totally loved it! He wanted to sing it and Hallgeir called and said he could have Aage
Sten Nilsen to sing on the song. Would that be alright? I don`t think I have ever used so little time to think about it. After one second I said “Do
it!” and he also ended up singing the last song we had not recorded vocals for, Loud & Proud. So when he was done, the album was done! Aage
never does a bad job n matter what he sings. You`l hear it loud and clear on these songs that it is Aage Sten Nilsen who is singing! The power in
his voice is fantastic!

Who did the fantastic artwork for your CD?
Thank you! Appreciate that you like it! That was made by US artist ERIC RIDGEWAY. I was looking for a cool idea online and I found a picture
that he had made. I asked him if I could use it as he was kind enough to say yes. I needed some adjustments though and one thing led to anoth-
er and all of a sudden we were making a new one. We sent ideas back and forth to each other on email and it turned out to be this amazingrock
and roll viking cover that was just perfect for this project. I could not be more happy with it. The package design was made and put together in
England by my good friend, Mr. Hugh Gilmour, who has worked with everyone from Cliff Richards to Whitesnake! He is a very busy man but I am
happy he could put together this CD package. It follows the cover perfectly and I am very proud of it. The first thing you listen with...is your eyes!
It`s important to have a great cover and package. Not so important these days as it was before, but that`s not something I take lightly anyway. If I
am going to expect people to buy my albums, I want to deliver absolutely the best I can do, so it`s important for me anyway!

If you had to tell someone what your music sounded like, what bands would you mention?
I am a huge fan of bands like Kiss, Y&T, Whitesnake, HELIX, AC/DC, Triumph, Def Leppard and so on...! I am actually a big fan of the entire
eighties when it comes to hard rock! I`m pretty sure it shows... lol

Thank you for taking time for this interview and any last words to the fans?
Well, I have done absolutely all I can do and more to make this album. It has turned out to be an album I will
treasure forever! I hope people will take time to check it out when it`s
released world wide early next year on Perris Records and buy it, cause
that`s the only way I could make another one. The songs are already
there, the people are ready. I don`t need to make one single dollar on this
album, but I would really like to break even and the way I work and with
the people involved is not the cheapest way to make an album, I can tell
you that much. LOL! If I break even on this one I will consider it a big suc-
cess! I also would like people to look up THE NORSEMAN COMPANY on
Facebook and check out the page. A lot of people have done that already
and I want to use this opportunity to say thank you to everyone who has
done it and for being so supportive all the time! I truly appreciate it! Thank
you for having me in your magazine!! Cheers from Norway everyone!!

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http://www.norseman-rocks.com