ABOUT

Skulerud is a small place in the area called Höland (Hayland) in Norway. Once the ending station of the 56 km long narrow gauge railway line Urskog-Hölandsbanen, this scenery, where the scent of new mown hay rests over open fields during summer season, is also where 3 of The Loch Ness Mouse’s members grew up, before leaving for the big city: The two brothers, songwriters Jörn and Ole Johannes Åleskjær, who started the band in 1992, and also keyboard player Helga Trömborg.

In their 10th year of existence The Loch Ness Mouse released an album that all in a sudden gave the band a much wider audience. This album, entitled Key West, was nominated to the Alarm Prize in the category Pop Album Of The Year in Norway in 2002.

The Key West-album followed up the band’s debut album Flair for Darjeeling (1999) and 3 EPs/singles, and showed a band that had set for a wider sound as well, both on stage and in their studio works. Key West is a west coast harmony rock album that musically resembles the Beach Boys’ Friends-album, Steely Dan, Fleetwood Mac and Todd Rundgren.

Thematically Key West deals a lot with the fact that the brothers could have been boat-builders of the 4th generation, as the family on the father’s side owns and runs the boat-building factory Övre Tune Båtbyggeri. This 4th generation, however, is bringing forth, not boats, but the songs that you can hear on this album.

Key West-drummer Emil Nikolaisen, who had played with the band for 5 years, left to finally get the time to focus on his other bands Silver & Serena Maneesh after the finishing of the album, and was replaced by his younger sister Hilma. After the release of Key West, the line up with Hilma, bass player Morten Holmqvist, Jörn and Ole Johannes, and later also with the addition of keyboard player Helga Trömborg, played more shows in one year than any earlier formation of the band and proved to be the best stage constellation of the band this far.

In 2003 the band teamed up with Brooklyn producer Gary Olson (of The Ladybug Transistor) to record the CD EP Friends & fenders. The title track is a driving blue eyed soul number described as a “perfect blend of The Beach Boys and Steely Dan” (Pstereo). The song Friends & fenders started off what was to become radical changes in both the band constellation and their musical direction.

The Loch Ness Mouse is today a core of members, including the Åleskjær-brothers, keyboard player Trømborg and newly recruited bass player Håvard Krogedal (ex Serena Maneesh) with session musicians, both live and in the studio. This band recorded the band’s 3^rd album 11-22, which was released in October 2005. The album is an electric and urban soul/jazz/(hip-hop)/pop/rock blend, with loads of warm keyboards & synths, think Stevie Wonder, big guitars, slick saxophones and soulful vocals. Their blue eyed soul sound is inspired by artists like the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan, and the record in fact has Steely Dan/D. Fagen-guitarist Georg Wadenius playing on the opening track. Other guests are ex-members Emil (drums, guitars, mixing) & Hilma Nikolaisen (both of Serena Maneesh), as well as extended vocal contributions from their sister Elvira Nikolaisen. Other guests include Maria Solheim (vocals), David Wallumrød (clavinet) and Torstein Krogedal, who does the stack of saxophone tracks.

The Loch Ness Mouse live session musicians over the last year include drummers Espen Høydalsvik and Henriette Glidje and guitarist Benjamin Pyke.

The Loch Ness Mouse’ records are released both in Europe and in the US, and in 2004 Rosemary Records in Japan released the album Cargo- an introduction to The Loch Ness Mouse solely for the Japanese market. In 2004 the song Friends & fenders could be heard in a TV commercial for youth clothing company Boys of Europe.

Ole Johannes has also toured as a guitarist for The Ladybug Transistor in Europe, and both Ole and Håvard have been included in front man Gary Olson’s touring band in the Nordic countries.

SOME PRESS QUOTES:

Høland’s, and perhaps also Norway’s finest pop band. Dagbladet

The Loch Ness Mouse is this country’s best pop band right now. Panorama

Truly a stunning slice of pure pop bliss..a diverse, intricate, complex album. All Music Guide (4 ½ stars out of 5) (regarding Key West)

An album of profound capacity… A compressed, complex and beautiful album that only grows with time and effort. Comes With A Smile (UK) (regarding Key West)

If this band isn't a hipster favorite in a few years, there is something significantly wrong. The sublime beauty of this simplistic, good natured pop record is the essence of all that is right in music. In Music We Trust (USA)

(regarding Key West)

One of the best pop records I’ve heard, at least when it comes to a Norwegian band…The songs are filled with the spiritual love that Brian Wilson has so often talked about and sought after. Pstereo (regarding Key West)

«Key West», the band’second album, associates so strongly to sunny days by the sea that you almost have to hold your hand up before your eyes while listening, Bergens Tidende (regarding Key West)

WEBMASTER: BENJAMIN PYKE