Greenland Whalefishers

Dating back to 1993, Norway's Greenland Whalefishers took shape while the Pogues continued their uneven path and before the surge of mid-'90s copycat acts that followed in their wake. Arvid Grov, serving as vocalist and principal songwriter, joined forces with multi-instrumentalist Gunnar Grov to assemble the band, drawing in sympathetic Norwegian players who shared an interest in crafting original material that incorporated traditional Irish instruments. Although several early departures occurred, the lineup held steady enough for the group to issue its debut single, Mary B. Good, in 1994 and then deliver the full-length The Mainstreet Sword two years later. The unavoidable echoes of the Pogues quickly positioned the Greenland Whalefishers as the leading post-Pogues outfit in their home country. Arvid Grov's vocal style closely mirrored Shane MacGowan's, yet remained far more intelligible even with the retained accent. Studio work resumed in 1998 with plans for a new album, but persistent complications yielded only four tracks, which surfaced as the EP T. Bell's Blues. The second album, Loboville, finally appeared in 2001, arriving shortly after the EP "Johnny Lee Roth."