Harrys Gym

In 2006 the Norwegian pop outfit Harrys Gym came together in Bergen. Its lineup featured singer/guitarist Anne Lise Frøkedal, keyboardist Erlend Ringseth, bassist Ole Myrvold, and drummer Bjarne Stensli, each of whom had earlier performed in Dharma. The group took its name from a derelict fitness center housed in the same building as its rehearsal room and blended dream-pop, electronica, and warmer indie-pop textures while embracing the gloom of Norway’s extended winters and what Frøkedal called “Nordic melancholia.” A thread of optimism ran through these wintry textures, expressed via Frøkedal’s bright vocals and her sturdy, tuneful songcraft. After issuing their self-titled debut album in October 2008, the band promptly secured a deal with Universal Records Norway. Teaming with British producer James Rutledge, they delivered their sole Universal release, 2011’s What Was Ours Can't Be Yours, which turned out to be the group’s last album. Frøkedal entered the Oslo-based band I Was a King in 2012, and Harrys Gym disclosed its dissolution the following January.