Midnight Choir

Hailing from Europe, this trio specializes in an American-infused strain of roots rock and has cultivated both a devoted audience and a singular perspective on Americana. The lineup of Paal Flaata on vocals and guitar, Ron Olsen on acoustic and electric bass, and Al DeLoner on guitar plus assorted instruments first formed in Norway under the playful moniker the Hashbrowns, performing street shows and occasional club dates until keyboard veteran Lasse Hafreager discovered them. Wary of staking a career on that name, the musicians adopted Midnight Choir, drawn directly from Leonard Cohen’s “Bird on a Wire,” thereby signaling their deep regard for folk and rock traditions. That respect led them to Texas for their debut album, where they worked under guitarist Andrew Hardin, the longtime collaborator of singer-songwriter Tom Russell who remains widely admired yet little known. Two years afterward they enlisted another idol, Chris Eckman of the Walkabouts, to helm their follow-up; intrigued by the Scandinavians’ handling of Americana, Eckman oversaw sessions in Seattle that yielded the 1996 album Olsen’s Lot. With assistance from fellow Walkabout Carla Torgerson, the record showcased the band’s emerging identity, prominently featuring strings and fully exploiting studio resources. Although critics responded coolly and a tour was scrapped, Olsen’s Lot matched the debut’s sales and earned a Spellemannpris nomination. In 1998, Eckman returned alongside engineer Phill Brown—celebrated for his work on Talk Talk’s Spirit of Eden—to produce Amsterdam Stranded, a assured and skillfully crafted set that surpassed earlier sales and drew acclaim both domestically and internationally. Eckman and Brown stayed on for 2000’s Unsung Heroine, then recruited former Talk Talk members Tim Friese-Greene and Lee Harris to shape the louder, more rock-oriented Waiting for the Bricks to Fall in 2003.