Minor Majority

Norway's Minor Majority crafts understated yet refined acoustic folk-pop distinguished by its elegant demeanor and occasional country inflections. Comparable to the similarly restrained Kings of Convenience from their homeland, Sweden's Nicolai Dunger around the period of Tranquil Isolation, and Iceland's Funerals, the ensemble incorporates an unmistakably American current of roots-oriented introspection while maintaining a sonic identity whose Scandinavian roots remain only faintly perceptible. Pål Angelskår and Andreas Berczelly launched the project in 2000 strictly as a studio endeavor; across multiple releases spanning the 2000s the lineup expanded incrementally while the group accumulated both critical regard and marketplace traction. Karen Jo Field, a singer and songwriter, supplied vocals on the 2001 debut Walking Home from Nicole's without formally entering the duo, after which guitarist Jon Arild Stieng came aboard in autumn of that year and thereby permitted the first live performances during spring 2002. Berczelly departed ahead of the recording of If I Told You, You Were Beautiful, which took place inside Stieng's Oslo residence, yet he remained in a production capacity for that album and every later project. Keyboardist Harald Sommerstad, drummer Halvor Høgh Winsnes, and bassist Henrik Widerøe entered in 2003, completing the five-piece configuration responsible for the third album. Up for You and I, tracked at Sommerstad's cabin and issued in January 2004, logged twenty-four weeks on the Norwegian album charts, attained a peak position of number four, achieved gold status, and received nominations for best Norwegian pop album. Reasons to Hang Around, captured throughout 2005 inside Berczelly's studio and issued in January 2006, likewise performed strongly by climbing to number two and yielding the Top 20 singles "Come Back to Me" and "Supergirl." Candy Store, the August 2007 retrospective packaged as a two-disc collection of hits alongside previously unreleased career-spanning material, entered the chart at number three.