Nordman

Led by vocalist Håkan Hemlin, the Swedish folk-pop/rock outfit Nordman enjoyed massive domestic popularity between 1994 and 1998 before disbanding. After regrouping in 2004, the act reclaimed strong commercial traction at home. Hemlin and Mats Wester established the band in 1991, issuing their first recording in 1994 via the single “Förlist” and a self-titled debut LP that stands as perhaps their most impactful release. Anchored by the Top Five single “Förlist,” the Top Ten entry “Vandraren,” and the Top 40 track “Laglöst Land,” the album held the summit of the Swedish albums chart for 16 consecutive weeks and accumulated 99 weeks on the listing overall while also reaching number 17 in Finland and number 24 in Norway. The sophomore set Ingenmansland, released in 1995, likewise topped the Swedish chart yet generated only one major hit, “Be Mig,” and could not match the debut’s cultural footprint. Nordman’s third album, Här Och Nu (1997), fared similarly by peaking at number five without approaching earlier benchmarks. Following the group’s 1998 split, two retrospective collections—Nordmans Bästa: I Vandrarens Fotspår in 2001 and Bästa in 2004—appeared during the six-year hiatus preceding the 2004 reunion. Their first post-reunion effort, Anno 2005 (2005), performed solidly by reaching the Swedish Top Ten and yielding the Top Ten single “Ödet Var Min Väg.” The next release, Djävul Eller Gud (2008), surpassed that result with a Top Three chart placement and two Top Ten hits, “Du Behöver” and “I Lågornas Sken.”