Biography
The Last Hurrah!! operates as a worldwide pop and rock initiative built around an ever-changing roster whose output draws primary inspiration from 1960s and early 1970s sources while ensuring each recording diverges sharply from its predecessor. Placing 2013’s The Beauty of Fake—merging psychedelia and pop with Nordic, American, and Asian folk strands—beside 2015’s Mudflowers, a tribute to the country-rock milieu of 1960s and 1970s Los Angeles, illustrates the project’s range.
Veteran producer and multi-instrumentalist HP Gundersen, previously associated with Sondra Lerche, Madrugada, Ane Brun, and Tim Rose, assembled the endeavor in 2010 after becoming fixated on Stephen Stills’ “secret tuning” for “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.” That interest prompted extended exploration of open, modal guitar tunings, which Gundersen subsequently termed “drone guitar” when describing the Last Hurrah!! sound.
The original configuration formed in Bergen, Norway, around Gundersen’s droning guitars—electric, acoustic, and pedal steel—together with vocalist Heidi Goodbye (Heidi Torsvik) and eight further musicians whose contributions spanned conventional rock instruments as well as tambura, bouzouki, and violin. The resulting fusion incorporated folk and country-rock foundations, hook-driven pop enriched by vocal harmonies, and pronounced West Coast psychedelic elements. Rune Gramophon issued the debut album, Spiritual Non-Believers, in 2011; limited to three tracks, it contained the half-hour-plus epic “Ballad of Billy and Lilly.”
Live appearances in Norway attracted attention from numerous local and international musicians. When Gundersen and Goodbye returned to the studio, the ensemble had grown larger and more fluid, with personnel rotating track by track. American jazz saxophonist Jon Irabagon appeared on two songs, culminating in the widely praised 2013 album The Beauty of Fake.
Gundersen once again altered the lineup, recruiting American singer/songwriter Maesa Pullman—daughter of actor Bill Pullman—as lead vocalist within a broad Norwegian and American collective that set grounded songwriting against occasionally ornate arrangements. The single “Weight of the World” b/w “Is It Me” appeared in March 2015, followed by the August release of Mudflowers. Pullman’s cousin Rosa sang lead on one track and contributed backing vocals throughout, while her brother Jack performed guitar and banjo in the project’s live configuration.
For 2018’s Los Angeles, Gundersen and Pullman—handling guitar, drums, and piano—joined multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer, and co-producer Jason Hiller to form the central trio. Initially conceived as a standalone effort, the sessions revealed chemistry extending well beyond the Americana emphasis of Mudflowers, yielding a cohesive tapestry of elegant pop and psychedelia. Rune Gramophon released Los Angeles in fall 2018.
Veteran producer and multi-instrumentalist HP Gundersen, previously associated with Sondra Lerche, Madrugada, Ane Brun, and Tim Rose, assembled the endeavor in 2010 after becoming fixated on Stephen Stills’ “secret tuning” for “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.” That interest prompted extended exploration of open, modal guitar tunings, which Gundersen subsequently termed “drone guitar” when describing the Last Hurrah!! sound.
The original configuration formed in Bergen, Norway, around Gundersen’s droning guitars—electric, acoustic, and pedal steel—together with vocalist Heidi Goodbye (Heidi Torsvik) and eight further musicians whose contributions spanned conventional rock instruments as well as tambura, bouzouki, and violin. The resulting fusion incorporated folk and country-rock foundations, hook-driven pop enriched by vocal harmonies, and pronounced West Coast psychedelic elements. Rune Gramophon issued the debut album, Spiritual Non-Believers, in 2011; limited to three tracks, it contained the half-hour-plus epic “Ballad of Billy and Lilly.”
Live appearances in Norway attracted attention from numerous local and international musicians. When Gundersen and Goodbye returned to the studio, the ensemble had grown larger and more fluid, with personnel rotating track by track. American jazz saxophonist Jon Irabagon appeared on two songs, culminating in the widely praised 2013 album The Beauty of Fake.
Gundersen once again altered the lineup, recruiting American singer/songwriter Maesa Pullman—daughter of actor Bill Pullman—as lead vocalist within a broad Norwegian and American collective that set grounded songwriting against occasionally ornate arrangements. The single “Weight of the World” b/w “Is It Me” appeared in March 2015, followed by the August release of Mudflowers. Pullman’s cousin Rosa sang lead on one track and contributed backing vocals throughout, while her brother Jack performed guitar and banjo in the project’s live configuration.
For 2018’s Los Angeles, Gundersen and Pullman—handling guitar, drums, and piano—joined multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer, and co-producer Jason Hiller to form the central trio. Initially conceived as a standalone effort, the sessions revealed chemistry extending well beyond the Americana emphasis of Mudflowers, yielding a cohesive tapestry of elegant pop and psychedelia. Rune Gramophon released Los Angeles in fall 2018.
Albums
Modern Nostalgia
2023
Night Bloom
2021
Los Angeles
2018
Mudflowers
2015
The Great Gig in Disguise
2011
Spiritual Non-Believers
2011
Singles
