Thom Hell

Hailing from Kristiansand, Norway, the Norwegian singer and songwriter Thom Hell, born Thomas Helland on March 19, 1976, drew from influences such as Paul McCartney, the Beach Boys, Pink Floyd, and Crowded House. His commercial recording debut arrived in 2003 via the Tremendous Sinner EP on Chewin' Pine Records. The label next issued the While You're Waiting EP in 2004, after which Hell delivered his full-length album debut, I Love You, in 2004 through Sonet Records in association with Universal Music Group; a limited-edition version of that album also contains the I Love You Too EP. The release became a minor hit, peaking at number 31 on the Norwegian albums chart, and its successor, Every Little Piece, climbed to number 22 in 2006, reflecting an expanding audience. That same year Hell supplied guest vocals on several projects by fellow artists, among them Twinklehead's Twinklehead, Syntax-E's New Sounds from the Past, Marit Larsen's Under the Surface, and Minor Majority's Reasons to Hang Around. His third album, God If I Saw Her Now, marked his greatest commercial achievement upon its 2008 arrival, entering the Top Five of the Norwegian albums chart and securing two Spellemannprisen awards for Best Male Artist and Best Pop Composer. The single "My Heart Is Longing for a Soul" additionally received a Spellemannprisen nomination in the Best Music Video category.