RockFeedback

Kings Of Convenience

12.10.09

BIOGRAPHY

Kings of Convenience have been away biding their time honing their third album, Declaration of Dependence for three years. It’s out this October, and is hotly anticipated as the follow up to 2004’s critically acclaimed Riot On An Empty Street. The new album was recorded between Italy and their hometown of Bergen, Norway.

Erland Oye describes the intentions of the new album thusly - ‘The most famous declaration of dependence is "I love you," but we can never say it. Everyone knows the Declaration of Independence, which is maybe the basis for capitalism. “We’re better off without you,” that’s what it’s saying. The great paradox is that we all seem to lead our lives in the direction of finding someone we love. And we use all of this technology -- we always find ways to connect with people and be dependent on other people. But we’re saying that we want to be independent. But the truth is that we want to be part of something, that we are important, that someone cares about us, and that someone would be sad if we left.’

Erlend Oye and Eirik Glambek Boe met at school in a geography competition aged 10. Their first musical endeavour together was a comedy rap about their gym teacher and went on to form their first band together, Skog, at 16, releasing a single EP before splitting up because they “sounded like Coldplay but without a great singer”. They went on to release three EPs under their new name Kings of Convenience on Norwegian label Ellet and a self-titled album for the French label Source.

Kings of Convenience made their name with Quiet is the New Loud, released in 2001 after a spell of living in London which gave rise to a small music movement inspired by the likes of Belle & Sebastian and Simon and Garfunkel in a move to focus on more subtle melodies and lyrics. Kings of Convenience are lauded for their delicate tunes, calming voices and intricate guitar melodies and have notably collaborated with Feist and Cornelius on past releases.

Declaration of Dependence is out 20th October on EMI and holds 13 tracks of beautifully delicate and technically excellent folk-pop, where luscious strings and harmonies complement each other perfectly and intricately observed pastoral lives and loves are evoked.

There’s something very wistful and nostalgic about the music they make, perhaps due to the sheer effort and contemplation involved in finishing the record; “It takes a long time for us to write the songs so that the bad ideas are left behind at the beginning of the process. Once we have finished the song, it is destined for release”,’ explains Eirik.

“Our criticism within the band is so strong.” Erland adds. “Basically if we are happy with the lyrics of the song, it will be released at some point because we know it is only a matter of tossing the melody around the arrangement around, and it will sound good.” There is a certain amount of self confidence imbued in their rather understated sound, though it is clearly not dependent on glowing reviews- when asked how they deal with the attention radiated on them in the music press Erland quips, “Reviews? We’ve been getting reviews?”