Torgeir Waldemar

Having played in several semi-successful Norwegian rock bands while also working at an institution for people with drug problems, Torgeir Waldemar had seen a lot of the darker sides of both the music industry, and life in general by his mid-thirties. Anxious to try something else, and with a batch of songs written – going solo seemed like the obvious choice.

The three track EP Take Me Home was released in 2012, and although it didn’t catapult Waldemar to stardom right away, it made some ripples, or waves, attracting the attention of local record label Vestkyst Records. It also landed him support slots for several more famous artists as well as a handful of festival bookings.

For those who hadn’t already been paying attention, Waldemar’s self-titled debut album seemingly came out of nowhere in 2014 and took Norway by storm. His folky, mellow and tragic songs, the sinister vibes, his aching voice and his tall and dark, bearded and long-haired persona all combined to fully launch the artist Torgeir Waldemar. The critics went wild and comparisons to Neil Young, Gene Clark and the Laurel Canyon Scene in the 1970’s were widespread. The album spawned an unlikely underground hit in “Streets” and Waldemar was nominated to Spellemann (the Norwegian equivalent of Grammys) awards in both the Country category and Newcomer of the Year. 

After widespread touring and signing a deal with tastemaker label Jansen Records, Torgeir Waldemar was ready to release his sophomore effort in 2017. Whereas the first record was an introspective and contemplative album, Waldemar unleashed a rock’n’roll monster on No Offending Borders. Angry with Norway’s inhuman immigration policy and right-wing government, Waldemar let his fury be heard among crunching guitars, backed by a juggernaut band. The album landed him another Spellemann nomination, this time in the Rock category. The album also properly launched Waldemar outside of Norway with rave reviews in the UK, Germany and Benelux, with 8 stars in Uncut as a highlight.

Keeping the momentum alive, Waldemar went back into the studio to record a covers EP of sorts – only, he did covers of his own songs. Jamais Vu (2018) contains electrified rock versions of songs from his album debut, and folky, stripped down versions of the rock songs from his second album. The mesmerizing song collection displayed both Waldemar’s versatility as a musician and band leader, but also the adaptability and quality of his songs.

In the summer and fall of 2019, Torgeir Waldemar recorded what was to become his third full-length album, Love. Still very much with a message as a songwriter, the album is a call to compassion, but also a meditation around love and the awesome and horrible things it can make us do. Backed by his mighty band, the album is vintage Waldemar, while at the same time taking his music in new directions. With effective rockers, uplifting numbers, explorative and experimental jams, all tied together by contemporary pieces by composer Ole Henrik Moe, Love is Waldemar’s most ambitious work to date. 

Fast forward to 2022 (let’s just skip the pandemic part) and Waldemar is readying the follow-up to Love – the acoustic album Mercy.