Erlend Øye (Kings of Convenience)

Blamo!

My guest this week is Erlend Øye.

He’s a singer, songwriter, and musician known for his own music, legendary DJ sets, the electronic, non-electronic band, The Whitest Boy Alive, but to many, he’s one half of the acoustic duo from Bergen, Norway, Kings of Convenience.

Their first album, Quiet is the New Loud released in 2001 and caught the entire industry off guard. Softly spoken, beautiful harmonies with lyrics incredibly specific yet perfectly vague.

Music that, for me, not only influenced my life but brought me out of my hometown to New York.

Kings of Convenience recently released their new album Peace or Love after a 12-year hiatus. And it picks up…exactly where they left off. Softly spoken, beautiful, intimate, and in a way, precisely what I want in my ears these days.

Erlend and I discuss how different projects are essential for his mental health, why Kings of Convenience took over a decade off, how the digital age of music affects promotion, his take on fashion, and their Oblique Strategies for songwriting.

LINKS

Kings of Convenience

Quarantine at El Ganzo

"Lockdown Blues"

"Lujon" by Henry Mancini

"Ask for Help"

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