One of the lessons these last few years have taught me, is don’t take any opportunity to connect for granted. You never know when you’ll see that person again. So, when I was filming at TakeRoot in November 2021, and Norwegian songwriter Ole Kirkeng – who recorded his first session a few years prior – was there as well touring with Courtney Marie Andrews, we met up and filmed another session. It was my sixth session that day and yet I was still amazed by Kirkeng’s wonderful renditions of Jackson Browne’s These Days and his own Million Miles and Double Shift.
A year and a half later, I’m proud to present this session in the week after Ole Kirkeng released his debut album Still Not Lost. Enjoy. And re-read that interview we did for his first session, why don’t you?
Ole Kirkeng developed into a storyteller with a catchy melodic flair
Ole Kirkeng duly placed himself on the Norwegian music map when, after five years in the States, he returned to Norway in 2021 and debuted with the critically acclaimed EP Rocking Chair – which won the Spellemannsprisen (Norwegian Grammy) in the Country category the same year.
After living and working in New York, touring the US and Europe in Grammy-nominated Courtney Marie Andrews‘ band, supporting the likes of Molly Tuttle and The Delines, he has developed into a songwriter and storyteller with a catchy melodic flair.
Recognizable characters, scenes and stories
Kirkeng’s music engages in dialogue with the listener – describing the magic and challenges of everyday life in a relatable, lyrical and sometimes humorous way, with recognizable characters, scenes and stories. A well-balanced mix of classic American singer/songwriter material and at times a slightly more airy indie rock sensibility.
In 2022, the Norwegian recorded his first full-length Still Not Lost, which was released last Friday, September 8th. On this record, you’ll find some of my personal favourites like Million Miles (which he recorded in this session), Still On My Mind and Still Not Lost.
Photos
Credits
Filmed & edited by Matthijs van der Ven.
Audio recorded & mixed by Matthijs van der Ven.
Location
Grand Theatre
Take Root Festival
Groningen, The Netherlands
Thanks
Joey Ruchtie
Take Root
Rachel Huneker
Ole Kirkeng
There is no better way to discover music than watching great musicians cover the songs they love. The Influences has been producing these videos ever since 2008.
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Thank you for watching and enjoying this session. You’ll probably like some other sessions from The Influences’ archive too, like this earlier one by Ole Kirkeng.
