Since his breakthrough with the album “Blod på spora” in 2009, Tom Roger Aadland has travelled around Norway with a harmonica holder around his neck and a guitar case in his hand. He’s played rock pubs down by the Swedish border, arts centres up north and music festivals high in the Norwegian mountainside. But he’s from the west coast of Norway himself, and although he lives in content exile in Oslo, the most content of exiles can sometimes evoke feelings of longing. One night in the capital, or perhaps one morning along some country road (he can’t remember), the musical celebration “Vestland, Vestland” materialized.
“Vestland, Vestland” is an energetic pop rock tune with a chorus that you want you hear again even before the first listening is over. The song is a nuanced, warm greeting to the part of Norway where Tom Roger grew up: ” I can see you within me / I can hear you wherever I go / There’s no pain that you can’t soothe / You make me whole, that’s what you do”. “Vestland, Vestland” has been produced by Lars Voldsdal and recorded at Velvet Recording with Kjetil Steensnæs (guitar, baritone guitar, pedal steel), Sigbjørn Apeland (Hammond organ), Tor Egil Kreken (bass, banjo) and Erland Dahlen (drums, percussion). In addition Oslo Strings contributes: Lise Voldsdal (violin, backing vocals, string arrangement), Ragnhild Lien (violin), Isa Caroline Holmesland (viola) and Kaja Fjellberg Pettersen (cello). Lars Voldsdal has mixed, the mastering has been done by Björn Engelmann at Cutting Room, Stockholm, while the artwork is by Raffaele Malanga, Far Studios, London.