–

Minor Majority’s eighth record is characterized by two major changes; the corona pandemic and a replacement in the band. In the wake of Minor Majority’s Norwegian tour in 2019, guitarist Jon Arild Nupen-Stieng chose to quit. Jon Arild has been with the band since the beginning of 2001 and made seven albums and played hundreds of concerts with the band.

Songwriter Pål Angelskår says:

“When Jon Arild gave up, I had to ask myself if I wanted to continue with the band. For me, his guitar playing has been an essential part our sound. It took a long time to accept that he quit and even longer to realize that, after all, there may be some new opportunities in such a change. With that acceptance came the desire to write songs again.”

However, the pandemic did not allow these songs to be made in the rehearsal room with the rest of the band. Thus, most of the songs were made and arranged in the studio together with producer Roar Nilsen, who also gradually took over Jon Arild’s role as guitarist. At this time Nilsen had just quit playing bass in the Norwegian band The Dogs and was excited to play guitar again. He says:

“There’s always been a part of me looking to play more guitar, after all, that’s why I took out studio loans once upon a time. As a producer, I often contribute to recordings, but I have played in bands since I was a youth and that is an important marker of identity for me. The Dogs escalated from a bi-instrument band to a far more immersive thing, but when the pandemic stopped the progress it also coincided with my desire to pursue other musical directions and projects, and to focus on my main instrument which is guitar. Pål and I have worked together for a long time, both on his solo albums and with Minor Majority, and we have a common ground in the love of a good song. It was therefore an easy choice for me when the opportunity arose to work more closely on the music and with the band, not only as a producer and arranger but also as a permanent member, guitarist and contributor.”

After a trio tour in the summer and autumn of 2020, bassist Henrik Widerøe also became more involved in the arrangement of the new songs. Widerøe says:

“Both the trio concerts during the pandemic and the absence of Jon Arild have meant that I have had to look at my role with new eyes. My backing vocals, for example, have become more important than before. I have wanted to preserve our musical expression while at the same time it has been right and important to find some kind of new starting point. It feels like everyone’s been able to do that.” 

The rest of the band was sent songs before recording in the studio. Musical proposals were shared digitally without what we would normally do with joint rehearsals prior to a recording. In this sense, it has become a different process where the record has been created in a digital and unsynchronous interaction that has solved a difficult challenge for an extraordinary year.

“The Universe Would Have to Adjust” consists of nine new songs. In addition to the regular band members, Kristine Marie Asvang (The Secret Sound of Dreamwalkers) and longtime collaborator Karen Jo Fields also contribute vocals on four and two songs respectively. The quartet Oslo Session Strings contributes strings on two songs (“Should Have Been Easy”, “Hey Sister”), Geir Sundstøl plays Pedal Steel on “Julia Jacklin’s Voice”.

Guests:

Martin Nordahl Andersen – Acoustic guitar – It Doesn’t Matter, It’s Ok

Kristine Marie Asvang: Vocals – It Doesn’t Matter It’s Ok, Should Have Been Easy, Clouds Let Them Come, Rain Let It Fall, Hey Sister

Karen Jo Fields: Vocals – (Looking for) Truth in the Vocal Booth, Julia Jacklin’s Voice

André Orvik : Violin – Should Have Been Easy, Hey Sister

Vegard Johnsen: Violin – Should Have Been Easy, Hey Sister

Jon Wien Sønstebo: Viola – Should Have Been Easy, Hey Sister

Hans Josef Groh: Cello – Should Have Been Easy, Hey Sister

Geir Sundstøl: Pedal Steel – Julia Jacklin’s Voice

Karl-Joakim Wisløff: Organ – Hey Sister

Have a good listen!

–

With songs such as Dancing in the Backyard, Come Back to Me, (In That) Premature Way, and not least Supergirl, Minor Majority helped define the first musical decade of the new millennial in their native country Norway. With the albums Up for You & I (2004) and Reasons to Hang Around (2006) they also gained international attention, especially in France, Germany and Switzerland. In 2019 the band made an album comeback with Napkin Poetry.

Minor Majority debuted in 2001 with the album Walking Home from Nicole’s and has released seven critically acclaimed albums. In 2006, they won the norwegian Grammy “spellemannprisen” in the pop category for the album “Reasons to Hang Around”. The band has played over 700 concerts and toured all over Europe. 

Minor Majority:

Pål Angelskår: vocals, acoustic guitar

Henrik Harr Widerøe: Bass, vocals, banjo, flute

Roar Nilsen: Acoustic and electric guitars

Harald Sommerstad: Keyboards

Halvor Høgh Winsnes : Drums and Percussion