Flora

"There are echoes of Vashti Bunyan, Nico and early Marianne Faithfull – especially in her lyrics, timeless. Startlingly beautiful.” – The Sunday Times (Breaking Act)

"Frøkedal’s sonorous voice and the knelling, violin-drenched backing can sometimes recall Nico’s contributions to The Velvet Underground." – Uncut

"This is a voice that demands to be heard… a special artist." – The Line Of Best Fit

"The carefully picked out melodies of the Norwegian songstress are matched to an icy cool touch, a sense of glamorous introversion… a potent introduction to something quite special." - CLASH

Norway’s Anne Lise Frøkedal announces her third album "Flora".

Previously known as simply Fløkedal, the new extended name Frøkedal & Family pays homage to the communal groove of the new album Flora which was very much a collective affair. Anne Lise Frøkedal describes the new album Flora as a record of “nature and awakening,” one that explores the human race’s inherent restlessness and ability to find connections, and through the alchemy of the album’s creation - with Anne Lise and her band playing for 10 days straight in the studio – the connection she desired was met with amazing results. An album full of songs created through the shared passion of playing together – an experience that was magical, organic, and intuitive with human connectivity at its very core. As Anne Lise explains “Flora does not worry about being heartfelt and unfiltered. ‘Flora’ let loneliness and fear, hope and nature grow wild. It is the dream of connection we all long for.”

Though originally from a small misty village on the west coast of Norway, Anne Lise’s musical background is one of well-crafted indie as an ex-member of Harrys Gym and the collective I Was A King. That full-bodied band sound sits alongside deep-rooted folk in Flora creating a sonic experience of folk-pop with skyward eyes and insatiable grooves.

The first single SØN nods to Anne Lise indie heritage with its chiming guitar, described by Anne Lise as “a pop-protest” and a song that “turns its back on the light and conventions in pursuit of a new truth.”

Heavier moments on Flora come in the almost punk-paced Familiar with its driven drums and spiralling guitar riffs, and the folk-rock of Shot-Put which would not sound out of place on Fleetwood Mac’s creative power-house album Tusk but with its roots firmly in a traditional folk sound, bringing to mind an earlier Lauran Laverne (BBC 6 Music) description of Fløkedal as “Fleetwood Mac getting on pretty well with Joni Mitchell."

Songs such as Set Your Spirit Free also brim with a traditional folk sound in its meandering melody and roots instrumentation, its multi-instrumentation constantly builds skywards layer-upon-layer, laced with hypnotising overlaid vocals.

Elsewhere on the album there’s a gentler touch, in the beguiling Window which lets Anne Lise’s sonorous vocals take centre stage, recalling the intimate heart rendering folk-pop of Nico or Marianne Faithfull - both of whom Anne Lise has been compared to.

Song like the bitter-sweet Lonely Robot sit somewhere in-between in pace, it’s melancholy unable to hide a wonderful pop-sensibility in the song-writing craftmanship, and Takedown with touches of 60’s slinky pop magic in its percussion. Then there’s the wonderful anomaly found in the raw bluesy energy of Treasure,conversely one of the album’s most powerful yet also stripped back songs.

Flora is an album of rare musical magic, a moment in time of music alchemy captured on record, where hugely talented musicians left their vulnerability at the studio door and with guards down came together to create songs with no limitations. Flora is the sound of the genuine human connection Anne Lise Fløkedal sought and the vast reaching creativity that connection can birth.

Frøkedal has previously released two albums ‘Hold On Dreamer’ (2016) and ‘How We Made It’ (2018) via Propeller Recordings to much critical acclaim across Europe and America. Coverage in the UK has included accolades such as being named ‘One to Watch’ by the Independent with the Sunday Times Culture naming Frøkedal a ‘Breaking Act’, with further glowing coverage across publications and tastemakers such as Uncut, The Line of Best Fit , DIY and CLASH - among many others - with huge support at BBC 6 Music from Mark Riley and Lauren Laverne (Recommends).

Flora was written by Anne Lise Fløkedal (vocals, bass, guitar) but fully brought to life by Anne Lise and ‘the Family’– Olav Christer Rossebø (violin, octave, violin, mandola, cümbüs), Ingeleiv Berstad (violin, octave violin, baglamas, guiro, vocals), Erlend Ringseth (Roland rs-09, prophet, pianet, pump organ), Elisabeth Mørland Nesset (drums, percussion, vocals) and Olaf Olsen (drums, percussion, vocals), with Eirik Øien playing bass on Dark Wood and double bass on Treasure and Flora. It was produced by Anne Lise Frøkedal and co-producer Bård Ingebrigtsen who also mixed the record at Amper Tone. It was mastered by George Tanderø.