The Nordic Sound Channel

The Nordic Sound Channel The Nordic Sound is a living archive for Nordic music across traditions, genres, and generations.

Live from the Pike's Peak Center in Colorado Springs, Einar and Jameson sit down for a retrospective on Wardruna’s “Birn...
09/21/2025

Live from the Pike's Peak Center in Colorado Springs, Einar and Jameson sit down for a retrospective on Wardruna’s “Birna” and the historic Fire in the Mountains festival in Montana this past July.

Jameson Foster is an ethnomusicologist at the University of Colorado Boulder specializing in Nordic music traditions.

Thumbnail photo: Morten Munthe

Patreon.com/nordicsound

The Nordic Sound is supported by its patrons:
Mike
Trevor
Bar
Monica
Ember
George
Bets
Carrie
Gen
Leigh
Mike
Cindy
Clayton
Drake
Eric
Jamie
Julia
Mary
Michael
Michael
Sean
Simon
Tony

You too can support the project at patreon.com/nordicsound

Live from the Pike's Peak Center in Colorado Springs, Einar and Jameson sit down for a retrospective on Wardruna’s “Birna” and the historic Fire in the Mount...

Live from Midgardsblot, MÍO returns to the Nordic Sound for a second time for an interview about their signing with ByNo...
09/07/2025

Live from Midgardsblot, MÍO returns to the Nordic Sound for a second time for an interview about their signing with ByNorse, their new album "Hva Nå", and how they use creatures of folklore to tell their stories about modern issues through their lyrics.

If you haven't already, please check out their latest record, "Hva Nå?" over on Bandcamp: https://mioofficial.bandcamp.com/album/hva-n

Live from Midgardsblot, MÍO returns to the Nordic Sound for a second time for an interview about their signing with ByNorse, their new album "Hva Nå", and ho...

In this installment of the Nordic Sound live from Midgardsblot, Jameson the Garden Gnome is joined by Mathias Dahlsveen ...
08/24/2025

In this installment of the Nordic Sound live from Midgardsblot, Jameson the Garden Gnome is joined by Mathias Dahlsveen of Norwegian folk metal band Vanvidd for a chat about the band's history and how they approach their own style of folk metal in their latest album Avlivsritualer. Featuring special guest, Borrepus

I highly recommend checking out Vanvidd's discography, and especially Avlivsritualer, if you haven't already.

Avlivsritualer: https://vanvidd.bandcamp.com/album/avlivsritualer
My review: https://www.nordicsoundarchive.com/album-reviews/vanvidd-avlivsritualer

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The Nordic Sound is supported by its patrons:
Trevor
Bar
Monica
Ember
George
Bets
Carrie
Gen
Leigh
Mike
Cindy
Clayton
Drake
Eric
Jamie
Julia
Mary
Michael
Michael
Sean
Simon
Tony

You too can support the project at patreon.com/nordicsound

In this installment of the Nordic Sound live from Midgardsblot, Jameson the Garden Gnome is joined by Mathias Dahlsveen of Norwegian folk metal band Vanvidd ...

After many requests, the Nordic Sound has returned! Head on over to spotify to find the best playlist for discoverin...
08/22/2025

After many requests, the Nordic Sound has returned! Head on over to spotify to find the best playlist for discovering new Nordic music from this year. The best part? It’s a living playlist, so as I find new things (and new things get released), the playlist will grow throughout the year. By the end of each year, these playlists will paint a beautiful collage of the vibrant Nordic music scene in all of its diversity and variation.

Tusen takk!
-Jameson

Playlist · Jameson Foster · 17 items · 1 saves

Johannes Geworkian Hellman is one of the foremost names in the Nordic folk music sphere today, impressing audiences the ...
07/24/2025

Johannes Geworkian Hellman is one of the foremost names in the Nordic folk music sphere today, impressing audiences the world over with his acrobatic and innovative approach to an often underestimated instrument - the Hurdy-Gurdy.

Johannes sits down with Jameson for Nordic Sound 56 for a profound episode to reflect on his Hurdy-Gurdy journey and his own identity as a musician, the story of his acclaimed gurdy/accordion duo Symbio with Lars Emil Öjeberget, and his recent collaboration with highly regarded kantele player Maija Kauhanen.

I think this is an especially important episode for the musicians who follow the channel, as Johannes offers some profound insight and perspective on what it means to be a musician in the 21st century.

Johannes Website: https://www.johannesgeworkianhellman.se/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johannesgeworkianhellman/

Symbio: https://symbiomusic.com/
Maija Kauhanen & Johannes Geworkian Hellman: https://www.kauhanenhellman.com/

Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
2:07 Johannes’ Hurdy-Gurdy Journey
19:20 The Hurdy-Gurdy in Swedish Tradition
26:44 Symbio
50:55 Migrating with Maija Kauhanen
1:01:37 Advice for Aspiring Musicians
1:10:03 Solo Project
1:21:20 Some spiritual perspectives on musicianship

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The Nordic Sound is supported by its patrons:
Bar
Monica
Ember
George
Bets
Carrie
Gen
Leigh
Mike
Cindy
Clayton
Drake
Eric
Jamie
Julia
Mary
Michael
Michael
Sean
Simon
Tony

You too can support the project at patreon.com/nordicsound

Johannes Geworkian Hellman is one of the foremost names in the Nordic folk music sphere today, impressing audiences the world over with his acrobatic and inn...

Pøbel, "In Amicis" - Album Review on the Nordic Sound"Pøbel is a band that plays captivating and danceable medieval musi...
07/21/2025

Pøbel, "In Amicis" - Album Review on the Nordic Sound

"Pøbel is a band that plays captivating and danceable medieval music performed on a multitude of instruments such as the hurdy-gurdy, vielle, bagpipes, lute, shawm and various medieval drums. Bringing authentic instruments, tunes and costumes on to the stage Pøbel is not only a qualified guess on how a renowned “dance band” might have looked like in the late 1400s – it is also one of most busy and ambitious medieval bands in Denmark today! … ”Pøbel” is an old Scandinavian word for ”mob” or ”crowd” and as the name suggests, the approach to the music is that of the common man i.e. the music that ordinary people could have experienced at the faire or at other festive occasions around medieval Europe."

Pøbel is a band that plays captivating and danceable medieval music performed on a multitude of instruments such as the hurdy-gurdy, vielle, bagpipes, lute, shawm and various medieval drums. Bringing authentic instruments, tunes and costumes on to the stage Pøbel is not only a qual

"Hailing from Agder, what pulls me in with Vanvidd’s folk metal style is their unique and conscientious focus on 19th ce...
07/15/2025

"Hailing from Agder, what pulls me in with Vanvidd’s folk metal style is their unique and conscientious focus on 19th century romanticism and folklore which I have previously only gotten from bands such as Finntroll, or TrollfesT’s 2019 Norwegian Fairytales. Considering this is the century that gave the world Asbjørnsen and Moe’s internationally acclaimed Norwegian Fairytales (as well as Edvard Grieg, Theodore Kittelsen, Henrik Ibsen, and Edvard Munch, just to name a few), this era is rich with potential inspiration to draw from."

Check out my latest review of Vanvidd's "Avlivsritualer" over on nordicsoundarchive.com

Hailing from Agder, what pulls me in with Vanvidd ’s folk metal style is their unique and conscientious focus on 19th century romanticism and folklore which I have previously only gotten from Finntroll , and TrollfesT ’s 2019 Norwegian Fairytales . Considering this is the century that gave the

Björn Kaidel (, Plønk) joins Nordic Sound #55 to talk about how the Scandinavian folk revival of recent decades is lead...
07/13/2025

Björn Kaidel (, Plønk) joins Nordic Sound #55 to talk about how the Scandinavian folk revival of recent decades is leading to renewed interest among German musicians to reclaim a folk music tradition of their own. Diving deeper, Björn and Jameson discuss the importance of medieval folk/rock bands such as In Extremo and Faun in keeping some semblance of folk music alive in Germany, how the folk revival is using archival work and manuscripts to reclaim a lost tradition, and the old connections between all folk musics of Europe and beyond before they became a matter of national identity.

Of course, we then tie all of this together in talking about Björn’s project Plønk and the reclaiming of the Waldzither as a German folk instrument, and his work with his wife in Akleja that could fool anyone into believing he’s Swedish (the name Björn doesn’t hurt).

Timestamps:
0:00 Overture
1:59 Introductions
5:50 Getting into Scandifolk
11:11 Where’s the German folk music scene?
44:02 Why Folk Music?
51:24 Plønk and the Waldzither
1:08:32 Akleja

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The Nordic Sound is supported by its patrons:
Bar
Monica
Ember
George
Bets
Carrie
Gen
Leigh
Mike
Cindy
Clayton
Drake
Eric
Jamie
Julia
Mary
Michael
Michael
Sean
Simon
Tony

You too can support the project at patreon.com/nordicsound

Björn Kaidel (Akleja, Plønk) joins Nordic Sound #55 to talk about how the Scandinavian folk revival of recent decades is leading to renewed interest among Ge...

Please join me in welcoming the inimitable Mia Guldhammer to Nordic Sound #54. Performing with acts such as Virelai, Ma...
06/15/2025

Please join me in welcoming the inimitable Mia Guldhammer to Nordic Sound #54. Performing with acts such as Virelai, Mallebrok, and now Guldganger, Mia has long made a name for herself as a passionate keeper and performer of the Scandinavian ballad tradition at Medieval markets and reenactments, as well as a celebrated vocalist in the Danish folk music scene. Mia takes us through her experience in both, diving deep into the enchanting world of medieval balladry, how we keep them alive (and meaningful) today, and how we can bridge the worlds of traditional folk music and medieval reenactment.

Mia, thank you so much for joining the Nordic Sound, it was an absolute pleasure to nerd out with someone as passionate and knowledgeable as yourself.

0:00 Overture
1:46 Introduction
4:06 Mia’s Musical Upbringing
12:29 Medieval Ballads
25:24 Danish Folk Music
51:40 Medieval Markets and Reenactments

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The Nordic Sound is supported by its patrons:
Bar
George
Bets
Carrie
Gen
Leigh
Mike
Cindy
Clayton
Drake
Eric
Jamie
Julia
Mary
Michael
Michael
Sean
Simon
Tony

You too can support the project at patreon.com/nordicsound

Please join me in welcoming the inimitable Mia Guldhammer to Nordic Sound #54. Performing with acts such as Virelai, Mallebrok, and now Guldganger, Mia has l...

Most known through her bands Diket and Ævestaden, Levina Storåkern joins Nordic Sound #53 to talk about her recently re...
06/08/2025

Most known through her bands Diket and Ævestaden, Levina Storåkern joins Nordic Sound #53 to talk about her recently released solo endeavor “Månadsvill”. Captivated on the first listen by her unique and charming style of melancholic folk songs, Jameson sits down with this rising star to talk about her songwriting process and the inspirations that went into the record, as well as learning more about her journey as a folk musician. Along the way, we also get into a pretty interesting discussion about how we understand others through their music, and the importance of understanding what kind of musician you are so you can thrive. You can’t teach a butterfly to bark, after all.

Come join us in Nordic Sound 53 to hear more!

Album link: https://levinastorakern.bandcamp.com/album/m-nadsvill

0:00 Overture
1:25 Introduction
9:00 Levina’s story
21:03 Is folk music cool again?
35:39 Understanding others through their music
42:05 The Kantele
50:42 Musicians, artists, and virtuosos
1:00:14 Månadsvill

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The Nordic Sound is supported by its patrons:
George
Bets
Carrie
Gen
Leigh
Mike
Cindy
Clayton
Drake
Eric
Jamie
Julia
Mary
Michael
Michael
Sean
Simon
Tony

You too can support the project at patreon.com/nordicsound

https://youtu.be/FhnwrQLFGlc

Most known through her bands Diket and Ævestaden, Levina Storåkern joins Nordic Sound #53 to talk about her recently released solo endeavor “Månadsvill”. Cap...

Painting vivid impressionistic landscapes through their ancient instruments, Nordic folk titans Maija Kauhanen and Johan...
06/04/2025

Painting vivid impressionistic landscapes through their ancient instruments, Nordic folk titans Maija Kauhanen and Johannes Geworkian Hellman join forces on their debut album Migrating. Each of these musicians are icons of their respective instruments, so I have been fairly curious in the lead up to this record to see how these musicians were going to pull off blending these instruments which, despite being rather ancient, have seldom been put together, and certainly not at this caliber.

Album link: https://kauhanenhellman.bandcamp.com/album/migrating
Review link: https://www.nordicsoundarchive.com/album-reviews/migrating

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The Nordic Sound is supported by its patrons:
George
Bets
Carrie
Gen
Leigh
Mike
Cindy
Clayton
Drake
Eric
Jamie
Julia
Mary
Michael
Michael
Sean
Simon
Tony

You too can support the project at patreon.com/nordicsound

Painting vivid impressionistic landscapes through their ancient instruments, Nordic folk titans Maija Kauhanen and Johannes Geworkian Hellman join forces on ...

Faber Horbach of Sowulo joins the Nordic Sound for episode 52 to talk about Sowulo’s origins, the recent tour, and walk ...
06/01/2025

Faber Horbach of Sowulo joins the Nordic Sound for episode 52 to talk about Sowulo’s origins, the recent tour, and walk us through the band’s development from Alvenrad to Wurdiz. We also get into a pretty good discussion about artistic integrity when bridging music, mythology, and history. Thanks for hanging out, Faber!

0:00 Intro
1:08 Europoean Tour, Echoes and Mervailles, Opening for Heilung
12:52 Early Sowulo
26:30 Alvenrad
29:34 Sol
35:08 Artistic Integrity
47:39 Mann
55:56 Grima
1:03:20 Wurdiz
1:14:16 What’s Next?

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The Nordic Sound is supported by its patrons:
George
Bets
Carrie
Gen
Leigh
Mike
Cindy
Clayton
Drake
Eric
Jamie
Julia
Mary
Michael
Michael
Sean
Simon
Tony

You too can support the project at patreon.com/nordicsound

Faber Horbach of Sowulo joins the Nordic Sound for episode 52 to talk about Sowulo’s origins, the recent tour, and walk us through the band’s development fro...

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