Draumir consists of Alexandra Bråten (vocals) and Jo Frøytlog (vocals, guitars, keyboards). The band’s history dates back to the mid-2000s, when the albums Draumir (nominated for a Norwegian Grammy Award, released on Playground Music) and The Island (released on Universal Music) established the band on the Norwegian music scene. At the time, various forms of melancholic rock were prominent, and Draumir found its place in this landscape. Also central to Draumir during this period were violinist Alfred Cornelius Hals and bassist Håvard Stokstad. The band’s first two albums were produced by Chris Eckman (The Walkabouts), who is particularly well known in Norway for his work with Midnight Choir. During this early phase, Draumir performed numerous concerts, starting at various underground venues in Oslo, such as Gamla, Mir, and Blue Monk, and later at larger festivals like the Storås Festival in Trondheim, the Working Class Hero Festival in Drammen, and the Roots Festival in Brønnøysund. Some time after the release of their second album, The Island, Draumir went on an indefinite hiatus.

 

In 2022, Alexandra Bråten and Jo Frøytlog revived the band, and throughout 2023 and 2024, they recorded new tracks at Athletic Sound in Halden with engineer Dag Erik Johansen. They were joined in the recordings by renowned musicians such as Torstein Lofthus (drums), Audun Erlien (bass), Ture Janson (electric guitar), Atle Nymo (saxophone and bass clarinet), and Paul Niehaus (steel guitar). Several of the new songs were released as singles throughout 2024 and received attention both in Norway, in outlets like Dagsavisen, Ballade, and Puls, and internationally on prominent music blogs like Obscure Sound (USA). In November 2024, longtime collaborator Phill Brown (Talk Talk) completed the mixing of Draumir’s third album, which will be released on Friday, December 13. The band is currently planning both concerts and new recordings for 2025.