Beachheads

Beachheads is a indie rock band from the west coast of Norway.

The spark that became Beachheads was first ignited on a tour bus, as Kvelertak members Vidar Landa (guitar) and Marvin Nygaard (bass) fantasized about the endless potential of fuzzy guitars, energetic drums and good melodies. The two hard-working Kvelertak musicians had little time off, and Beachheads endured as more of a favourite dream band on days off, than a real band.

After a demo session in 2013 they hooked up with Stavanger-locals Espen, a metal drummer with a pop heart, and former synthpop-singer Børild. Together they knocked out three single tracks that quickly made a mark on playlists on both Norwegian and British national radio. The sudden success and interest came as a surprise for Beachheads who had no big plans, except for “maybe recording an album sometime”.

It soon became apparent that Børild’s drawer full of lyrics would be one of the main assets of the band. Having recently lived through the passing of his father, Børild, as the youngest son in the family has a lot to express. You have all kinds of poets, but Børild is definitely of the honest, direct kind. Whether it’s the hard realism in the grieving lyrics of Despair, Procession or Treasure Chest or the more amorous lyrics like Una and Give Me Some Love, it is all delivered with an unusual honesty, the mark of a singer with a true message.

Beachheads is the kind of band that will stay with you through life’s many twists and turns. The track sequence manifests life’s unpredictability and sharp contrasts, going from classic love songs to moments of deep despair. Their first album is brimmed with the sense a euphoric companionship, the power of trusting yourself and following your heart. Through the twelve tracks Børild establishes an ideal for us all: Truthfulness and honesty will get you through anything.

Beachheads’ power pop debut album from 2017 received great reviews, and was described as both "Catchy as fuck" by Stereogum and "Resiliently heart-heavy" by Rolling Stone Magazine. Now they’re back with a new album, where producer Frode Strømstad (of I Was a King and The No Ones, the latter featuring R.E.M.’s Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey ) has stripped the classic rock’n’roll tricks to the bone. There might be some fine power pop residues left if you listen carefully, but Beachheads sophomore album might as well be described as Love with a couple of punk records under their belt –or as a post-punk version of early Oasis, where innocence and romance goes hand in hand with social realism and dystopia.

Beachheads released their second album on Fysisk Format 4. march 2022.

Check it out here: