By Stevie Connor. Photo Credit: Emil Vestre
Amid preparations for a busy period of live appearances, Oslo-based art rock/pop outfit Dim Gray have also begun work on a new album for release in 2024. It will be the follow-up to the widely acclaimed ‘Firmament’, released in September 2022.
“Playing live last year for the first time outside of Norway really helped us develop as a band and we expect that to have an influence on the next album,” states drummer Tom Ian Klungland. “There was a significant progression between our debut, ‘Flown’, and ‘Firmament’, so our aim is to maintain that trajectory.” Hinting that the new record is likely to be more guitar-based than previous releases, with stronger folk influences, guitarist Håkon Høiberg reveals that “while certain elements are part of Dim Gray’s musical DNA, we have no interest in making the same album twice. It’s exciting to hear how our writing is developing. As well as some more concise tracks, we’ve also been working on a song that will comfortably be the longest Dim Gray have ever written!” The group are also pleased to confirm that their forthcoming UK performance in Leicester (27th May, as part of a Marillion weekend), plus the Scandinavian Prog At Sea cruise (5th-7th May), 2Days Prog +1 festival in Veruno, Italy (2nd September) and also supporting Big Big Train on their European tour (August-September), will see the return of regular live personnel Milad Amouzegar (guitars and keyboards) and Kristian Kvaksrud (bass). The schedule will conclude with three UK shows. Lead vocalist and keyboardist Oskar Holldorff adds: “We are delighted to welcome Milad and Kris back out on the road with us. We had such a good time with the guys as part of our live set-up last year. I know fans will be equally pleased to see them.” Holldorff has also recently joined Big Big Train as a band member.
DIM GRAY | LIVE 2023 05.05.23-07.05.23 OSLO (NO) - COPENHAGEN (DK) Prog At Sea Cruise 27.05.23 LEICESTER (UK) De Montfort Hall (Marillion Weekend) 26.08.23 ZOETERMEER (NL) Cultuurpodium Boerdereij * 27.08.23 HAMBURG (DE) Markthalle * 28.08.23 GOTHENBURG (SE) Stora Teatern * 29.08.23 OSLO (NO) Cosmopolite * 30.08.23 STOCKHOLM (SE) Fryshuset Klubben * 31.08.23 COPENHAGEN (DK) Viften * 02.09.23 VERUNO (IT) 2Days Prog + 1 Festival 03.09.23 BASEL (CH) Z7, Pratteln * 05.09.23 REICHENBACH (DE) Neuberinhaus * 06.09.23 COLOGNE (DE) Carlswerk Victoria * 07.09.23 ASCHAFFENBURG (DE) Colos-Saal * 08.09.23 STUTTGART (DE) Mozart-Saal * 10.09.23 EDINBURGH (UK) Queen’s Hall * 11.09.23 BIRMINGHAM (UK) Town Hall * 12.09.23 LONDON (UK) Cadogan Hall * * as special guests of Big Big Train
Photo Credit: Michael Heller
Dim Gray's current album, Firmament, Consists of twelve direct, vivid and melody-driven songs, it is a record bursting with life and colour, making for an engaging and constantly surprising journey as it weaves a route from strings-infused chamber pop, through evocative indie-folk and lush electronics and into grandiose art rock.
An ambitious artistic statement, ‘Firmament’ will appeal musically to fans of artists such as Radiohead, Sigur Rós, Steven Wilson and Tears For Fears, while thematically it explores further the landscape of melancholy and longing that was introduced on ‘Flown’, although those sensations are now contextualized in the depressions of the modern world, juxtaposed against romanticised ideas of simpler times through childhood memories interspersed with myths and superstition.
Website: dimgray.no
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