Ane Brun

Country of origin:

Norway

Type of music generally:

Alternative folk-pop

Most recent release, Ane Brun—Live in Scandinavia (2007); most recent album of new material, A Temporary Dive (2005)

See also:

Ane Brun's site

Comparisons:

In different ways like Kristin Hersh, Suzanne Vega, Stina Nordenstam, Julie Doiron, Dorothy Scott, Elliot Smith, Nick Drake, José González

Covers/own material:

Own and covers

General comments:

Ane Brun is strongly recommended, lovely low-key songs. (kjetilho@ifi.uio.no)

Comments about live performance:

Ane Brun, currently living in Stockholm but originally from Molde, a small town on the west coast of Norway, opened a three concert night. If I was gonna compare her to someone it would have been Mae Moore—maybe more in the way she looks than her music perhaps which very much stands on its own. Strong set of songs and a very nice debut album two months ago. She got a scene persona which really grabs you from the start, and, with short stories about the songs and whatever in between, she was for me a very pleasant surprise. She and her band really enjoy playing, and the big enthusiastic crowd that night did clearly help a lot. (7/20/03, onealien@mo.himolde.no)

I saw Ane last week supporting Tina Dico at the Borderline in London. She was excellent (as was Tina); I must get my hands on her CDs. I'd definitely see them both again. (2/7/06, muttley64@ntlworld.com)

I wanted to mention the Ane Brun show last night at Joe's Pub. Some noteworthy things:
     * I was struck by how much Ane Brun's voice sounds like Dorothy Scott's—Ane just needs a bit more warble in the upper registers to clinch it.
     * I was also surprised to hear that "Humming One of Your Songs" is from Ane's first album; it was her first single and her first video. For me, it's the most catchy and interesting thing she does (though I do like "Song No. 6"). It's a song about earworms, and it itself has been stuck in my head for over a week now, ever since I watched the video on the website to decide whether I wanted to go to the show or not.
     The video itself is clever, touching, and a bit ghoulish in a silent movie sort of way. (8/15/06, ciriwe@phobot.net)

Recommended first album:

A Temporary Dive

Recordings:

• Spending Time With Morgan (2003)
• A Temporary Dive (2005)
• Duets (2005)
• Ane Brun—Live in Scandinavia (2007)

Spending Time With Morgan

Release info:

2003—DetErMine Records—DEMCD01; V2 Records, Inc.—VVR1023772

Availability:

Wide in Europe

Ecto priority:

Highly recommended

Produced by:

Kim Nelson (1-4, 6, 8, 9); Cecilie Grudet and Katharina Nuttall (5, 7, 10, 11)

Comments:

Another artist I discovered this summer at the International Jazz Festival. She made it really had for anyone to play after her with her funny in-between songs chatter and great guitar playing. She is currently living in Sweden, but is from Norway and together with Beady Belle among the biggest talents we've got up here in this country right now. Amazing folk album this is and she sounds like a young Suzanne Vega but still very much like herself. (onealien@mo.himolde.no)

A Temporary Dive

Release info:

2005—DeErMine Records; V2 Records—63881-27307-2

Availability:

Wide

Ecto priority:

Highly recommended

Group members:

Ane Brun—vocals, acoustic guitars, backing vocals (1-3, 6), handclaps (2), sitra (8)

Guest artists:

Katharina Nuttall—percussion (1-4, 7), programming & sounds (7), piano (1-4, 7, 8), Rhodes (3), harmonium (7), celesta (1, 4), timbre pans (1), triangle (1, 7), backing vocals (1-3, 6), footsteps (3), handclaps (2), glockenspiel (5)
Staffan Johansson—electric guitars and sounds (1-3, 5, 7), lap-steel (8), electric bass (4), mandolin (8)
Micke Häggström—drums (2, 4), cymbal/ride (1), snare (3, 7), percussion (2, 4), triangle (7)
Thomas Davidowski—double-bass (2, 3), tuba (7)
Andreas Söderström—steelpans (5), acoustic guitar (8), dobro (5)
Malene Bay-Foged—celesta (4), accordion (6), string arrangements (4, 6)
Rodrigo Munoz—handclaps (2)
Ron Sexsmith—vocals (2)
Teitur—vocals and oohing (9)
Tobias Fröberg—oohing (9)
Rolf Nyqvist—horns (4)
Ulf Forsberg—strings (4, 6)
Ann Christin Ward, Jannika Gustavsson—strings (4)
Elisabeth Arnberg Ranmo, Marika Gustafsson, Kati Raitinen—strings (6)
Syd Matters—performed on U.S. bonus track "Little Lights"

Produced by:

Katharina Nuttall and Ane Brun; Syd Matters (U.S. bonus track)

Comments:

Absolutely 100% solid and awesome and haunting. Moody, depressing acoustic guitar stuff. Cites Ani Difranco as an influence, but I only hear that in the quality of some of her open tunings. Her guitar technique is strong, but more delicate than Ani. Paste's comparisons to Elliot Smith and Nick Drake are probably more accurate. Her voice also some of that same girly-but-powerful quality, but with a little bit more of that folkish, world-weary quality. I actually think Kristin Hersh comparisons would be accurate here. (timjy@sbcglobal.net)

Damn that CD is good. (onealien@mo.himolde.no)

Lovely, uncluttered pop. (JoAnn Whetsell)

One of the best of 2006. (gordodo@optonline.net)

Duets

2005—DetErMine Records—DEMCD04; V2 Records—VVR1036852

Availability:

Wide in Europe

Ecto priority:

Highly recommended

Group members:

Ane Brun

Guest artists:

Syd Matters (1)
Madrugada (2)
Teitur (3)
Lars Bygdén (4) Liv Widell (5)
Ellekari Larsson (The Tiny) (6)
Magnus Tingsek (7)
Tobias Fröberg (8)
Wendy McNeill (9)
Ron Sexsmith (10)

Produced by:

Syd Matters (1); HP Gundersen and Madrugada (2); Ane Brun (3, 5-7, 10); Lars Bygdén (4); Linus Larsson (4, 8); Katharina Nuttall (5, 10); Ellekari Larsson (The Tiny) (6); Magnus Tingsek (7); Tobias Fröberg (8); Per Wikström and Wendy McNeill (9)

Comments:

One of the best of 2006. (stjarnell@yahoo.com)

I haven't heard the whole album, but what I've heard is excellent. Includes three tracks from A Temporary Dive (US version) and a country-ish song with Lars Bygdén. (JoAnn Whetsell)

Ane Brun—Live in Scandinavia

Release info:

2007—DetErMine Records—DEMCD07

Availability:

Europe

Ecto priority:

Highly recommended

Group members:

Ane Brun—vocals, acoustic guitar, piano

Guest artists:

Staffan Johansson—electric guitar & lap steel
Nina Kinert—backing vocals, piano, percussion
Andreas Forsman (The DMF String Quintet)—violin, backing vocals
Erik Arvinder (The DMF String Quintet)—viola, backing vocals
Christopher Öhman (The DMF String Quintet)—viola, backing vocals
Erik Holm (The DMF String Quintet)—viola, backing vocals
Linnea Olsson (The DMF String Quintet)—cello, backing vocals, percussion; string arrangement (9)
Leo Svensson—string arrangement (16)
The DMF String Quintet—string arrangement (4, 8, 10, 14)
Marlene Bay Landin—all other string arrangements

Produced by:

Ane Brun

Comments:

Just beautiful, and a must-have for fans. The DMF String Quartet really sets off Ane's songs and gives them a wonderful new sound. The best tracks, like "This Voice" with pizzicato strings, seem even more introspective than their studio versions. The 18-track album includes one new song, a wonderful (and almost unrecognizable) cover of PJ Harvey's "The Dancer," and a Jeff Buckley cover. (JoAnn Whetsell)

Thanks to JoAnn Whetsell for work on this entry.