Discography
The Good or Better Side of Things
Garness' debut album harvested acclaims in the Norwegian media such as «Playful, melodious and original», «a record to settle down with» and «pop-rock that challenge you without being exasperating». When Garness held their release-concert, the Soria Moria theatre in Oslo was filled to the brim with exited fans. This night was the Grande Finale of a five-year-long journey towards the creation of the record. The journey started with a visit to The Rocky Mountains, then brought them further to songwriting sessions and recording in the “city of country music” - Nashville, where they got to work with well-respected and distinguished producers and songwriters. However, the turning point of the story should eventually come back in Norway, in a modest living room in Oslo, where the girls equipped with a Mac, a microphone and a sound card created their debut album. The record was Garness' contribution to make a world filled with worries into a slightly lighter place, put together with a spicy melody feeling, a spot of stubbornness, a sprinkle of self-irony, and a huge portion of sisterly love.
Barnet i krybben
This Christmas album with mostly Norwegian songs represented more of a break-through for the duo. The Norwegian reviewers embraced the album and one of the most influential newspapers (Dagbladet) named it the “Norwegian Christmas Album of the Year”. The critics acknowledged the duos attempt to make a significantly different and very personal Christmas album, but still let the sweetness of tradition and “Christmasy atmosphere” remain. On this compilation of both traditional Christmas songs and own compositions, the duo developed their expression further towards a folk-pop direction, and dared to leave the music more unpolished than earlier. For a taste of this music, see their touching live performance of "O holy night" in the studio, with Ole Paus' Norwegian translation "Hellige natt".
On Christmas Eve in 2013, the name Garness became known to bigger parts of the Norwegian population, when the Norwegian broadcasting corporation (NRK) televised a concert with Garness supported by well-acclaimed artists such as Marit Larsen, Elvira Nikolaisen, Emil Nikolaisen, Karoline Krüger and Sigvart Dagsland. The program was one of the most seen on television that Christmas, and gained widespread appraisal. (Link to the full show on NRK - for Norwegian IP adresses only.)
Garness has been touring with their Christmas music nearly every December since this album came out, often with a full band. See their uplifting folk-rock version of the traditional Norwegian Christmas hymn "Her kommer dine arme små" on YouTube.
Canyons and Mountaintops
The title of this album, with solely own compositions, summes up the theme of the songs - life itself, with all it’s ups and downs. Doubt, insecurities and struggles alongside faith, optimism and love. Days of confusion and disillusion in dark canyons - and moments of revelation and revealing insight on the top of the mountain. And then some sheer fun, of course.
The songs were recorded and produced in Flanellofon recording studio that Hildegunn and her husband Torjus Vierli have build near their home in Grimstad at the south coast of Norway.
Compared to the earlier releases from the duo, there is a more powerful energy on this album. It was a goal for the duo to capture the spirit that evolves when exploring the songs creatively with their band in the studio. Bassist Tor Egil Kreken (Darling West, Marit Larsen ++), drummer Thomas Gallatin (Morten Abel, Darling West, Odd Nordstoga ++) and keyboardist and co-producer Torjus Vierli (Sigvart Dagsland, Sissel Kyrkjebø ++) was important collaborates for the duo during the creative prosess. Other contributors on the record were guitarists Øyvind Blomstrøm, Bernt Rune Stray and Kristian Kvalvaag, Jonas Kilmork Vemøy with trumpet on "Beautiful" and the acclaimed Norwegian artist Jonas Alaska with vocals on "Rescue me".
Music videos
Gåten om korset
This album is the documentation of Garness' ambitious work of composing the music for a full concert performance named "Gåten om korset". Author and poet Jostein Ørum wrote the lyrics for a total of 14 songs that tell the Easter Passion narrative in a fresh and beautiful way, viewing the dramatic events from the angle of an interesting selection of eye witnesses. Garness and their musicians went into the studio shortly after finishing their first tour with this project in March 2019, making the music available for a larger audience. The band consisted of Thomas Gallatin on drums, Christer Gracia Slaaen on electric/acoustic guitars, keys etc., Ruben F. Oma on bass and Torjus Vierli on keys. After a Covid-pandemic-forced break in 2020 and 2021, Garness has been touring with this project every year in the weeks before Easter. For more info on the project (in Norwegian), see stefanus.no.
Photographer: Øyvind Ganesh Eknes