Danish-Norwegian band Sunshine Lust released their second single, “Mellow Blue”, a track pulling from 60s rock ‘n’ roll and psychedelia with a dose of 90s Britpop mixed in. Songwriters Håkon Oftung (Jordsjø, ex-Tusmørke) and Esben Hegelund (ex-Berlev‘s Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel, ex-My Secret Place) started this as a duo but expanded into a full band. Dag Markhus (Fangst, Konrad Paszkudzki Trio) joined on drums, Jonas Kjærnsrød (Backstreet Girls, DePress) on bass, and Torstein Kvamme Holum (Gold Celeste, ex-Tusmørke) on guitar. Their first single, “Revolution of Love” got a live release at Brewgata in Oslo, and they’re working on a full album. “Mellow Blue” is available digitally and on 7-inch vinyl.
The lyrics paint scenes of wandering through autumn landscapes and burning candles dim at night, watching favorite records spin while dissolving into “a shapeless thing, a world of sin with nothing to lose or win.” It’s about being caught in cycles, talking through feelings with someone under oak trees and blackbirds.
Unmistakably, the music here has that quality of 70s psychedelic rock, but modernized. A visualizer of swirly colors takes over your head as the colorful harmony of that dreamy chorus plays. It’s a great texture to have in a song about love in place of traditional love song harmony. The writing and production, and overall performance here, immaculately recreate that 90s Britpop sound; it’s almost hard to believe this is a new release and in Norway!
Sunshine Lust‘s calling their sound “flower rock,” and “Mellow Blue” backs that up. The band’s got the aesthetic down without making it feel like a costume. For a second single, this shows they’ve got a clear vision and the chops to pull it off. Worth keeping on your radar as they work toward that full album.
