Poor Rich Ones

Norway's Poor Rich Ones have received both critical and public acclaim with their ethereal vocals and extraordinary melancholic pop. In 1998, the band won the Spellemannsprisen, which is the Norwegian equivalent of the Grammy Awards for their second album From the Makers of Ozium. Poor Rich Ones have been acclaimed as one of the most exciting new acts to come out of Norway. CMJ writes, "William's cool falsetto makes sure you remember each song's melody, and underneath, there's plenty more to grab you… sharp electric guitar parts… and keyboard gurglings give these songs an open-ended feel."

Their debut album, Naivety's Star was recorded in an old apartment in their hometown, Bergen, west coast in Norway, and released in 1995. The first single, "Mummy," was on the play list of a national radio station in Norway for more than two months and sold over 1,500 copies, and lead them to the success of From the Makers of Ozium. After the release of the second album, the band did extensive touring in the U.S., UK, and their home country. Their shows have received great reviews in Music Week, NME, and others.

In 1999, they had several releases. First, they surprisingly released a single, "Hunting High and Low," the cover of A-ha's hit song, and recorded the soundtrack of the film Besteborgere (Soundtrack EP (Besteborgere)), contributed two songs to the soundtrack of Thomas Robsahm's popular comedy S.O.S., and then released the UK single "Small Glimpse."

The U.S. debut album, Happy Happy Happy, produced by Mark Trombino (Jimmy Eat World, Blink 182), is their third and most accessible album. The album features the evocative and powerful vocals of lead singer William and takes the listener through 11 tracks of perfectly crafted music. Already successful in their home country where in the past they have been compared to Radiohead, REM, and Manic Street Preachers, Happy Happy Happy will bring Poor Rich Ones to the wider international audience that they undoubtedly deserve.

During the recording of Happy Happy Happy, the original guitarist, Espen decided to leave the band for personal reasons. Willam (vocals & guitars), Ludwig (drums), and Tor (bass) continued the recording as a trio, and before the tour in October 2000, the new guitarist, Eivind, joined the band.

The Poor Rich One's scintillating performance at SXSW '99 music conference in Austin, TX, was attended by several radio music directors who invited the band to be part of the "Nuts and Bolts of Post Modern Rock Radio" panel the following day. Directors from stations all over the U.S. listened to cuts From Makers of Ozium with favorable reviews. The band has a plan to come back to the States for the first major tour in Spring 2001.