‘Colorful White Lies’
– New album out now!
After 17 electric singles and 3 high voltage EP releases, Electric High’s first fully charged album is finally here! Colorful White Lies is out September 27th through Apollon Records.
Colorful White Lies – the album – is a majestic manifestiation of the Norwegian rock outfit Electric High’s early days. Although consisting of eleven songs (plus two bonus tracks on CD and streaming) which span across several recording sessions spread over four years, this album truly holds a distinct red thread, in all its diversity. From the ferocious energy of opening track, Sun, and stomping sing-along anthem, Harder to Justify, the album twists and turns via the more modern-sounding title track Colorful White Lies, sweaty high octane rockers like Wasted and Cyclone, and swaggering classic rock tunes like Go Easy on my Heart and Rough Diamond. The album culminates in its heaviest and darkest moment, with the latest single, Weeping Gods. All in all, Colorful White Lies really stands out as the colorful journey through time and terrain as it actually is. But nontheless, with a solid signature sound.
Electric High was apparently conceived when members of Faith Circus, Sahg and Emmerhoff & The Melancholy Babies clashed during a drunken night out in Bergen, Norway, in 2019. In fact, a night so drunken, that none of the members actually recalls the band being formed. So, there’s a real possibility that Electric High doesn’t really exist … Anyways. From the get-go, it was clear that the band’s most deadly weapon was the two lead singers, in front of a classic power trio of guitar, bass and drums, which elevated the band to a whole new level of electric power. The two loud-mouthed frontmen opened up for creative opportunities that became a trademark for Electric High’s sound and songwriting. Writing sessions and rehearsals commenced, and the band’s expression gradually took form, with its special blend of alternative rock and classic hard rock, kind of like if Rival Sons and Royal Blood had crashed the stage at an Aerosmith concert.
Colorful White Lies is produced by Electric High. Recorded and mixed in Solslottet Studio, Bergen, Norway, co-produced and engineered by Iver Sandøy, and in Havnelageret Studio, Bergen, Norway, engineered by Daniel Birkeland. Mastered at Solslottet Studio, Bergen, Norway, by Iver Sandøy.
WEEPING GODS starts a-rollin’ like an unstoppable steam train, spewing out black smoke. It is tons heavier, buckets grittier and a hundred shades murkier than anything you heard coming from these parts before. The steam train rolls in at its first station, in the vast polar desert, and two unison vocals take over, almost whispering the first verse of the gospel: «I drank the tears of the Weeping Gods, may all of my days be blessed …» Sin, confess, and sin again. Hit the repeat button on this one, and you will have a damn good time, guaranteed!
CROOKS opens with the sounds of percussive harmonica, marching footsteps and humming vocals. But don’t worry about the quiet start, there is enough rock ‘n’ roll energy poured into the stew when the full band kicks in. The guitar riff, bass line and drum beat slams in like a hammer, complete with ooh-ooh vocals in the background, and the two lead singers spitting out their message: there’s always someone waiting to rip you off wherever you turn. So, watch out for Crooks!
FLICKING THE BEES is a swaggering rock ’n’ stroller that stands in contrast to the our many more upbeat past releases. It builds in intensity throughout, from a pretty light-headed, easy-going start, to ending in a quite frantic vibe, with the characteristic screaming from the two lead singers, PV Staff and Olav Iversen. The lyrics pretty much bring across the message that if your keep on flicking the bees, they will eventually get back at you and sting you fiercely. It’s gonna hurt. So don’t act stupid. Stop wasting time on silly stuff. Do good. Be cool. And you’ll be alright.
Listen to Flicking the Bees here >
SEVEN WONDERS is a song about taking it more than a few steps too far and biting far more than you can chew. Sometimes you end up promising too much in order to get what you want. One day I’ll build you the seven wonders, PV Staff and Olav Iversen sing in the chorus. That sums it up nicely. The intense rock vocals boast ridiculous promises based on historical myths of Zeus, Helios, King Nebukadnesar of Babylon, and the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Listen to Seven Wonders here >
CYCLONE starts with the line ‘FFFFFFF-F-F-F-F-Faster, I’m your ringmaster’ and blasts on with full force with a pounding upbeat groove, which kind of reminds you of Rocks by Primal Scream, handclaps and all. With some crazy la-la-la’s on the chorus, Cyclone races on like an unstoppable wild animal being chased around the ring, trying to escape the Ringmaster’s whip.
WALLS FALL DOWN seems like an easygoing, airy little piece of melodic rock to begin with, carried by a catchy guitar theme and a steady drum beat. But as usual, Electric High won’t leave it at that. The song takes flight into a huge refrain, that invites everyone to join in. Besides the title track, the EP includes three previously released tracks, plus another brand new song. The second new track, peculiarly entitled Have I Ever Let You Down?, is an eerie dose of horror rock, clearly inspired by Bowie at his darkest and most psychedelic. The chorus, however, gives you the full weight of Electric High’s power, with one of the band’s heaviest outputs so far.
Listen to the Walls Fall Down EP here >
COLORFUL WHITE LIES could make you wonder if you’re supposed to dance, or if you’re supposed to rock. The answer could be both. But when the chorus kicks in, there shouldn’t be a doubt. That sleazy, heavy, Skynyrd meets Aerosmith-sounding riff should absolutely make you want to rock. Or dance. You choose. Either way, the vibe is high. It’s Electric High!
Listen to Colorful White Lies here >
ROUGH DIAMOND brings them back on the rock ’n’ roll track. Rough Diamond sets off like a wild rock ’n’ rollercoaster, hitting it off with an explosive riff, and into a pounding, drum-driven verse, with the two lead singers battling away about hazardous conduct in life, love and gambling. The song slides into a quieter, funky little pre-chorus, and takes off again into the big, soaring refrain. It races on through the highs and lows of a dynamic, rocky landscape, and reaches its climax in a frantic finale.
Listen to Rough Diamond here >
POPULATE THE MOON starts quietly with the pulse of a heartbeat and a sneaky, strolling bass line, before an intense vocal leads us through the verse. The song explodes into a thumping pre-chorus, before the powerful refrain suggests we should be looking for a better place to swoon, and populate the moon. The track twists and turns for another round, before the final part takes is on a cosmic, psychedelic ride in orbit around the moon, and escalates to a complete audial chaos, as we approach the lunar surface and go in for landing.
Listen to Populate the Moon here >
SUN kicks off with a pounding, double kick drum intro that could make you think Philthy ‘Animal’ Taylor was back from the dead. But he’s not. It’s Electric High kicking off their arguably most energy-loaded track so far. Singers PV Staff and Olav Iversen battle in well-known fashion for bringing across the story of a ruler who longs for a tiny glimpse of the sun, while being imprisoned by his subjects for seven years. Marius Mørch’s crazy guitar work, backed by the power-charged rhythm section containing of bass player Einride Torvik and drummer Tor Bjarne Bjelland, takes Sun to yet another level of ferocious energy. So buckle up – ‘cos this one goes to eleven!
REACH OF YOUR LOVE – Electric High’s second EP, came out in July 2021, fronted by two high-voltage power-blasting new tracks, as well as three previously released tracks. The title track, Reach Of Your Love, is a high-pace riff-driven rocker, which winds up in a complete chaos towards the end. Much like how things can turn if you have too many lovers in play at the same time. The other new track on the EP is called Rock Classic – a «love song» to the thrill of live rock music, to going on stage in front of a crowd and exchanging and enjoying the magic of loud rock ’n’ roll. It is an output of something that’s been sorely missed through the long-lasting pandemic. For being a love song, Rock Classic is quite hard-rocking, so don’t let that tag fool you.
Listen to Reach Of Your Love >
AFTER THE FIRST few notes of Electric High’s new single, FIRE!, it is clear that the band has fully recovered from the shaky «hangover» of their previous release, Trembling Bones. Where the last single started off easy with an acoustic/percussive intro, FIRE! ignites with full electric power from the get-go, with a thumping main riff and a sing-along chorus that keeps the flame burning to the very end! Listen to Fire! here. Like every Electric High single, it is followed by a music video well worth watching. The video was directed by singer PV Staff, and captures the burning energy of the song perfectly!
TREMBLING BONES came together down after a hard night out, during a heavy hangover. Singer PV Staff and guitarist Marius Mørch woke up, equally devestated by last night’s escapades, each with an idea for a new song. One called up the other, and two songs turned into one, about the way they felt when they woke up that day – with pounding headaches, death-breaths, stomachs turning, vague memories of what happened the night before, and – trembling bones. The track was recorded at Solslottet Studios, in Bergen, Norway, produced by Iver Sandøy. Take a listen, and feel the hangover!
IN MARCH 2021, Electric High put out an EP named Go Easy On My Heart, after having put out five singles over the last year. Besides containing three previously released tracks, the EP features two brand new tracks. The title track, Go Easy On My Heart, kicks off the party, strolling along with effortless swagger through the opening verse, with just singer PV Staff’s vocal and an electric guitar pulling the full weight confidently alone, before the whole band hits you in the gut on verse number 2. The chorus takes the good vibes to a whole new level, and the rock’n’roll party has officially begun! Sexy One is the second brand new tune on the EP. This 2-minute high voltage energy bomb hits it off at full speed with a ripping guitar riff, and brings back a vocal tradition that’s remained forgotten since The Who’s My Generation – the st-st-stutter.
MORNING STAR shows the darker side of Electric High, starting off in a mysterious musical shadowscape filled with religious undertones and occult mystery, before the second half of the song escalates into a dark and pure rock ’n’ roll thrill!
Listen to Morning Star >
SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY is an insidious track that builds from a single drum groove, sneaking into a sly, bass-pumping verse, with vocals accusing a mischievous lover of foul play, before it explodes with the guitar-ripping chorus, and never looks back. Listen to Sleeping With The Enemy. Sleeping With the Enemy gives new meaning to the famous quote from The Godfather, Part II: «Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer».
WAITING WITH A GUN is the band’s third single, and their hardest-hitting output so far. Listen to Waiting With A Gun here! The band shoots out their heaviest loaded riffs and hardest blasting drums, while singers PV Staff and Olav Iversen scream their throats out, ranting about everything from unemployed lifestyle to world politics. The music video for the new track is scripted, directed, produced and edited entirely by the band itself, and features an absolutely furious band performance, with loads of weapons-related clips flashing across the scene, creating the harsh, aggressive aesthetics of the video.
SECOND SINGLE, Reproducing Man, gives you an electric overdose of blistering riffs, a gut-kicking groove, and a chorus that is hard not to sing along to. Listen to it here! It introduces a music video that picks up right where the previous one ended. Electric High's debut single, Harder To Justify, was released January 24, with a music video cut from the mobile footage of a wild concert audience at an Electric High concert. Check it out here! The show turned into a wild rock'n'roll party that went completely out of hand. Now nobody wants to book the band to do a gig. But maybe their bad-ass manager, played by Norwegian actor legend Helge Jordal, and Fredrik Saroea of Datarock can help? This video brings the rock'n'roll story of Electric High to new electric heights!
ELECTRIC HIGH is a high voltage rock band from Bergen, Norway, influenced by bands like Wolfmother, Aerosmith and Black Sabbath. This band goes straight for the throat, fronted by two in-your-face lead singers, with a guitarist, bassist and drummer who shoot out pure electric power. The members hail from bands like Sahg, Faith Circus and Emmerhoff & The Melancholy Babies.
GET ELECTRIFIED!
Electric High is:
PV Staff — vocals
Olav Iversen — vocals
Marius Mørch — guitars
Einride Torvik — bass
Tor Helge Opdahl — drums
Francisco Munoz © 2022
Kjetil Tofte © 2022
Photo by Kjetil Tofte.