Superfamily (band)
Encyclopedia
Superfamily is a Norwegian pop rock
band from Moss, Norway
. The band is composed of Steven Ray Wilson (lead vocals), Kim Granholt (keytar
, synthesizer), Martin Steffensen (guitar), and Richard Lorentz (drums). Anders Nielsen, Terje Krumins and Håkon Moe provide backing vocals as "choirboys".
Superfamily debuted with an EP
in 2004, called Champagne EP. Prior to the release, the band received rotation on NRK P3
and Radio Tango. The band achieved mainstream popularity with the release of their second album, Warszawa, in 2007. The same year, the band won Spellemannprisen
in the pop category.
. The band also received some publicity through NRK Urørt, a project that promotes unsigned artist
s. Eventually, the band was contacted by Kåre Vestrheim of Propeller Recordings. Vestrheim attended one of the band's concerts, but was "not particularly impressed" by their performance. After being turned down, the band decided to thoroughly review their problems, by creating a Powerpoint
presentation at the University of Oslo
, called "How to achieve something live". The band concluded that they needed more discipline on stage.
The next time the band was to perform live in front of a record company, they suffered two power outage
s. By the time the power came back, almost everyone in the audience had left. However, the Propeller Recordings representatives arrived late, and wouldn't have made it in time if it wasn't for the outages. Following the concert, Propeller agreed to sign the band.
The debut album, Back In Paris, produced by Vestrheim, was released in September 2005. The album received mediocre to positive reviews. Kikka Krog of Verdens Gang
gave the album 4/6, and noted that while the album "mostly lived up to its expectations", the latter half was not as interesting as the first. Dagbladet
s reviewer Henning Reinton characterized the album as "equal parts smart (in a good way) and stupid (also in a good way)." Two singles from the album, "It's a Lie" and "Taxi Dancing", were put into rotation by NRK P3
. Superfamily subsequently received two Alarmpris-nominations in the categories "Best song" (for "Taxi Dancing") and "Best Newcomer".
, Amy Winehouse
, and The Killers. "When we had finally finished this song ... it was incredibly inspiring that both radio stations and fans responded so well to it", Granholt later said.
Warszawa received much critical acclaim. Verdens Gangs Thomas Talseth compared the album's sound to The Killers, and also noted "clear echoes of half-forgotten British bands such as The Psychedelic Furs, The Teardrop Explodes
and Simple Minds
." He also complimented vocalist Steven Wilson for "even making clichés sound like myths". Other reviewers were equally positive. Lars Wærstad characterized the album as "world class synth, all the way up there with The Cure
, Ultravox
and Tubeway Army
." The album remained in the Norwegian charts
for seventeen weeks, and peaked at #6. Following the success, the band was booked to perform at several festivals, including Slottsfjellfestivalen, Øyafestivalen
, and Vikafestivalen
.
Superfamily received three Alarmpris-nominations in 2007, and won in the categories "Song of the year" with "The radio has expressed concerns about what you did last night", and in the "Live" category. The band also won Spellemannprisen
in the pop category, for Warszawa.
A single from the band's third album was released on May 19, 2009. The song, called "Let's go dancing", has been described as a "classic Superfamily-song, with complex arrangements over a pop beat". The album, Guns tonight, was released on 31 August 2009. The album was mostly well-received. Verdens Gang
s Stian Fjelldal rated it 6/6, while Dagbladet
and Aftenposten
were less enthusiastic, the latter giving the album 4/6.
s, or were in the progress of getting one. Vocalist Steven Wilson holds a Ph.D.
in chemistry. He defended his thesis, On-line multidimensional LC-techniques. Determinations of known and unknown compounds in limited and complex samples, in December 2007. Kim Granholt is a biologist
and Martin Steffensen is a sociologist
.
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
band from Moss, Norway
Moss, Norway
is a coastal city and a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Moss. The city of Moss was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
. The band is composed of Steven Ray Wilson (lead vocals), Kim Granholt (keytar
Keytar
A keytar is a relatively lightweight keyboard that is supported by a strap around the neck and shoulders, similar to the way a guitar is supported by a strap. Keytars allow players a greater range of movement compared to conventional keyboards, which are placed on stands...
, synthesizer), Martin Steffensen (guitar), and Richard Lorentz (drums). Anders Nielsen, Terje Krumins and Håkon Moe provide backing vocals as "choirboys".
Superfamily debuted with an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
in 2004, called Champagne EP. Prior to the release, the band received rotation on NRK P3
NRK P3
NRK P3 is one of three nation-wide analogue radio channels operated by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation . It was established as NRK's third radio channel in 1993, and focuses on youth culture: principally music, together with humour, entertainment, and health education.Over the years NRK P3...
and Radio Tango. The band achieved mainstream popularity with the release of their second album, Warszawa, in 2007. The same year, the band won Spellemannprisen
Spellemannprisen
Spellemannprisen is an award presented to Norwegian musicians for their contributions.-Operation:The award was established on the initiative of International Federation of the Phonographic Industry , an organization that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide...
in the pop category.
Formation and early years
Superfamily was formed in 2002 by Steven Ray Wilson, Kim Granholt and Martin Steffensen. They wrote and recorded songs at home, and burned "hundreds, maybe thousands" of CD's which they handed out for free. Gradually developing a small fan following, the band decided to add four new members; a bassist, a drummer, and two "choirboys". The band started playing live at local pubs and bars, and in small venues in OsloOslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. The band also received some publicity through NRK Urørt, a project that promotes unsigned artist
Unsigned artist
The term "unsigned artist" or "independent artist" is used in the music industry as a marketing technique.-History and current scene:Many unsigned artists used to sell their music and music-related merchandise without the financial support of a record label, while often seeking a recording contract...
s. Eventually, the band was contacted by Kåre Vestrheim of Propeller Recordings. Vestrheim attended one of the band's concerts, but was "not particularly impressed" by their performance. After being turned down, the band decided to thoroughly review their problems, by creating a Powerpoint
Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft PowerPoint, usually just called PowerPoint, is a non-free commercial presentation program developed by Microsoft. It is part of the Microsoft Office suite, and runs on Microsoft Windows and Apple's Mac OS X operating system...
presentation at the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
, called "How to achieve something live". The band concluded that they needed more discipline on stage.
The next time the band was to perform live in front of a record company, they suffered two power outage
Power outage
A power outage is a short- or long-term loss of the electric power to an area.There are many causes of power failures in an electricity network...
s. By the time the power came back, almost everyone in the audience had left. However, the Propeller Recordings representatives arrived late, and wouldn't have made it in time if it wasn't for the outages. Following the concert, Propeller agreed to sign the band.
The debut album, Back In Paris, produced by Vestrheim, was released in September 2005. The album received mediocre to positive reviews. Kikka Krog of Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang , generally known under the abbreviation VG, is a Norwegian tabloid newspaper...
gave the album 4/6, and noted that while the album "mostly lived up to its expectations", the latter half was not as interesting as the first. Dagbladet
Dagbladet
Dagbladet is Norway's second largest tabloid newspaper, and the third largest newspaper overall with a circulation of 105,255 copies in 2009, 18,128 papers less than in 2008. The editor in chief is Lars Helle....
s reviewer Henning Reinton characterized the album as "equal parts smart (in a good way) and stupid (also in a good way)." Two singles from the album, "It's a Lie" and "Taxi Dancing", were put into rotation by NRK P3
NRK P3
NRK P3 is one of three nation-wide analogue radio channels operated by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation . It was established as NRK's third radio channel in 1993, and focuses on youth culture: principally music, together with humour, entertainment, and health education.Over the years NRK P3...
. Superfamily subsequently received two Alarmpris-nominations in the categories "Best song" (for "Taxi Dancing") and "Best Newcomer".
Warszawa and mainstream success
Superfamily's second album, Warszawa was released on 21 May 2007. The recording of the album took six months. According to Kim Granholt, the band spent one month finishing the first single, "The radio has expressed concerns about what you did last night". The single received significant airplay, and eventually became the most played song on NRK P3 in the first half of 2007, ahead of artists such as Kaiser ChiefsKaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 1996. They were named after the South African football club Kaizer Chiefs....
, Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
, and The Killers. "When we had finally finished this song ... it was incredibly inspiring that both radio stations and fans responded so well to it", Granholt later said.
| "We went into the studio with more finished songs than what we have on the album. But sometimes when you get in the studio you have to pick them apart and build them up again. Try a lot of different things. Keys, tempos. My god, on Warszawa we tried five different tempos combined with different keys. And then we ended up with the first that we tried." |
| —Steven Wilson, vocalist. |
Warszawa received much critical acclaim. Verdens Gangs Thomas Talseth compared the album's sound to The Killers, and also noted "clear echoes of half-forgotten British bands such as The Psychedelic Furs, The Teardrop Explodes
The Teardrop Explodes
The Teardrop Explodes were an English post-punk/neo-psychedelic band formed in Liverpool in 1978. Best known for their Top Ten UK single "Reward" the group originated as a key band in the emerging Liverpool post-punk scene of the late 1970s, the group also launched the career of group frontman...
and Simple Minds
Simple Minds
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single "Don't You ", from the soundtrack of the...
." He also complimented vocalist Steven Wilson for "even making clichés sound like myths". Other reviewers were equally positive. Lars Wærstad characterized the album as "world class synth, all the way up there with The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
, Ultravox
Ultravox
Ultravox is a British New Wave rock band. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the late 1970s/early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic and New Wave movements....
and Tubeway Army
Tubeway Army
Tubeway Army were a London-based punk rock and new wave band led by lead singer Gary Numan. They were the first band of the post-punk era to have a synthesizer-based hit, with their single Are 'Friends' Electric? and its parent album Replicas both topping the UK Album Chart in mid-1979.-Line-up:The...
." The album remained in the Norwegian charts
VG-lista
VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by...
for seventeen weeks, and peaked at #6. Following the success, the band was booked to perform at several festivals, including Slottsfjellfestivalen, Øyafestivalen
Øyafestivalen
Øyafestivalen is an annual Norwegian music festival held in Middelalderparken , Oslo. It has grown quickly since its modest start in 1999 with an audience of 1000 people in one day, and has now become one of Norway's biggest festivals....
, and Vikafestivalen
Vikafestivalen
Vikafestivalen was a Norwegian pop and rock festival situated at Mo i Rana in northern Norway. It has succeeded Sjonstock, a festival arranged in the outskirts of Mo I Rana every year for 10 years until it was moved closer to the city and renamed Vikafestivalen...
.
Superfamily received three Alarmpris-nominations in 2007, and won in the categories "Song of the year" with "The radio has expressed concerns about what you did last night", and in the "Live" category. The band also won Spellemannprisen
Spellemannprisen
Spellemannprisen is an award presented to Norwegian musicians for their contributions.-Operation:The award was established on the initiative of International Federation of the Phonographic Industry , an organization that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide...
in the pop category, for Warszawa.
A single from the band's third album was released on May 19, 2009. The song, called "Let's go dancing", has been described as a "classic Superfamily-song, with complex arrangements over a pop beat". The album, Guns tonight, was released on 31 August 2009. The album was mostly well-received. Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang , generally known under the abbreviation VG, is a Norwegian tabloid newspaper...
s Stian Fjelldal rated it 6/6, while Dagbladet
Dagbladet
Dagbladet is Norway's second largest tabloid newspaper, and the third largest newspaper overall with a circulation of 105,255 copies in 2009, 18,128 papers less than in 2008. The editor in chief is Lars Helle....
and Aftenposten
Aftenposten
Aftenposten is Norway's largest newspaper. It retook this position in 2010, taking it from the tabloid Verdens Gang which had been the largest newspaper for several decades. It is based in Oslo. The morning edition, which is distributed across all of Norway, had a circulation of 250,179 in 2007...
were less enthusiastic, the latter giving the album 4/6.
Education
Superfamily is often referred to as Norway's most well-educated and academic band. At one point, every member of the band had Master's degreeMaster's degree in Europe
This page refers to types of Master's degrees in Europe. Please see Master's degree for more information.In order to facilitate the movement of students between European countries, a standardized schedule of higher education diplomas, also known as the Bologna process, was proposed: an...
s, or were in the progress of getting one. Vocalist Steven Wilson holds a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in chemistry. He defended his thesis, On-line multidimensional LC-techniques. Determinations of known and unknown compounds in limited and complex samples, in December 2007. Kim Granholt is a biologist
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
and Martin Steffensen is a sociologist
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
.
Discography
| Year | Details |
|---|---|
| 2005 | Back in Paris
|
| 2007 | Warszawa
|
| 2009 | Guns Tonight
|