Having returned triumphant from their European tour as guests of prog behemoths Big Big Train in late 2023, Norwegian art rock/pop act Dim Gray immediately began work on what will become their third album. The first result of their latest recordings is their new single, ‘Murals’, a song that packs plenty of punch with the distinctive sounds coaxed out of his instrument by guitarist and co-vocalist Håkon Høiberg that have become his trademark.
‘Murals’ has been written and is sung by Høiberg, with Bruce Soord of The Pineapple Thief behind the mixing desk. “I wanted to delve deeper into the Norwegian folk music heritage and was inspired by the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle and its unique melodic sound,” explains Høiberg. “Combining it with a primal, upbeat soundscape to craft the various parts of the song, it resulted in a sound that you rarely hear played by an electric guitar.”
The song’s lyric centres around the fact that whenever somebody finds themselves at a crossroads in their life, someone else has already been in the exact same situation. It is an important perspective to have, especially for those running the risk of losing themselves in their thoughts.
Having recruited Milad Amouzegar (guitars and keyboards) and Kristian Kvaksrud (bass) as permanent group members in the late summer of 2023, ‘Murals’ marks the first release by Dim Gray as a quintet, kicking off what promises to be an exciting year with further singles followed eventually by their third album.
Dim Gray came together in Oslo in 2013 while studying music. Spending years perfecting their sound, the trio of Oskar Holldorff (vocals and keyboards), Håkon Høiberg (guitar and vocals) and Tom Ian Klungland (drums) issued their debut album ‘Flown’ in 2020 to rave reviews. They were subsequently picked up by Big Big Train’s own label English Electric Recordings, who released ‘Firmament’ in 2022 to similar acclaim. The group have promoted both records around the UK and in mainland Europe with a number of shows guesting with Marillion and Big Big Train.