The Nordic Sound

Mar 30 2025 85 ep. 47 mins 31
The Nordic Sound Podcast artwork

The Nordic Sound is a living archive of Nordic music across traditions, genres, and generations. Created by Jameson Foster, Musicologist and Nordic Folklorist of University of Colorado Boulder

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#48 - Olav Luksengård Mjelva

Mar 30 2025 66 mins  
Send us a text Over the course of his career, Olav Mjelva has become something of a face of the Hardanger Fiddle, with his fiddle being heard in settings such as Rings of Power, God of War: Ragnarök, and Marvel’s Loki. As well as being featured in over 60 studio projects, he is also well known in the Scandifolk scene for his work with Sver, the Nordic Fiddlers Bloc, Rydvall/Mjel

Frigg, "Dreamscapes" - Album Review

Mar 13 2025 9 mins  
Send us a text Celebrating their 25th anniversary this year, Frigg have long established themselves as one of the leading string bands in Nordic folk. A small army of six musicians, what has always astounded me about the band is how effectively they use their numbers to their fullest capabilities, often times in their recordings sounding like there’s a full orchestra at their dis

#47 - Ale Carr of Dreamers' Circus

Feb 25 2025 56 mins  
Send us a text A beautiful homecoming! Ale joins the channel once again from balmy California where Dreamers' Circus begin their 2025 U.S. tour to celebrate the release of their new album Handed On. In this conversation, Ale talks about the importance of music in bridging divides between cultures in tumultuous times, the Handed On project, and of course, that every present question

#46 - Norwegian Classical Music with Ola Nordal

Feb 24 2025 60 mins  
Send us a text This year, I made it a New Years' resolution for the channel that we'd finally start an honest effort in expanding the Nordic Sound into new and more diverse genres, and what better way to bring classical music back into the picture than by chatting with one of my favorite music writers. Join me in welcoming Ola Nordal (Ballade Klassisk, Store Norske Leksikon) to tal

#45 - Torulf on Musical Storytelling in Ristningar i Ginnungagap

Feb 20 2025 67 mins  
Send us a text Nordicsoundarchive.com Fredrik returns to the Nordic Sound for his second appearance to talk about Torulf's recent record Ristningar i Ginnungagap and the stories that inspire his music. Along the way, we also talk about his earliest memories as a musician, how he became Torulf, and why it's difficult to keep up with new music. Thanks for hanging out, Fredrik! Suppor

#44 - Lassi Logrén on the Tagelharpa (Jouhikko) Tradition

Feb 19 2025 91 mins  
Send us a text Jameson and Jouhikko virtuoso Lassi Logrén celebrate Finnish independence day by talking about the Jouhikko/Tagelharpa tradition, Finnish folk music, and the Tagelharpa renaissance we’re experiencing outside of traditional folk circles. We also talk about Lassi’s new solo album “Jouhikko”, why Lassi believes the instrument itself sounds human, and what we mi

#43 - Ville and Tommie

Feb 19 2025 69 mins  
Send us a text Finnish/Swedish(/Cornish?) duo Ville & Tommie join me in Nordic Sound #43 to talk about their uniquely freeform approach to performing Nordic folk music as an accordion and fiddle duo and their debut album "Stuffed Pockets". Along the way, we talk about how the duo came to be, where they come from as individual musicians, and that tricky line across tradition and

#42 (Part Two) - What is Nordic Folk Music?

Feb 19 2025 42 mins  
Send us a text In part 2 of Nordic Sound #42, Jameson and Fredrik poke and prod at the thorny question of what folk music is, what makes something folk music, and what folk music means in a Nordic context with Fredrik contributing what he learned while writing and directing the documentary "Trollstemt". I've found these conversations are almost always had behind closed doors in hus

#42 - Trollstemt Documentary with Fredrik Akselsen

Feb 19 2025 54 mins  
Send us a text Join me as I dive deep into the history of Norway's folk music tradition with Fredrik Akselsen, acclaimed director of the series "Trollstemt" - a documentary I had been keeping tabs on since Mattias Thedens of Gangar first promoted it last year. It's funny to think I hadn't the slightest idea that I'd end up having the director on the Nordic Sound for a chat, and for

#41 - Songleikr with Maria Franz and Ingrid Auné Falch

Dec 11 2024 83 mins  
Send us a text Jameson is joined by Maria Franz and Ingrid Aune Falch to talk about Songleikr's history with Midgardsblot and how important storytelling is as a part of Songleikr's music (and folk music in general). After taking us through their history with "medieval music", we get into a rather difficult and provocative discussion about what Nordic folk even is, with Maria and In