Bernhoft

Jarle Bernhoft has a new album coming out in 2023, a fact that surprises the man himself.  The Norwegian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist intended to have a break from recording this year. Now, he finds himself reaching back out to the world with new music and a new outlook, propelling himself back to a global stage with a renewed ambition.

You may have first come across a young Jarle as lead singer of rock power quartet Span. He lived in North London where he enjoyed critical acclaim and a cult following. After they disbanded in 2005, he went solo, and soul, as Bernhoft.  He employed live looping techniques, using a loop pedal to layer his vocals and instrumental parts, creating intricate and dynamic arrangements.

The single "C'mon Talk," became a viral sensation showcasing this, earning Bernhoft millions of views on YouTube and introducing him to a global audience. This culminated in the international success of ‘Islander’ (2014), an album that explored themes of identity and self-discovery, blending elements of folk, pop, and R&B. 

The album received critical acclaim and further solidified Bernhoft's reputation as a musical innovator.  He became the first non-American to be nominated for the Best R&B Album Grammy.

His profile swelled with appearances on the Conan O’Brien and Ellen De Generes shows, he was about to embark on a huge US tour and then, as far as the rest of the world was concerned, he disappeared.

“I lived in New York City for two years. Then my manager died,” he explains of his close friend who was his partner throughout his career, “My ambitions have always been more about music and less about success. He took my music and was ambitious. He had the brains, I had the music.