“I am a linedancer for the county/And I dance along the main road/Searchin’ in the sun for another open turn”.
Nah, try as I might I can’t get that to sound right.
But that’s of no concern to Aadal, which is demonstrating its versatility, energetic and playful side here with ‘Wichita Linedance’, wordplay on the Glen Campbell/Jimmy Webb classic and in advance of a new album in February 2026.
The intention is to blend the band’s Nordic jazz roots with a rock-oriented expression. Actually, I reckon they already blend jazz and rock better than most of their peers so this is just another step along that path.
So the track “captures the feel of wide-open spaces and spontaneous movement — a musical road trip filled with groove and joy” and “reflects Aadal’s live expression, highlighting their natural dynamics and chemistry”, they say.
Well I can confirm that they certainly have chemistry, having seen them for the second time performing live a few months ago and subsequently wondering out loud why they aren’t playing much bigger venues and festivals. And this song veers more towards their live sound and interaction, which is a bonus.
It’s a track of three parts: a slow-burning opener to set the scene, as the road trip meanders around rolling hills; followed by a mesmerising sax solo bridge as they gun it along a speed restricted road dodging the cops or through an edgy part of town; and then rounded off by what I think of as Aadal in full flow, pedal to the metal as they hit the freeway with a musical Xanadu awaiting them at the end of the rainbow in the huge sky.
That final section, which could go on a little longer for me, also features a bigger guitar contribution from Michael Aadal than we have come to expect on his songs, with some sweet licks.
“And the Wichita linedancer arrives right on time” one might say.
The song leads the way toward their forthcoming album, ‘Aggressive Hymns, Energetic Ballads’ (sounds very proggy) which is out in February 2026, followed by a release tour across Norway and the UK in spring 2026.
‘Wichita Linedance’ features the quartet with André Kassen on saxophone, Audun Ramo on bass, Gunnar Sæter on drums, and Michael Aadal on guitar. Audun plays on the recording, while Karl-Joakim Wisløff has since joined the band as the new bass player for live shows and the forthcoming tour.
Find them on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.aadal.7
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelaadal/
Bandcamp: https://aadal.bandcamp.com/
