An unusual collaborative effort tonight from UK-based independent singer-songwriter Andy LeFevre and Norwegian composer Kristian Øie Jensen.
The album, ‘Collaborations’, came out in late January but only came to my attention recently and especially this track, ‘Northern Lights’, one of 14 on the album.
‘Collaborations’ is a contemporary folk project created with fellow musicians across Europe and the United States, including a creative partnership spanning more than 20 years with Kristian Øie Jensen.
The album includes four songs written in collaboration with Kristian, developed across distance over many years and reflecting a shared musical language rooted in acoustic storytelling and atmosphere.
‘Northern Lights’ captures the spirit of this Nordic collaboration and the emotional and geographical connection that shaped much of the project.
The songs explore themes of connection, isolation and shared human experience, combining narrative songwriting with acoustic arrangements.
‘Northern Lights’ in particular grabbed my attention. In the 1990s I travelled often to Iceland for work reasons (before it was invaded by mass tourism) and the Aurora Borealis fascinated me. I recall standing on top of the Öskjuhlíð hill in Reykjavik and sensing the lights were literally within touching distance overhead.
So it’s that sort of sensation I was looking for in the song here. I have to say I didn’t really find it, or at least not until the catchy synth melody came in around halfway through.
But what I did find was something quite unique musically while at the same time channeling everything from a Strictly Come Dancing foxtrot intro to Rick Astley, The Divine Comedy, Morrissey, Bryan Ferry and Erasure. And you won’t find that combination anywhere else!
Kristian Øie Jensen composed the melody and backing arrangement for which Andy LeFevre wrote lyrics that tried to capture the mood of his music and added the vocals.
He also made a video, sometime previously, that “tries to capture the beauty of two people watching the ‘Northern Lights’”.
An undemanding song that extols the virtues of camaraderie, friendship, living for the moment and appreciating our surroundings, you can’t help but like it.
Video sourced from Kristian Øie Jensen and iStock.
Find them on:
Website: https://www.andylefevre.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andy.lefevre.75/
Bandcamp: https://andylefevre.bandcamp.com/album/collaborations (album link)
