Firetop Mountain [Album out June 8] profile picture

Firetop Mountain [Album out June 8]

About Me


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In just two years, the members of Firetop Mountain have gone from jam sessions in a moldy, coffee-stained basement to the top of concert bills in some of Oslo’s hippest locales. Now, with the imminent release of their debut album, Indians Aren’t Afraid of Heights, the group has established itself as a legitimate rock and roll act.
Though they list Death Cab For Cutie, Radiohead, The Lemonheads and The Cure among the groups that have influenced them, Firetop Mountain are true originals. Their sound is an infectiously melodic combination of resonant guitars, frenetic percussion and arresting harmonies, punctuated by lyrics that are at once dreamy and emotionally haunting. Romanticized surrealism that you can dance to, one might call it.
The group originated in 2006, when vocalist/guitarist Michael Stensen Sollien and drummer Ola Helland-Pedersen, members of Oslo act Featherstone, parted ways with their band mates. Firetop Mountain began to take shape when Michael’s younger brother Kim Stensen Sollien signed on as lead guitarist, followed by the addition of Anne Mette Haardnes at piano. Their original bassist, Jon Øyvind Nordby, left the group in the summer of 2008 to form Valsalva; the band’s current bassist is Nils Roland Lier, who has been with the group since autumn 2008. Not long after Sollien and Pedersen’s 2007 departure, Featherstone called it quits, and the remaining members formed another group, Teddy’s Toasted; both bands are good friends to this day.
Firetop Mountain played their first live show in June, 2007, to a crowd of about 100 at Oslo’s Club Maiden. Though the venue was traditionally known for hard rock shows, Firetop’s significantly more mellow set was enthusiastically received, and the positive buzz was instantaneous. A common reaction among audience members was “this is not pop; this is rock and roll,” much to the group’s satisfaction, as this was an ideal they had labored over during rehearsals. They began to acquire a modest following, which has grown into a large, faithful fan-base and a string of successful shows in some of Oslo’s hippest locales. Some of the bands Firetop Mountain have shared billing with include Sigh & Explode, The Vineyards and Charlotte & The Co-Stars.
For their first album, Firetop Mountain enlisted in Ørnulv Brun Snortheim, a Hamar-based producer and former member of Erik Faber, Haddy N’Jie and a few good men, a well-known Norwegian rock act. The group recorded all of the album’s 12 tracks at Pipelyd Studio, in Central Oslo, during the winter and spring of 2008. More than a year later, on June 8th, Indians Aren’t Afraid of Heights will be released to the public, courtesy of both Indie Distribution and their own label, Mother Likes It Records.
The record is an ethereal blend of lively dance hall jams (‘How Can You Dance At A Time Like This?’, ‘Fatal’) and introspective ballads (‘Soul Renovation,’ ‘I Don’t Want You To Leave’), all of which showcase the group’s striking collective ability. Indians is a truly impressive debut offering, ensuring that Firetop Mountain are definitely talented and prolific enough to stand alongside their finest contemporaries in today’s alternative scene.
Brad Nehring, 2009
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Member Since: 25/02/2007
Band Website: www.firetop-mountain.com
Band Members: Kim S. Sollien - Guitars/vocals
Anne Mette HÃ¥rdnes - Keys/vocals
Michael S. Sollien - Vocals/guitars
Ola Helland-Pedersen - Drums
Nils Roland Lier - Bass
Influences: Radiohead, Ryan Adams, Jimmy Eat World, Death Cab for Cutie, Bloc Party, ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Weezer, Grandaddy, Deftones, Beezewax, Explosions in the Sky, Thin Lizzy, The Posies, Mogwai, Coldplay, Sunny Day Real Estate, My Vitriol, The Cure, Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine, Band of Horses, Motorpsycho, Foo Fighters, Matt Gray, Martin Galway, Rob Hubbard and Dr.Awesome
Sounds Like: Manic Street Preachers versus Teenage Fanclub

Record Label: Mother Likes It Records
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

Interview at Write Click Cook Listen

Weve just been interviewed on a very unusual blog. The blog is about indie music (not so special) but also about cooking (not so special either, but the combination is). Its really a stand out blo...
Posted by on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:29:00 GMT

Just one week till release!

Ok, now we're officially nervous wrecks:)
Posted by on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:49:00 GMT

Updated MySpace

Myspace page pimped out of recognition. And this was done by a person who really can't use that much HTML. Still a few glitches in the design, but I'm pretty content with what I've accomplished. Good ...
Posted by on Thu, 21 May 2009 16:44:00 GMT

We've got distribution!

We've been busy since last blog post. We've arranged a deal with Indie Distribution to distribute our record for the norwegian market. That means we will be available at retailers like Platekompaniet,...
Posted by on Sat, 09 May 2009 14:14:00 GMT

Record set for a may release

That's our goal at least. Making the cover art now. Hope to rock on a stage for you this summer. Over and out. Roger Wilco. Live long and prosper.
Posted by on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:24:00 GMT

Soul Renovation updated for 2008

We've uploaded the album-version of Soul Renovation, thereby the 2007 demo version is officially offline. You can still get it at some other websites like Lastfm and garageband but it won't be long be...
Posted by on Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:19:00 GMT

Thanks for all the fish

Photos from last night's concert at Gamla in Oslo has been uploaded to our Myspace. They were done by the talented and hardworking flatmate of Michael and Kim: Nicolai Strøm. Visit his deviantartpage ...
Posted by on Sat, 18 Oct 2008 14:24:00 GMT

Master of The Universe

We've got the master for our record now and it sounds grand, juicy and sweet at the same time. Imagine that! We've already exchanged our unmastered songs here on MySpace for the new crunchier ones. Ca...
Posted by on Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:31:00 GMT

I refuse to die before I’ve seen the inside of a tour-bus

Hi everybody. We've been blogging our thumbs and index fingers off at our home page, but only in norwegian. Time to let you "foreigners" join in on the fun too. A little re-cap might be in order. We'v...
Posted by on Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:33:00 GMT

Bønder i byen festivalen

Hosted By: Firetop Mountain When: Thursday Dec 20, 2007 at 7:00 PMWhere: MånefiskenSagveien 23Oslo, NorwayDescription:Firetop Mountain Click Here To View Event
Posted by on Thu, 13 Dec 2007 06:29:00 GMT