VIIK

The pan-Scandinavian ensemble Víík, whose members hail from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, operates at the intersection of Nordic folk tradition, progressive jazz, and alternative rock. At the forefront of Víík is the charismatic Norwegian singer and songwriter Elisabeth Vik, who takes the audience on a magical journey through medieval ballads and fairy tales while redefining the musical boundaries of Nordic folk. The music magazine Gaffa writes: “Nordic primal force. New Nordic Folk at its finest. If Game of Thrones were a Nordic-mythological series, Víík would deliver the fitting soundtrack.” Víík also impresses as a fantastic live band and has successfully performed at the legendary Roskilde Festival in Denmark.

In addition to Elisabeth Vik, Víík features Annelene Toft (violin), Villads Hoffmann (cister), Morten Alkjær Lassen (harmonica), and Jakob Kragesand (double bass) from Denmark, as well as Mårten Hillbom (percussion) from Sweden.

The new album “Sagt” includes cheerful ballads like “Jeg Har Fått Den” and up-tempo tracks like “Fanteguten” and “En Gang Til,” while the opener “Huginn” showcases the wide range of both the band and Elisabeth Vik. There are also quieter pieces like “Gjendines Bånsull” and “Hjemme,” which closes the album emotionally.

“When I wrote this album, I explored the boundaries of what is allowed and what is not in Nordic folk. The genre is deeply rooted in traditions and rules, and my job as an artist is to question things. I found these boundaries and crossed them as best as I could. From a sound perspective, I wanted to avoid the sound of perfection and digitization, which seems to be a new requirement for the music of our time. I wanted our humanity as musicians to shine through. I also strived to capture some of the grand energy of our live shows on the album without relying on effect processors and digital solutions,” writes Elisabeth Vik about the new album “Sagt.”

Elisabeth Vik grew up in northern Norway. At the age of 18, she left her home and has since traveled the world for 19 years. She sang folk songs in the subways of New York, taught Western singing techniques at an Indian music conservatory, studied with Carnatic singers, worked with marching bands in Japan, big bands in Australia, recorded with Italian jazz musicians, and Bulgarian and Bosnian vocal groups in Denmark.