Lasse Lokøy releases new album '& The Roommates' out today, 9th January

Norwegian artist and producer Lasse Lokøy today releases new album '& The Roommates', out now on Glimten Records. With the album release, Lokøy is sharing a new video shot on Venice Beach, LA for new focus single 'Tag Along Again' - which finds Lokøy offering free massages in exchange for stories of lost love.

Written on the cliffs of Elysian Heights in Los Angeles, where Lokøy spent three years immersed in studio life working closely with the likes of Toro y Moi, Uffie and Om’Mas Keith, new album ‘& The Roommates’ is the first released under his birth name, following the acclaimed 2021 full-length ‘Badminton’ as Lokoy. Where that earlier work leaned toward production as its identity, ‘& The Roommates’ brings voice, vulnerability and camaraderie to the foreground - with songs coming together fast and imperfect by design - nodding to touchstones including Dinosaur Jr., Modest Mouse and Fazerdaze.

Across the ‘& The Roommates’ track list, stories unfold like a private photo album turned inward, capturing different emotional temperatures – sometimes melancholy, sometimes mischievous – shaped by the musicians who became Lokøy’s closest collaborators. The album features contributions from Safario, Emma Jensen, Mikhael Paskalev, Vuyo and more, with early singles ‘Treatment’ and ‘Julia’ revealing an evolving voice unafraid to leave feelings exposed.

The album took shape after Lokøy left LA. Upon his return to Oslo, he moved into an old functionalist dorm for students with impaired sight and hearing - designed by Sverre Fehn, where thirteen people lived across rooms connected by ramps and brick corridors. House parties turned into rehearsals, and it was here that the band formed. “I moved in when the place was covered in snow and slowly got to know everyone,” Lokøy says. “Kimya and Kriss were both playing in bands. We’d have parties and live shows in the house. I asked if they wanted to play some of my songs and that’s how it started.”

They played backyard shows through the summer, travelled to small islands for unplugged sets, and rehearsed everywhere from Kriss’ cabin in Ål to Lokøy's parents’ house on the island of Lokøyna. Between rehearsals they stumbled onto the beat that became their track with Vuyo, and later created the interlude that now features Safario.

A full alternate version of the album was nearly finished when the songs suddenly locked into place with the live band. “We were playing so tight together,” Lokøy says. On 5 November they booked time at Øystein Greni’s studio at Grefsen, recorded the album live in a few hours, and mixed it the following week. “It was hectic, but it came together so naturally. It felt right to keep it as it was.”

On the writing, Lokøy adds:

“I’ve been inspired by diaristic writers lately. This is the first album where I showcase more of myself as a singer-songwriter, while previous albums were more of a production showcase. It’s not a concept album. It’s more like a photo album, just inward instead of outward, capturing different versions of myself. Some moments are intense, some are fun and sweet. None of the words feel dishonest to me and that’s all I can hold myself accountable for.”

Lasse Lokøy began his solo career in 2018 with the 'Can We All Go to Bed' EP - featuring girl in red - before 2021's 'Badminton' was released to esteemed praise from NME, DIY, The Line of Best Fit, CLASH and Dork, establishing him as one of Norway’s most inventive musical exports. With new album '& The Roommates', he pushes further, reframing pop as a space for curiosity and quiet rebellion.

Lasse Lokøy's new album '& The Roommates' is out now, released 9th January on Glimten Records.

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