Shy Dancer? King Hüsky is here with "Lately I’ve Been Thinking Of Your Mother"

Quiet drama accompanies the pupation of famed Norwegian musician, Vidar Landa, as he transforms into the butterfly of the meticulously melodic, low-lit King Hüsky. A deft, restorative songwriting presence after two decades as guitarist with renowned Norwegian metal concern, Kvelertak, King Hüsky’s slow-grown, reflective, folkish indie blooms from a suburb of Stavanger with new single, Lately I’ve Been Thinking Of Your Mother.

A self-annointed ‘over thinker’, nudged into sociability with dark humour and most comfortable in the silent company of books, Landa’s sidewards step into the realms of subtle, honeysweet songcraft peaks with the release of the first, self-titled King Hüsky album later this year. Announced for release on all formats on Fri 9 May 2025 via Oslo’s Hype City label, nine, tracks are set to offer listeners the same loosely-assembled, yet graciously insistent sonic experience inherent to not only Lately I’ve Been Thinking Of Your Mother, but also King Hüsky’s skip-a-long, late-2024 teaser, Running.

Playfully described by “megalomaniacal introvert”, Landa. as a move “from extravagant pyro to unpaid giro”, in reference to the stark contrast between the histrionic drama of stadium shows with globally-touring Kvelertak and King Hüsky’s innocent understatement, the songwriter’s objectives to “just do something nice for Mom” are met over the four glacially grooving minutes of his new single. Not unfairly compared by critics to Real Estate, thereby sharing terrain with artists such as Belle and Sebastian, King Hüsky gently pushes shy dancers to step up and take their place on the floor.

Landa says of the track: “This song was written in a stream of consciousness-like mode. A guitar-driven alternative pop answer to the classic cookbook ‘From Buns to Burritos’. I had been thinking about a recipe in it for a while, so I picked up the guitar and set out to make it real. This is what came out. The whole song is purposely simple, made of only three, alternating chords. I wanted the sound to be something people could dance to so, instead of strumming the acoustic guitar constantly, we recorded the song to leave some space for the dancefloor.”

Actualising the concept of King Hüsky, Landa’s contentment to work in the closest of circles was happily indulged by recording and producing the album with his partner, Anne Lise Frøkedal, formerly of Norwegian indie-pop machine, Harry’s Gym and of the ongoing, I Was A King. Frøkedal’s influence, now performing under her surname with a progressive, widely-recognised folk-pop catalogue, has been complimented by drummer, Børge Fjordheim (Cloroform, Sivert Høyem) and friend, musician and actor, Arthur Berning.

Whilst new listeners enjoy the first songs to be handed over from King Hüsky, Landa has confirmed the full track listing for the forthcoming album as follows:

1. Heads Above Water

2. Change Of Heart

3. Label Night

4. Wish I Had a Dog

5. Lately I’ve Been Thinking of Your Mother

6. Bürn In Hell

7. Hurry Kane

8. Running

9. Waiting For A Chance