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Simon Says No!

Simon Says No! Radio

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General Info

  • Genre: Hardcore / Pop / Shoegaze

    Location Oslo, Oslo, No

    Profile Views: 9238

    Last Login: 8/31/2011

    Member Since 8/14/2009

    Website www.simonsaysno.com

    Record Label Brilliance

    Type of Label Indie

  • Bio

    Simon Says No is an Oslo band originally from the west coast city of Bergen, which is home to bands like Datarock, Annie, Kings of Convience, Casiokids (and the list goes on). After high school, Ruben Nesse and Simon began playing music together, experimenting with different genres and bands. Ruben challenged Simon to start a solo project but Simon's answer was clear! "NO!" However, given their mutual fascination for the uncompromising nature of American hardcore as well as droning shoegaze, the pair started started to finda musical focus. Instead of as a solo outfit, the guys booked their first show as a two-piece. In the fall of 2006 Bergen got to meet Simon Says No! but it wouldn't be for the last time. The following year was one of peaks and valleys for the newly fit-and-fighting unit. They added a drummer and bassist, tried out a female vocalist live and released a couple of songs on cassette. The punk influenced single "Para Circus," was named "Song of the Month" on Norway's biggest radio station, NRK P3's, "Urørt" (untouched). It also made it's way all to the "Song of the Year" finals in 2007. Other radio stations jumped on board spinning the single, and the band toured Norway to packed clubs. Still searching for the right setup Ruben and Simon moved to Oslo in the summer of '08. Here they'd already hooked up with now permanent members Even Aarebrot (drums and backing vocals) and Rolf Helle Mathiesen (bass). The two created an instant synergy with the founders and took their sound to new dimensions, a synergy that was more the evident on the following Norwegian tour. Norwegian press and fans alike became all too familiar with the band's live assaults, and it was this same raw energy and sonic boom that won them an entire new legion of fans at their US debut during October 2008's CMJ Music Marathon in New York. In February 2009 the band released their debut EP "Ahoi de Angst". The EP was met with rave reviews and took the band around Scandinavia, to their British neighbors and across the US. The EP clearly showed the band's potential to write catchy, atmospheric tunes that drew on their newfound love for shoegaze as well as their hardcore-obsessed past. In the band's words, "Ahoi de Angst captures the essence of Simon Says No!, shaped through time, different band members, and cold dark winters." As a result of their employment of shoegaze texture over stadium rock tracks, the band discovered that people were staring to label them as a "Foo-Gaze" outfit during their US tour of 2009. The expression was first used by Rolf in New York as a joke, but was starting to stick with the band. In LA they recorded the first song for the new album with Michael Patterson. Solitary Rush, was recorded during four intensive days in a dark and dirty Hollywood studio. The new single saw the new direction of the band begin to take shape. Taking with them all the inspiration from the tours and the LA sessions, Simon Says No! continued to work on their first full length album during the summer of 2009. New ideas emerged daily and songs were being shaped in great pace. At the same time Simon felt more and more disconnected from the band. He joined in on the first studio sessions in Harrys Gym (Oslo), but struggled to find his place in the new songs. He decided, half way through the recordings, to leave the band he named and formed three years earlier. The three remaining members finished the album with Bjarne Stensli and Nick Terry as their Co-producers. Recording in Oslo and Aalesund, they opened the doors to friends and co-musicians to compliment their own strengths and to fulfill their sonic visions for the record. Simon Says No! Continued their collaboration with Nick Terry (Klaxons, Primal Scream, Serena Maneesh) as the album moved into mixing room. Spending twice as much time as predicted, the long days of perfection was spent on different locations around Norway. Terry's dedication was evident, as neither he, nor the band, would settle at anything less then 100% satisfaction, adjusting and pushing the mixes to the max. Signing with Brilliance during the spring of 2010, Simon Says No!'s self titled album debut is due September the 13th in Norway. The album will be released in Germany and England this spring.

  • Members

    Even, Ruben, Rolf

  • Influences

  • Sounds Like

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