W: Mandy Morgan

He’s already a Spellemann Award (Norwegian Grammy) winner, and has a list of achievements most at his age could only dream of, but now comes Ole Kirkeng 2.0 – ready to make a giant leap forward in his career. His sophomore album Cowboy Lie Detector Machine is filled with humor, melancholy and brutal honesty, proving that Kirkeng is one of Norway’s most distinctive songwriters and artists.

Together with his band, Kirkeng crossed the border to Rockbonden Studio – Amanda Bergman’s farm and analog studio, deep in the snow-covered Swedish forests. Surrounded by trees, cows, and silence, they spent several days recording songs with Nashville-based producer Dom Billett. The result is a genuine “Oslo meets Nashville in Sweden” record. The musicians were all given room to shine by Kirkeng, leaving a clear mark on the album. The groove, the solos, the playfulness, and the blend of genres all stem from a band that has spent countless hours together and has truly become a gang.

Cowboy Lie Detector Machine is characterized by playfulness and exuberance. The sound is rooted in Americana and country rock, but indie, folk, and jazz is also audible in the mix. The end result may evoke associations with Father John Misty, John Prine, or Nick Lowe. But first and foremost, Kirkeng is himself – and has now fully found his lyrical identity. Drawing inspiration from the roots of the country genre while attempting to renew it with a Nordic perspective and an “Ole-esque” vibe, Kirkeng says:

“Cowboy Lie Detector Machine is not an attempt to be American, but to make an album that genuinely feels like us. We wanted to make something from Oslo. We love country. We like English-language music, but we’re not from the prairie. We’re five boys who live in Oslo. Parts of the record are an honest take on my place in the country music world. Parts of the record depict the thoughts of a guy who’s new to the concept of being ‘in his thirties.’”

Kirkeng made a name for himself with the Rocking Chair EP in 2021, which won a Country Spellemann Award. His path into Americana began as a touring member of Courtney Marie Andrews’ band, and since then he’s shared the stage with the likes of Molly Tuttle, Bonny Light Horseman, Willi Carlisle, and S.G. Goodman. He released his debut album Still Not Lost  in 2023, which earned him another Spellemann nomination.

Cowboy Lie Detector Machine is produced by Kirkeng himself, Dominic Billett (Phosphorescent, Andrew Combs, Erin Rae), and Bendik Brænne, and mixed by Gustav Lindelöw (Lykke Li, Peter Bjorn and John, Amanda Bergman) and has just been released.