Benedicte
Benedicte
Benedicte
Benedicte
Benedicte
Benedicte
Norwegian Americana with Country Noir & Rockabilly Soul
Benedicte Brænden is a Norwegian Americana artist whose music merges the cinematic grit of country noir with the swagger of rockabilly and the haunting beauty of Nordic storytelling. Hailing from the small town of Elverum, her sound is as raw and windswept as the landscapes she comes from — a powerful blend of Americana influences filtered through her distinct Scandinavian lens.
With a voice that ranges from smoky tenderness to bold defiance, Benedicte first stepped into the national spotlight as a finalist on Lyden av Lørdag, a major Norwegian music competition broadcast by NRK. Before launching her solo career, she fronted the high-octane rock'n'roll band Bazooka Boppers, where she honed her stagecraft and dynamic vocal presence. But it was in 2006 that she chose to follow her own musical path — one that would lead her far beyond Norway’s borders.
Her breakthrough arrived in 2007 with a German tour alongside cult legends Tito & Tarantula, known for their appearances in From Dusk Till Dawn and Desperado. The tour sparked a deep connection with European audiences, and she quickly returned to the road supporting The Boss Hoss across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. By 2009, Benedicte was headlining her own sold-out shows across the continent, earning a reputation for magnetic live performances and storytelling with soul.
In 2012, she released her debut album Doghouse Rose — a bold collection of country rock with echoes of Steve Earle and Kasey Chambers. The record introduced listeners to Brænden’s signature style: rich, rootsy, and unapologetically real. But it was her 2017 follow-up, Blood On Your Hands, that truly cemented her artistry. Co-produced with Christian Engfelt (Studio Paradiso, Oslo), the album delves deeper into mood and atmosphere, weaving sparse percussion, upright bass, organ, trumpet, and accordion into a dusty, cinematic soundscape. The record features collaborations with some of Norway’s finest musicians, including members of Lucky Lips, The Lucky Bullets, Big Truck, and Katzenjammer — all adding their textures to Brænden’s evocative songwriting.
From the windswept stages of Europe to the glowing praise of critics at home, Benedicte Brænden has carved out a space entirely her own in the modern Americana scene. Her music is at once deeply rooted and fiercely original — a sound where ghost towns meet glaciers, and outlaw country meets Nordic noir.
Discography
Doghouse Rose
Hocus Pocus Records
TRACKLIST
1. Doghouse Rose
2. Shooting Range
3. The Easy Way
4. Cold Hard Rain
5. Hocus Pocus
6. Wall Of Death
7. Dancing With The Devil
8. Someone Else's Town
9. Love For Granted
10. Winter
11. The Ruler Of Heartache
12. Broken Wing
Blood On Your Hands
Hocus Pocus Records
TRACKLIST
1. Prairie Storm
2. Blood On Your Hands
3. You Are Dangerous
4. Panthera
5. Black Widow Spider
6. Snake Eyes
7. No Surrender, No Retreat
8. Losing Card
9. Whiskey Plates
Can't feel my heart (Single)
Hound Gawd! Records
We’ve all been there. You know you should feel something for this person, but instead, you feel – nothing. A disconnect, if you will. The newest release from Benedicte Brænden, “Can’t Feel my Heart,” is the song you listen to when you’re feeling exactly that.
“For awhile, I struggled with inspiration and even lost faith in my song-writing. ‘Can’t feel my Heart’ came to me unexpectedly on a rainy night in the fall of 2018,” Benedicte says. “The minute it was done I knew what I wanted to express with my next album and wrote two more songs, ‘Raging River’ and ‘Someday Soon,’ that same weekend. I felt really free and super inspired, and the songs kept coming. Not all of them made it to the album, and not all of them were easy to write or even finish. But I knew at that point there was going to be a third album, ‘Raging River.’”
The album, due out later this year, offers a unique, modern sound —t here’s a hint of soul music, but it remains very true to the Country/Americana genre that’s become popular across Norway. Benedicte is known from “Lyden av Lørdag,” a show from the Norwegian National Broadcasting Corporation, where she placed among the finalists. Before that, she was the lead singer of the popular rock ‘n’ roll band, Bazooka Boppers, until she chose to pursue a solo career in 2006. Her previous albums include “Doghouse Rose” and “Blood on Your Hands.”
The tracks were recorded in Studio Paradiso in Oslo, Norway, with Christian Engfelt as a producer. A new rhythm section boasts Martin Windstad (Todd Terje, Kurt Nilsen) on drums and percussion, and Yngve Jordalen (The Northern Belle) on bass. Stian Sveen (Lucky Lips) appears on guitars and as a co-producer. David Wallumrød plays organ and piano. Malin Pettersen and Signe Marie Rustad lend their voices with beautiful harmonies.
TRACKLIST
1. Can’t Feel My Heart
2. Raging River
Raging River
Hocus Pocus Records
TRACKLIST
1. The Last Place That Satan Ever Slept
2. Can't Feel My Heart
3. Heartbreak
4. Till Death Do Us Part
5. If I Write You A Love Song
6. Worth My While
7. Crook Of The Year
8. Raging River
9. Someday Soon
