Maria Solheim & Silje Sirnes Winje // Kaptein Snabelbæsj og Hjertetyven // CD

Maria Solheim and Silje Sirnes Winje have joined forces in a refreshing, crazy wild children’s album. With their producer Odin Staveland (lead singer in the Norwegian band Vamp) they have selected the best from the music genre’s candy store and meshed colourful pop from the 1960s with head-spinning psychedelia from the 1970s, and added a grain of contemporary music, some 1980s sophistication and singer-songwriter mysticism to make a very modern production. And the common denominator? – Explosive musical joy.

“Our aim has been to make a different children’s record that offers something that is musically new. Music the whole family can enjoy, toddlers and teenagers, one and all. We also wanted to take children seriously, this should be music on their terms that speaks to them both musically and thematically,” Silje Sirnes Winje says. 

This is not the first time Winje has challenged the children’s music genre. In 2011 she released her first solo record "Kykkelykkelig" [Cuckoo Happy], which was a bluegrass record for children. “We want to show children some of the music we like ourselves, from a child's perspective,” Silje adds.

She has invited musician and songwriter Maria Solheim to join her on this album. Wild and crazy music for children is not the first thing we associate with Solheim. She made her debut as a singer-songwriter at the age of 19, and has five solo albums and several nominations for the Spellemann music award on her résumé. Silje and Maria have earlier cooperated on the NRK show Lillepri, with Winje as the host and Solheim as the songwriter. They have enjoyed working together so they had a taste for more.

“Silje contacted me while I was very deep into a long series of concerts in Germany dealing with life and death. I just knew in my heart, without a doubt, that the time was ripe to release my inner Kaptein Snabelbæsj,” Maria Solheim says laughing, and if anyone can lure her out it is Silje.

“Working with Maria Solheim is first and foremost so much incredible fun, and it’s exciting and inspiring! For a long time, I have appreciated her ability to write good and full-bodied songs, and so I was extremely happy when she agreed to join this project. During her long career in pop Solheim has also proven to be an extremely strong performer. I was confident that she would capture the kids in a musical universe where pirates, stomping and a solid dose of madness are part of the natural ingredients,” says Winje.   

“Choosing a producer was easy after having watching at close range how Odin Staveland treats music with such love, first as the singer in the well-loved band Vamp, where he obviously relishes performing on stage, and second, in his own productions. Odin has a wonderful, confident and completely lopsided approach in his work, it just oozes the joy of creating. He is like the leaning tower of Pisa. We are so absolutely grateful to have such an inspiring producer framing our work on this record,” Solheim and Winje say.

Åse Sirnes Winje has written the lyrics for the record. She has earlier contributed texts to NRK's show Super and Winje's debut record Kykkelykkelig, for which she garnered much acclaim for her ridiculously funny and entertaining lyrics. And once again she draws the children into a playful and hilarious universe where we look at the world askance and with a sense of wonder. 

Earlier this year Winje and Solheim released the single "Stjerna" [The Star], a song donated to Norwegian Church Aid and its work for refugee children. 

Track list:

1. Monokkel og knokkel                             2:45

2. Kaptein Snabelbæsj                              3:28

3. Trompesang                                           2:10

4. Hjertetyven                                            2:47

5. Rotetrollet                                              2:45

6. Stjerna                                                   3:29

7. Finn meg!                                               3:05

8. Mammutgutt                                         2:40

9. Kaffegrut og Kyssetrut                         2:31

10. Ai budd if ai kudd                                2:12

11. Voggesang                                           2:05