SOCIAL MEDIA

Floor Jansen and Jorn Viggo meet at Progpower USA Festival in 2007 when the performed in the 'All-Star Jam' together. 

 

Floor is the lead singer and frontwoman from Nightwish and Jorn is the guitarist form Pagans mind. At first, they started off with cove songs and then they discovered their mutual "love for stripped down hard rock and decided to write some songs together." In 2008 they composed an entire album's worth of material together. 

 

In 2017,  Floor contacted Jorn Viggo, to see if he was still interested in resurrecting Northward,  as Jorn said yes they got together in Sweden to go through all the material together to see if we still felt happy with what we had created" and they were. With the help of producer Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT etc.), who mixed the record, they created an album full of heavy riffs and Floor's incomparable voice.

 

Alongside Floor Jansen and Jorn Viggo Lofstad, Morty Black (TNT) on bass, Jango Nilsen and Stian Kristoffersen on Drums. Floor's sister Irene Jansen also sings a duet on the song ’Drifting Islands‘. And finally, Ronny Tegner from Pagans Mind played the piano on one song.

 

Twinmusix got to Speak to Jorn about his upcoming album and more

 

TM- what can fans expect from your new Album Northward?

JV- They can expect not to expect Nightwish or pagans minds for that matter. This is the core of North Ward, I guess rock, melodic and hard rock it has a lot of nice musical elements. 

TM- sweet, I just listened to your song "While love Died" what made you want to release that as a single?

JV- We wanted to let people know that this doesn't sound like our other music from our other bands. We had 4 or 5 options but we thought that was the best.

TM- yeah, I definitely like that song

JV- Thank you very much

TM- What was your writing and recording process for your new album Northward?

JV- We were playing at the same music festival with different bands and then we had a big jam session, we played 3 or 4 songs together and had a really good time. We decided to keep in contract and within a few months we decided to meet up and see if there was any songwriting chemistry between us. We spoke to each other and talked about writing an album together.  So we met up and wrote some songs, all the songs actually written in 2008 and after that we started to record. We did the drums, then I started to record some of the guitars, but we didn't know it was going to be 10 years till this music saw the light of day.

Then Floor called me in 2016 when she was touring with Nightwish in my city. I said I have the year off (in 2017) and she asked me if we wanted to finish our music. It was a good time for me as well so we finished up the guitar bass and vocals and boom then we had the album ready in 2018.

 

TM- What was it like working with producer Jacob Hudson? 

JV- Great, we hit it off instantly and I was there for a week or so. The way he works is, he starts and then you work together at the end on the final details. He is amazing  to work with and now a good friend.

TM- How did you come up with your album cover for Northward and who designed it?

 JV- Originally we wanted to have some graphic elements, but the record company thought it would be better to have pictures of us. Floor said let's do all these cool angles of photography and we screamed at each other and tried to look at an angry as possible and that was our favourite photos and we thought it was really cool.

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TM- That is really cool! I love photography and your album cover is Awesome.

TM- If you could have any band play one of your song's which band would it be with which song and in your style or theirs?

 JV- It would be cool to see Paul McCartney do an acoustic version ofGet What You Give.

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TM- That would be sweet to see.

TM- You started up it cover song what's your favourite cover song to perform live?

JV - One of my favourite cover songs to perform live is Are You Ready by Thin Lizzy
 

TM- Can we expect you to tour this album are there any plans?

JV- Unfortunately not, at this time. Back inthat2009 we had plans to do that except now she has a packed schedule with Nightwish touring. The rest of the year and making a new album next year and then out touring again for the new album.
 

TM- Is there anything else you'd like to announce to your fans?

JV- We have both put our heart and soul into this project we wanted to make the best possible music we could we are super proud we hope everyone enjoys his songs

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PRE ORDER THE ALBUM HERE: https://www.northward.rocks/album