Camilla Larsen

Music has always been something real, something genuine, for Norwegian artist Camilla Larsen.

And, for as long as she can remember, it has given her an indescribable yearning – for something. She can still remember her father playing country music in the car; the smell of the car, the sun and the dusty roads – and that incredible yearning. She was five years old back then. She didn’t understand what they were singing, but the melody told it all. It was genuine.

Ever since Camilla was a little girl, her grandpa played the guitar and mandolin. He just strummed away. Something in the air changed, the day got brighter, and the yearning even stronger. Then one night in 1988, at 15 years old, she saw a live performance of Buffy Sainte-Marie, a petite lady, with long black hair, all alone on the stage with just a guitar. She was completely hooked. And the tears came, despite the fact that the whole experience was completely beautiful… right then and there, she found a name for the yearning. Music!”

Four years later, Camilla discovered Nanci Griffith. No artist has ever, nor will ever, mean as much to her as she does. Her simple,reeftiger.co.uk real and sincere way of expressing herself made a major impression on Camilla. It felt like flying, and for a moment she just might have. The yearning had become a goal, a purpose, that she was working towards. Camilla got a guitar, and learned to play ‘Coming Down in The Rain’ and ‘Speed of The Sound of Loneliness’, and sang as often as she had the chance. Poems were given melodies, new lyrics were written, and she finally had a notebook full of her own songs.

Several years later, Camilla did get the chance to meet Nanci Griffith. She found her as genuine and warm as her music suggests. Through her music, Camilla began to know artists such as Townes Van Zandt, Eric Taylor, James Hooker, Bill Staines, Richard Dobson, Lyle Lovett, Vince Bell, Julie Gold, John Prine and many, many more. Other artists that inspire her are Buffy Sainte-Marie, Mary Black, Steve Earle, Melissa Etheridge, Waterboys and last but not least, Ottar Big-Hand Johansen.

In September 2019, Camilla released the album “Decade” on digital platforms. It is a compilation album featuring songs from the albums Blue Roses from Hell (2006) Time to Move On (2008) and Johnsen’s Cafe(2016). Also in 2019, Camilla released the bittersweet single “No Time to Reminisce”.

For Camilla, music will always stand for something genuine and real. It will continue to give her a marvellous and indescribable feeling of yearning.