Madrugada

Biography

Madrugada is a Norwegian alternative rock band formed in Stokmarknes in 1993, with a core lineup of Sivert Høyem (vocals), Robert Burås (guitar), and Frode Jacobsen (bass). Following Burås' death on 12 July 2007, Høyem and Jacobsen decided to finish recording what was to be their final album in the original lineup. On 21 January 2008, the band released Madrugada and announced that they would split after one last tour. They performed their final concert on 15 November 2008.
In June 2018, it was announced that Høyem, Jacobsen, and Lauvland Pettersen had reformed the band for a series of shows in 2019.
Madrugada's musical style is noted for "its bareboned blues-inspired alt-rock". The band's name means "dawn" in Spanish and Portuguese.

History

The group of musicians that would go on to become Madrugada formed in the town of Stokmarknes in 1993 under the name Abbey's Adoption. The band members at this time included Jon Lauvland Pettersen (drums), Frode Jacobsen (bass), Sivert Høyem (vocals), and Marius 'Wah Wah' Johansen (guitar). In 1995, they were joined by guitarist Robert Burås and made the decision to move to Oslo, after which Johansen departed. By 1998, the band had been signed to a six-album deal by Virgin Music Norway, and after a chance meeting with Norwegian author and poet Øystein Wingaard Wolf in a bar, changed their name to Madrugada.
Their debut album, Industrial Silence×Industrial Silence1999 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Vocal6:272Beautyproof3:573Shine4:124Higher4:475Sirens6:166Strange Colour Blue5:057This Old House5:078Electric4:529Salt4:5110Belladonna4:1911Norwegian Hammerworks Corp.5:2712Quite Emotional4:2913Terraplane4:06, was released on 30 August 1999 to critical acclaim and was followed by The Nightly Disease, in 2001.
After personal relations became fraught, Pettersen left the band in early 2002 and was replaced by Simen Vangen. Soon afterwards, work began on a third album, Grit.
Madrugada finished working on their fourth album, The Deep End×The Deep End28 February 2005 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1The Kids Are on High Street4:582On Your Side3:543Hold On to You6:144Stories From the Streets5:205Running Out of Time6:086The Lost Gospel3:547Elektro Vakuum4:508Subterranean Sunlight3:599Hard to Come Back4:0410Ramona3:5511Slow Builder6:1612Sail Away6:12, in late 2004. Recorded at Sound City in Los Angeles with producer George Drakoulias, it was released on 28 February 2005 in Norway, on 31 March in the rest of Europe, and finally in the US on 11 April. The lead single, "The Kids Are on High Street×The Kids Are on High Street2005 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1The Kids Are on High Street (radio edit)4:202The Kids Are on High Street (album version)4:59", was released for domestic radio play on 14 January, and a music video was filmed in London. Vangen announced his departure in early 2005, stating that he wished to focus on various jazz-related projects, leaving the band without a permanent drummer.
On 14 December 2005, Madrugada released the album Live at Tralfamadore×Live at Tralfamadore14 December 2005 · Album · LiveSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Hard to Come Back4:302Majesty6:433You Better Leave4:354Strange Colour Blue7:205On Your Side4:076The Kids Are on High Street4:467Seven Seconds3:238Mother of Earth4:569Running Out of Time5:5310Black Mambo7:2111Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child2:2812Sail Away10:58Disc 21Blood Shot Adult Commitment6:242Black Mambo (Terror mix)7:173Only When You're Gone7:584Lift Me4:06, (named after the fictional home planet of aliens from several novels by American author Kurt Vonnegut). By the end of 2005 and less than a month after its release, it became the highest-selling album in Norway for that year, with The Deep End as the runner-up. The year was capped off with Madrugada winning three awards at the annual Spellemannprisen—the Norwegian equivalent of the Grammys. They won in the Best Rock Album, Best Song, and Spellemann of the Year categories.
Following this successful period, the band members focused on various side projects. Høyem released his second solo album, Exiles, in 2006, while Burås and his band My Midnight Creeps released their second album, Histamin, in March 2007.
The band reconvened in the spring of 2007 with Industrial Silence, Nightly Disease, and Histamin producer John Agnello to begin work on their fifth album, but on 12 July 2007, Robert Burås was found dead in his Oslo apartment; he was 31 years old.
Following the release of the new single "Look Away Lucifer×Look Away Lucifer2007 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Look Away Lucifer5:132Caravan4:25", on 10 December 2007, the band's final, self-titled album was eventually published on 21 January 2008. The majority of guitar tracks had been recorded before Burås' death.
In the spring of 2008, joined by My Midnight Creeps guitarist Alex Kloster-Jensen and friend of the band Cato Thomassen, Madrugada embarked on a tour throughout Europe.
In 2010, a career-spanning double album was released, entitled The Best of Madrugada×The Best of Madrugada29 October 2010 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 28 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11The Kids Are on High Street4:5927 Seconds3:363Look Away Lucifer5:124Belladonna4:195Blood Shot Adult Commitment4:566Higher4:477Beautyproof3:588Black Mambo5:519Salt4:4710Stories From the Streets5:1811I Don’t Fit4:2112Majesty (live)6:4313You Better Leave (live)4:3014All This Wanting to Be Free5:26Disc 21What’s on Your Mind4:022Hold on to You6:143Strange Colour Blue5:064Vocal6:275Hands Up – I Love You5:376Majesty4:237This Old House5:088Lift Me4:069Honey Bee5:3310Electric4:5311Quite Emotional4:1912Step Into This Room and Dance for Me5:1413A Deadend Mind4:5314Sail Away6:09. It included one new track, "All This Wanting to Be Free".
On 15 June 2018, it was announced via the band's Facebook page that Madrugada had reunited with original drummer Jon Lauvland Pettersen, and a 2019 European tour was planned.