Featured Artist of July 28, 2023
With the album: The Island - Part One


Artist's Biography

The brainchild of Norwegian singer-songwriter Stian Fjelldal, Birds Are Better, brings a different approach to folk music with a fusion of traditional folk, power-pop, synth-rock and indie-pop. Having released two singles the fall of 2022, and two in the spring 2023, the debut album "The Island - Part One" was released May 19th 2023.

Notable reviews “Imagine a crossover between Fleet Foxes, Simon and Garfunkel, and A-ha. That might put you in the ballpark of what “Super Highway” by Birds Are Better sounds like”. Rising Artists Music Blog ‘

“He’s one of few who can write what is on the surface a regular pop song with all the required attributes – short, concise, tuneful with a hook – and yet at the same time one that will appeal to those who like to consider songs and their meaning over a pint, while stroking their beard” Nordic Music Central

“Fjelldal’s newest track is a Euro-pop delight. Besides pop, elements of folk, disco, alt-pop, synth-pop, and a touch of the theater can be heard. We can imagine this tune being performed on the Eurovision stage and online commentators shouting out comparisons like ABBA, Peter Bjorn and John, Two Door Cinema Club, or Belle & Sebastian on a bender”. The Revue

“Only having formed in 2022, the artist can be considered a newbie in the indie music scene; however, the sophistication of his songs showcases a maturity that screams of years of experience” The Other Side Reviews
 

About the Album

Birds Are Better is Norwegian singer/song-writer Stian Fjelldal's new indie folk project, conceived in unfaithfulness. The debut album “The Island – Part One” was released on May 19th 2023.

In January 2022, I released my fifth studio album, "Hus". It felt okay, but not particularly great, despite all the work I had put into it. I was taken aback by my own lack of enthusiasm at the time, but I wasn't particularly surprised either.

Three years had passed since I started a side project, which began with a writer's block. I had become tired of myself and felt trapped in my own image. A question sneaked up on me. Did I actually like my own music? Or more specifically: would I listen to it if it were made by someone else? The answer surprised me. No, probably not.

Three years had passed since I started a side project, which began with a writer's block. I had become tired of myself and felt trapped in my own image. A question sneaked up on me. Did I actually like my own music? Or more specifically: would I listen to it if it were made by someone else? The answer surprised me. No, probably not.

Mørket", "Æ vil heim", "I verdens rigeste land", "Bare min", "Festen" and "Ville hesta".

But instead I felt relieved. I was finally honest with myself. Not bad for a Norwegian Southerner who, in line with the stereotype, might have a slightly annoying tendency to sweep difficult issues under the rug.
The big liberation came with the question I was now ready to ask myself: What kind of music do you want to make? I love bands and artists like Fleet Foxes, The Flaming Lips, Crowded House, Susanne Sundfør and Super Furry Animals, to name a few. Do I have anything in common with such company? I have no idea, but what is stopping me from trying? So I got down to it. I started making songs in English and found that I had a different voice, one that I identified more with because I drew inspiration from the heart, not from my own idea of what kind of artist I was.

Three years have passed since a writer's block was lifted by a realization. Since then, things have escalated. On May 19th, the debut album "The Island – Part One" will be released. The first part of a double album. Composed and recorded at home in Oslo and further produced, mixed and mastered by my good friend, the great maestro Håkon Gebhardt.

Does this mean the end for Stian Fjelldal? By no means. I will still make and release songs in Norwegian. But with Birds Are Better, I have rediscovered my love for music. So it's more than just a fling.

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