Gathered in their cozy front room, family band The Petersons were no strangers to a sing-along. However, this time they had decided to do something special. To honor their family’s Norwegian origins, they had invited Norwegian folk band the Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra to play with them. To top it all off, they decided to perform a cover of another Norwegian band, taking on ‘Emmylou’ by First Aid Kit. Music Man fans will be touched when they see the warmth in their collaboration.
In a performance that captured the hygge traditions of Norway and the rustic energy of Americana, the two bands joined together for a performance that felt like it truly captured the spirit of folk and Americana. Even the song itself, which was inspired by First Aid Kit’s love of American country music, celebrated the coming together of these two cultures. Hearing the bands’ incredible sound had one listener commenting, “This is my favorite thing that happened in the music world, for years.”
There were so many elements of this cover that amazed me; I wasn’t sure where to start. First of all, the cover had so many musicians joining in that there was no lack of incredible folk instruments to appreciate, from fiddles to the double bass to the banjo. Then there were the voices of the two lead singers of the bands, Julianne and Rebekka. Their voices seemed to work together so well that I could have been fooled into thinking they had been singing together for years.
Now that they had taken on one of Norway’s most popular folk artists, it was time for the two bands to tackle an American classic together. In keeping with their rootsy folk style, they went for ‘The Boxer’ by Simon and Garfunkel. When Music Man fans hear their cover, they will discover that it is just as incredible as their version of ‘Emmylou.’ Once again, the range of instruments adds new dimensions to the song, the highlights being the delicate sounds of the steel guitar and the fiddles.
The collaboration between The Petersons and the Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra is the perfect example of how music can transcend cultures to bring people together. The folk music they play connects with people all over the world, no matter where they’re from, and seeing such talented musicians come together to pay tribute to its legacy is truly joyful. Fans can only hope that these magnificent musicians will join forces once more to pay tribute to more folk artists from their respective countries. Perhaps covers of songs by folk revivalist Bob Dylan and Norwegian artist Moddi? No matter what they may decide to play together in the future, there is no doubt that it would be glorious.