Stig Gustu Larsen
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Stig Gustu Larsen

Oslo, Oslo County, Norway | Established. Jan 01, 2014 | SELF | AFTRA

Oslo, Oslo County, Norway | SELF | AFTRA
Established on Jan, 2014
Solo Pop Alternative

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"Finding Home EP Review"

After an eight-year hiatus from his original band GUSTU, Norwegian singer/songwriter Stig Gustu Larsen began writing music once again and found new footing in the indie pop genre. With Finding Home, and EP of four tracks, Larsen has made a strong debut - and people are already beginning to take notice. Along with some tracks almost immediately finding a home on the radio, the EP made its Norwegian iTunes debut at an impressive number five on the album charts.

Listeners receive their first a taste of Larsen with "Falling," an upbeat pop-rock track that gives a glimpse deep into Larsen's heart. Larsen's eager intimacy here is one of the reasons why this may very well be one of his best tracks. The slow tempo of the tune shows off his vocals and strengthens the track's overall emotional pull.

Next comes "Over You," is a soft composition carried by strings and a guitar. This too is raw and heartfelt, an aspect Larsen conveys incredibly well within each of these four tracks. He manages to write tracks chock-full of depth and candor while still allowing them to be entirely radio friendly. In fact, this sense of honesty and vulnerability is exactly what most pop hits are missing today.

"The Dissolution" comes as an even softer track than "Over You." Larsen allows his strong, raspy vocals to carry the song, while a soft piano melody keeps tempo in the background. The song builds suspense until the drums kick in about halfway through, transporting the track to a new height and gently returning it back to its original tempo by its conclusion.

Larsen seems to deliver a clear depiction of who he is on this EP. He doesn't seem to ever be holding back, and he's not even afraid to touch on religious subjects. In fact, the chorus of "Finding Home" has to do with exactly that. It's about being lost, and it's about finding your way back to your roots. Larsen sings, "And as I sit and talk to God, I'm looking for a reason." "Finding Home" was Larsen's first single as a solo artist, and it made its debut on the Norwegian iTunes chart at number nine.

What's interesting about Larsen's music is that each and every one of these tracks seems like a masterpiece in and of itself. His attention and dedication to his craft is obvious; he has molded this craft into uplifting type of indie pop, such as the type Dave Barnes or Matt Wertz provide in America. And although it's clear his vocals would be fitting for any range of genres, they work perfect with exactly what he's doing.
Larsen has done absolutely everything on this EP from composing lyrics and recording each specific instrument to producing the EP himself. He's managed to generate a very impressive 14 minutes of sound here; it's even more astonishing when you realize this entire EP was recorded within his bedroom. While most solo projects end up being either acoustic projects or end up bringing a slew of other musicians into the process, Larsen's sounds as if a full band backs him even though he's the only artist on this release. There's numerous instrumentation, vocal layering, and an overall depth of composition here that many solo artists lack.

Finding Home falls into one of those genres that can often become repetitive and dull if an artist isn't careful. But if Larsen makes a conscious effort to instill variety and intrigue within each of his tracks as he's done with this debut EP, he could find himself quickly rising to the top of the indie pop genre.

Artist: Stig Gustu Larsen

Album: Finding Home

Review by Alec Cunningham

Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5) - Alec Cunningham/Frontier Magazine & Reviewyou


Discography

SOLO:
SINGLE:
Finding Home (september 12th 2014, NO/US)

EP:
Finding Home (November 21st 2014)
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WITH THE BAND "GUSTU" :
ALBUM:Love/Hate Collide (2010) (China)

COMPILATION ALBUM:
Riot on Sunset (2008) (US)
Det beste fra Hedmark (2009) (NO)(with artist like: Kaia Huuse, Return og Ole Edvard Antonsen)
Sounds of the underground (2012) (NO)


SINGLES:
Love/Hate Collide (2008/2009) (US)/(NO)
Love/Hate Collide (2010) (Kina)Better (2013) (NO/US)Next December (2013) (NO/US)


EP
JUPITER & MARS (2006) (NO)
GUSTU (2009) (US)/(NO)
White Noise (2013) (NO/US/CH)

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Bio

Stig Gustu Larsen

Born: January 22nd 1986
Instruments: Vocals, Guitar, Drums, Bass, Piano/Keyboard &
Ukulele.
Hometown: Oslo, Norway
Website: www.gustu.no /
www.facebook.com/stiggustularsen /
www.twitter.com/gustumusic

Biography:

Stig was born in a small town in Hedmark, Norway. Started
playing guitar and drums at the age of 5 and formed a few
local bands in school.

In 2005 he formed the band “GUSTU” after having a minor hit
with the song “Jupiter & Mars”. The song hit national radio in
late 2005 and trough early 2006. Resulting in a Norwegian
tour with the legendary shock-rockers “Surferosa”.

Later on the band released the song “Love/Hate Collide”,

making it to local radio stations in California, USA. The song
later got released in Asia and the band did a huge tour in China in 2010. “Love/Hate Collide” made it
to the top of the local Norwegian music chart “Topp 8” on NRK P1 (H/O) and was number one for 10 weeks.

After releasing the single “Next December” the band did a few shows in Norway, before the last
Farwell show at Hard Rock Café in Oslo, Norway.

After 8 years in the name of rock n roll, “GUSTU” front man, Stig Gustu Larsen started recording new
songs. This time it’s more pop and singer/songwriter style, with rock n roll and indie undertones. The
The first single "Finding Home" was released september 12th 2014 and debuted at number 9 at the iTunes pop charts in Norway. It also had over 1000 streams at Spotify the first day. The debut EP will be out in December 2014.

This record will be a solo record in all sense of the word. Stig will do all the instruments, writing and vocals. Stig is also the producer for the record. The mix will be done by Blake Eiseman and the
mastering will be handled by the great Colin Leonard.

Stig is set to do a Norwegian tour at the end of 2014 and the first two months of 2015. Doing shows at places like Oslo, Hamar, Ås, Fredrikstad, Tomter, Koppang and others.

Band Members