Can you tell us about the band’s origins. Where did you meet etc.

Peel started out as a band on the alternative scene in a small town just outside Oslo, Norway, a long, long time ago. Over the years people have come and gone, but the core has always been the same: emotion first.

What are the musical influences of each band member and how do you forge them into a cohesive whole?

Our influences are anything and everything. We’re obsessive music listeners. Different generations in the band means different entry points into music history — and that’s a strength.

I grew up on melody-driven alternative rock, melancholic pop, classic rock muscle to modern electronic textures. Synths, acoustic guitars, programmed beats next to live drums. All mashed together…

Can you tell us about your local music scene? Is it supportive? Are there many places to play?

We are, and have always been, the “odd one out” in Norway,even though we’re not that odd. We never quite fit the cultural template. Too melodic for the in crowd and music police, too dark or complicated for the radio optimists.There are places to play, sure. Norway has infrastructure. But infrastructure doesn’t equal connection. We’ve found more resonance and friends abroad at times.

What’s the best and worst thing about your local scene?

We really don’t know, and we don’t really care. Call it arrogance or whatever, but we were never included and to be honest we didn’t try that hard, either.

Can you tell us about the band’s discography (demos, singles, albums).

We kicked off our career early this millennium with a self-titled album released on Edel Records/Playground Music with songs such as “Natalie Somewhere”, “Breathe”, “Comes Down…OK” and “Neverending”. These songs got airplay all over the world, and the video for “Natalie Somewhere” made it to second place on MTV’s Top Nordic Charts, as well as the sales charts in Norway. 2008 saw the release of the dark and almost heavy “Die in June EP”, which spawned singles such as “(Falling from)Grace”, “Die in June” and the pop anthem “Second Man on the Moon”. The following years we released a couple of singles: “Too Deep” which did well on German radio to such a degree that a re-release of “Natalie Somewhere” saw the light of day. These singles were followed up by “Given Time”. In 2108 we released the critically acclaimed and praised concept album “Ghosts and Shadows”, which made “album of the month” in Netherlands, and included several singles such as “Like Sand” and “(We Are) The Wheel”. “End of summer EP”, was released in 2019. The EP merged the raw “kick you in the face” attitude from grunge rock with sweet and mesmerizing electro-pop in true Peel “less-is-bore” spirit. The song “Boy with the Oxygen Mask” found its way to several playlists and a video was released for the song. The single “Better off Alone” hit the streaming service and online music stores in autumn 2021. 2024 saw the release of the melancholic big rock anthem “Someday / Someone” and the tractor riff driven “Love Phobia” with mighty sounding guitars, pounding drums and as always a strong melody. And we ended 2024 with “One You Know”. Last year was great; 16 May 2025 we released “Tears from the Sun” to much praise and great reviews. We followed up our growing catalogue with “Modern Age Family Business” released July 2025 which still makes waves and gains airplay on indie radio stations around the world. And we even released a Christmas song “Santa under the Streetlight” in November last year. We kick off this year with a single called “Heaven from Here” which hopefully will be out on the 20th of March.

How do you feel you’ve evolved musically throughout your career?

I think we have maintained the core that is PEEL which pretty much is in the music and the lyrics, but at the same time we have done everything from dark gothic pop with “Die in June EP”, grungy indie with “End of Summer EP” , big screen prog pop with “Ghost and Shadows”, classic alt. rock with the debut and so on…..We love all kinds of music and do believe it is reflected in our music, and it will continue to be that way; we might go folky or Americana or metal…who knows?

Can you tell us about tours you’ve completed. Any war stories you’d like to share?

We’ve done the classic touring with a small-van which broke down now and again, too-little-sleep; no sleep, questionable-motels circuit, resting/trying to sleep in the car, too much to drink, nothing to drink, played for five people, played for five thousand people…And there are mountains of stories but we’ll keep them for our biography. [laughs]

Will we see you on the road anytime soon?

Yes. But selectively this year. Our audience is mainly outside Norway which makes it a bit difficult for us. It is quite expensive to go on the road. We are not that big so it’s a “red figures run” for us to travel and to gig outside Norway, sadly.

What’s next for the band? How do you plan to reach the next level?

We will release music throughout the year. Four releases are already planned and the first is “Heaven from Here” and it’s coming up 20th of March. To make our way and get airplay on more radio stations, get on cool and “the right” playlists that expose us to new potential “peelgrims” would be nice.

Finally, what’s the one question (and answer) interviewers never ask but you wish they would?

Question: Are you ever afraid that if you stop writing, you’ll disappear?
Answer: Yes. Completely.