Kings of Convenience

Kings of Convenience, the Norwegian folk band formed in Bergen, perform at Town Hall Birmingham on this visit to the city. The duo's acoustic songwriting is the focus of the evening.

Kings of Convenience is a Norwegian folk band formed in Bergen in 1998 and signed to EMI. Its core pair, Eirik Glambek Bøe and Erlend Øye, met at school in Bergen and first played together in the rock band Skog before forming a duo in 1999. Their melodies and chords draw on jazz, Brazilian music and house music, although the pair have said they never saw themselves as a folk band, even if the sound reads as folk to many listeners.

Their catalogue includes Riot on an Empty Street and Declaration of Dependence, followed by Peace or Love, their fourth album. Made over an extended period, it centres on life and love and keeps the emotional clarity associated with their earlier work. Eirik and Erlend have described making music together as a demanding process, and the new record took considerably longer than they had planned.

The concert takes place at Town Hall Birmingham, a venue that hosts concerts and shows in the city. The programme suits listeners who know the duo's songs, as well as those coming to their acoustic material for the first time.