Smerz, the always innovative Norwegian duo composed of Henriette Motzfeldt and Catharina Stoltenberg, are back. Following the release of their critically acclaimed debut album Believer in 2021, they have continued to explore diverse creative avenues. They notably produced “ASAP” for NewJeans‘ 2023 Get Up EP and premiered a choir piece at the MUNCH Museum in Oslo. They also released ALLINA in early 2024, a conceptual EP that tells the story of the rise and fall of a fictional pop star.

Building on this momentum, Smerz is now set to release their sophomore album Big city life on Escho, one of the most exciting labels of the moment. “Big city life” is a collection of experiences and emotions gathered by Henriette and Catharina over the past four years. The album explores themes of transition, love, loneliness, and freedom. As the duo explains, “Some of the songs are pieces of advice to ourselves. Some are doorways into dreams. Some songs are secret wishes. Some are written for someone who is not here. And some are predictions”. The album will release the previously released single, “A thousand lies.”

The album’s second single, “You got time and I got money,” introduces a new dimension to Smerz‘s distinctive style. The track features a soul-sample-inspired beat and emotive string arrangements, creating a sense of nostalgia within their signature minimalist framework. Catharina shares the personal inspiration behind the song: “I wrote the lyrics when I got my first real grown-up job and was in love at the same time”. The accompanying music video, created in collaboration with Benjamin Barron and Bror August Vestbø, is a vibrant collage of fireworks, waves, and the duo performing in a surreal TV appearance setting. Watch and pre-order the album via Bandcamp below.

Smerz – Big city life

Big city life
But I do
Roll the dice
What
Feisty
A thousand lies
Close
You got time and I got money
Big dreams
Street style
Imagine this
Dreams
Easy

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Arnaud Marty

Arnaud, a passionate music enthusiast from France, now based in Madrid, founded HighClouds in 2015. With an ear for the dreamy, the ethereal, and the unconventional, he thrives on discovering and sharing boundary-pushing sounds. If it’s weird, bold, and forward-thinking, you can bet he’s here for it.

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