I Was a King

Indie rock outfit I Was a King were formed in Oslo, Norway by singer/songwriter/guitarist Frode Str°mstad in 2006. Taking a cue from stalwart '90s shoegaze acts like Teenage Fanclub and My Bloody Valentine, as well as lo-fi power pop icons Guided by Voices and psychedelic rock royalty the Creation and Strawberry Alarm Clock, Str°mstad released I Was a King's debut, Losing Something Good for Something Better, in 2007. The album received accolades in its Scandinavian homeland as well as in the British press. Released in 2009, I Was a King's eponymous sophomore effort featured appearances by Emil Nikolaisen (Serena Maneesh), Sufjan Stevens, Daniel Smith (Danielson Famile), and Gary Olson (Ladybug Transistor). On the group's 2011 album Old Friends, Str°mstad was again joined by Nikolaisen and Smith, among others, as he crafted his most impressively musical and memorable record yet. ~ James Christopher Monger, Rovi...

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