D'Sound

D'Sound (stylized as d'sound) is a Norwegian neo soul band based in Oslo, Norway. The band was formed in 1993 with a line-up composed of lead vocalist Simone Eriksrud, bassist Jonny Sjo and drummer Kim Ofstad.^[1][2] In 2018, Eriksrud announced her departure from the band and was replaced by Mirjam Omdal.^[3][4]

Band history[]

Jonny Sjo in 2017

Drummer Kim Ofstad (born 25 November 1969) and bassist Jonny Sjo (born 7 April 1969) met while both attending Berklee College of Music. D'Sound was formed back in 1993 in Oslo with vocalist Simone Eriksrud (nee Larsen; born 21 August 1970) at a coincident rehearsal-meeting. Their debut album, Spice of Life, was released in 1997, followed by the successful single "Real Name", and was nominated for two "Spellemannpriser", the Norwegian equivalent of the Brits (United Kingdom) and the Grammys (United States). D'Sound's blend of jazz and pop with funky elements was well received, and they also gained recognition as a live act. Their second album, Beauty Is a Blessing, was released in 1998 and won the "Spellemannpris" for Best Norwegian Pop Group. It received platinum certification in Norway; however, the album was never released internationally. The second single, "Down on the Street" (originally a hit for British jazz-funk band Shakatak^[5]) also entered the UK club chart.^[6] The single "Tattooed on My Mind" was released with favorable reception in Southeast Asia.

In 2000, the band resumed working together on their next album in Jonny Sjo's home studio. After a long period of writing material, Talkin' Talk was recorded. For the first time, the band also produced the album, along with their long-time keyboardist Stein Austrud. In the production of their third album, D'Sound was heavily influenced by modern R&B American artists such as Angie Stone, D'Angelo, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu. The album Talkin' Talk was mixed in Virginia Beach, United States by Serban Ghenea, whose credits include work for Janet Jackson and Prince. For the subsequent tour, D'Sound joined with numerous national and international musicians and toured Norway with the songs from their three albums. Several international musicians like DJ Kemit from American hip-hop group Arrested Development also joined the band in touring.^[1][2]

In 2003, the group released Doublehearted, which featured the hit single "Do I Need a Reason". In 2004, their first greatest hits album was released, entitled Smooth Escapes - The Very Best of D'Sound. The album was followed by the release of their fifth studio album My Today, the following year. The band took a break after the release of their fourth album. Kim Ofstad left D'Sound in 2010, paring the band down to a duo of Eriksrud and Sjo, but returned in 2013.^[2][7]

In June 2018, Simone Eriksrud announced her departure from D'Sound and was replaced by Mirjam Omdal^[3][4] because the former wanted to spend more time with the rest of her family.^[8]

In March 2019, D’Sound participated in the Norwegian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 (the Melodi Grand Prix), with their new song "Mr. Unicorn" and finished in third place.^[9] In September 2019, D’Sound released their eighth studio album, Unicorn.

In 2021 D’Sound announced the release of their ninth studio album “25” in January 2022, 25 years after their debut album in 1997. The planned album would be a collaboration with many international artists and songwriters. The first single and video from the album, “Save Some”, was released in May 2021 and kicked off their 25th anniversary for the debut single “Real Name” in 1996. “Save Some” is a collaboration with American R&B artist and songwriter Macy Gray.

Line-up[]

Current members[]

• Jonny Sjo - bass, occasional guitar, vocals (1993–present)
• Kim Ofstad - drums, percussion (1993–2010, 2013–present)
• Mirjam Omdal - vocals (2018–present)

Former members[]

• Simone Eriksrud - vocals, piano, guitar (1993–2018)

Discography[]

Studio albums[]

Compilation albums[]

Live albums[]

Singles[]

• "Real Name" (1996)
• "All I Wanna Do" (1996)
• "Ain’t Giving Up" (1998)
• "Down On The Street" (1998)
• "Disco Ironic" (1999)
• "Talkin’ Talk" (2001)
• "Sing My Name" (2001)
• "Do I Need A Reason" (2002)
• "I Just Can’t Wait" (2003)
• "Breathe In, Breathe Out" (2003)
• "I Give Myself Away" (2003)
• "Romjulsdrøm" with Kringkastingsorkestret (2003)
• "If You Get Scared" (2004)
• "Universally" (2005)
• "Green Eyes" (2005)
• "Feel Again" (2005)
• "Lose Control" (2013)
• "Love Like Rain" (2014)
• "Dance with Me" (2015)
• "If You Don't Know" (2017)
• "Only One" (2017)
• "It's Just Me" (2018)
• "Join Me in My Head" (2018)
• "Lykkelig" featuring Armi Millare (2018)
• "Mr. Unicorn" (2019)
• "This Island is Mine" (2019)
• "Somewhere in Between" featuring Armi Millare (2019)
• "Aftershock" (2019)
• "Good Intentions" (2020)
• "Save Some" with Macy Gray (2021)

References[]

External links[]

• Official website
• D'Sound on Facebook