The Contenders

The Contenders were formed in Norway in 1988 and solidified their lineup of original Solør guys in 1990. They began as the house band at the legendary Cruise Café in Oslo—drawing inspiration from the era's Americana and roots wave, and as a Norwegian variant of NRBQ, Sir Douglas Quintet, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Los Lobos, Dr. Feelgood, and Rockpile. Their repertoire was a mix of "American Southern music"; New Orleans rhythm & blues, Texas blues, and honky-tonk country-rock—initially featuring well-known and obscure cover songs, but increasingly including original compositions. The band signed with EMI (now Warner) and recorded their first LP "The Contenders" in four days in March 1989. In 1992, they released the follow-up "Radioland," which sold 15,000 albums, and the single reached number one on the official Norwegian Top 40 radio chart. That same year, The Contenders opened for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers at two concerts in Sweden, playing to nearly 20,000 people—a definite highlight. In 1994, the album "Amors Bil" was released, featuring the band's debut of a full album with Norwegian lyrics. That same year, they played on the Olympic stage in Lillehammer alongside DeLillos, where the double concert received double 6s (highest score) from Dagbladet. The band slowed down their activities in the late 90s but never officially disbanded, and will have great comeback in 2024, with a new album in august.