http://www.myspace.com/nivenielsen

... featured is Inuit singer/songwriter Nive Nielsen from Greenland. Yup, North Pole! Nive, who also acts (she played a.o. opposite Colin Farrell in "the new world") is currently mixing her debut album "Nive Sings - as played by Nive Nielsen & The Deer Children". She herself describes her music as "singing and dancing little eskimos lingering in front of the fire place after making snow angels under the northern lights, or something like that. Oh and there's ukuleles, too!" and goes on to explain that she picked up the guitar only 2 years ago, whilst studying in Ottawa and being so bored there that she started making songs to not go totally insane.

Back home she and boyfriend/band mate Jan started arranging the songs on the attic of their tiny wooden house during the harsh winter months of 2008 and in the midst of some of the worst snow storms of recent history, and then set out to travel around the world and record them. The result is nothing short of amazing, both in scope and vision. It's not every day we hear a record from the High North, let alone one with an all-star cast of indie music contributors ("The Deer Children" referred to in the title) amongst whom John Parish (of PJ Harvey and Eels fame, and who also produced the majority of the album), Howe Gelb & Giant Sand, Ralph Carney, and musicians from Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Evangelista, Clues/Unicorns, Black Keys, Eric Matthews and many others.

Influences as broad as Bessie Smith, Arthur Russell, Americana, old dusty 78s, Cat Power, Townes Van Zandt and the bands of the respective Deer Children are mentioned, and the pure joy of playing songs with friends seeps through on every track. Despite the many collaborations and the diversity of styles touched upon (an entire marching band! bongo solo! flute! ukuleles!), the album is not merely a collection of finely sculpted tracks but forms one whole, tied together by Nive's inimitable fragile yet warm vocals, intimate and occasionally deadpan lyrics and a singularity of vision rarely seen on debut albums. Arctic folk? Snow songs? Ukulele-wielding eskimos? All of that, and more. Do check it out!

An EP has been released through iTunes earlier this year. Nive will tour in Europe & North America autumn & winter 2009. "Nive Sings" is due in autumn. myspace.com/nivenielsen