Donkeyboy
| Donkeyboy | |
|---|---|
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Donkeyboy performing in 2009 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Drammen, Norway |
| Genres | Synthpop |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Labels | Warner Music Norway |
| Associated acts | Linnea Dale |
| Website | donkeyboy.no |
| Members |
Cato Sundberg Kent Sundberg Peter Michelsen Thomas Drabløs |
Donkeyboy (occasionally stylized as donkeyboy) is a synthpop band from Drammen, Norway, formed in 2005. The band consists of Cato Sundberg (vocals, rhythm guitar), Kent Sundberg (synth, vocals), Peter Michelsen (guitar, backing vocals) and Thomas Drabløs (drums)
Biography
Donkeyboy were signed to Warner Music after an employee came across their music on MySpace.[1] Their debut single, "Ambitions" was released on 26 March 2009 and was put into heavy rotation by NRK P3.[2] The song's chorus is built around a bassline similar to those used on Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" and some of Madonna's 1980s songs.[1] The song features guest vocals by Linnea Dale. "Ambitions" debuted on the Norwegian singles chart at number seven on 6 April 2009,[3] and reached the number one spot on 29 June, after 13 weeks on the charts. "Ambitions" remained at the number one spot for 12 consecutive weeks, before being replaced by the band's second single "Sometimes" on September 22. This was the first time ever for a Norwegian artist to occupy the top two spots on the singles chart.[4] Guitarist Peter Michelsen described the situation as "completely absurd".[4]
Donkeyboy's debut album Caught in a Life was released on 19 October 2009. It was produced by Simen & Espen at Livingroom Studios in Oslo. Sven Ove Bakke of Dagbladet gave the album four out of six, and described it as "revolving around its already established hits with a combination of self-assured conviction and uneasy duteousness."[5] He concluded that the album was overshadowed by its hit single.[5] In 2011 Donkeyboy won an European Border Breakers Award for their international success.[6]
Donkeyboy's second album Silver Moon was released on March 2, 2012.
Donkeyboy released the single "Triggerfinger" featuring vocals by Kiesza on August 22, 2013.
The band supported fellow Norwegians A-ha in the UK and Oslo legs of their Foot of the Mountain tour in November 2009.
Honors
- 2009: Three times Spellemannprisen in the categories this year's Hit song, Newcomer and Musical video, for the album Caught in a Life and the tune/video "Ambitions"
Discography
Albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOR [7] |
DEN [8] |
FIN [9] |
SWE [10] | ||||||||||
| Caught in a Life |
|
1 | — | — | 6 | ||||||||
| Silver Moon |
|
2 | 35 | — | — | ||||||||
| Lost |
|
17[12] | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "—" denotes albums which were not released in that country or failed to chart. | |||||||||||||
Singles
| Year | Song | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOR [7] |
DEN [8] |
FIN [9] |
SWE [10] | ||||
| 2009 | "Ambitions" | 1 | — | — | 1 | Caught in a Life | |
| "Sometimes" | 1 | — | — | — |
| ||
| "Broke My Eyes" | 6 | — | — | — | |||
| "Awake" | 8 | — | — | — | |||
| "Blade Running" | 8 | — | — | — | |||
| 2010 | "Stereolife" | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011 | "City Boy" | 1 | 1 | 7 | — | Silver Moon | |
| 2012 | "Pull of the Eye" | 11 | — | — | — | ||
| "Silver Moon" | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2013 | "Triggerfinger" | — | — | 9 | — | Lost | |
| 2014 | "Crazy Something Normal" | 13 | — | — | — | ||
| "Hero" | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2015 | "Downtown" | 18 | — | 9 | — | ||
| "Lost" | 36 | — | — | — | |||
| 2016 | "Dollar" | — | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes singles which were not released in that country or failed to chart. | |||||||
References
- 1 2 Narverud Moen, Siri (2009-04-23). "Slik fikk Donkeyboy platekontrakt" (in Norwegian). NRK P3. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
- ↑ Myrvold, Kine (2009-03-26). "DonkeyBoy A-listet på P3" (in Norwegian). Drammens Tidende. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
- ↑ "DonkeyBoy debuterer på VG-lista" (in Norwegian). Drammens Tidende. 2009-04-09. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
- 1 2 Røyseland, Halstein (2009-09-23). "Donkeyboy skapte norsk pophistorie" (in Norwegian). Verdens Gang. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
- 1 2 Bakke, Sven Ove (2009-10-15). "I skyggen av sin egen hit" (in Norwegian). Dagbladet. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
- ↑ "Winners of the 2011 European Border Breakers Awards", ec.europa.eu. Retrieved February 20, 2012
- 1 2 "Norwegian Charts > Donkeyboy". norwegiancharts.com, Hung Medien. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
- 1 2 "Danish Charts > Donkeyboy". danishcharts.com, Hung Medien. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
- 1 2 "Finnish Charts > Donkeyboy". finnishcharts.com, Hung Medien. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
- 1 2 "Swedish Charts > Donkeyboy". swedishcharts.com, Hung Medien. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
- 1 2 3 "IFPI Norsk platebransje - Salgstroféer". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2012-03-04.
- ↑ http://lista.vg.no/liste/topp-40-album/2
- ↑ "Certificeringer" (in Danish). IFPI Denmark. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Donkeyboy. |
External links
| Awards | ||
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| Preceded by Ida Maria |
Recipient of the Newcomer Spellemannprisen 2009 |
Succeeded by Kvelertak |
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