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Getting to know Yesterdaze – Self-proclaimed Punch-Rock pioneers based in Norway, with Armann, lead singer and songwriter, answering the questions:
What are the origins of Yesterdaze? How long have you been playing together?
We sort of stumbled into each other one by one in Oslo from 2018. I needed some musicians for this gig. First, I met Torje and some other guys, then came Lars in 2019, and in 2022, Øyvind replaced Martin as our lead guitarist. We changed our name to Yesterdaze and started touring a lot, and it’s been a ride since then.
What should people expect when they check the band out? How would you describe Yesterdaze?
This famous producer sent us an e-mail last week, describing us better than I ever could: “razor sharp songwriting and blistering performances sown together into something that manages to be timeless yet contemporary. You guys expertly toe the line between anthemic rock worthy of stadiums, full throttle underground punk and intelligent left-field indie”.
My hopes is that people feel the variety of influences we have, in a way that we feel fresh and energetic within modern rock, but also that the songs connect on a more emotional level, that they can share the rage, pain or rebelliousness that we deliver in our songs.
How did you feel performing your first gig as a band, and how was it?!
It was quite bizarre because we only had practiced together and did not comprehend how much energy we stored before we started playing. We went even more ballistic than I thought we could ever imagine. Our first gig was in 2019 with a crowd of maybe 80 people, mostly friends and family. And it was a memory I hold dear.
New EP ‘Animalysis’ has just dropped. What can you tell us about the EP?
It really is a journey from the opening song Flowers in Antarctica, which is a hodge-podge of IDLES, Biffy Clyro, System of a Down, QOTSA, Kasabian, and Queen. Not Your Business and wait/NOW is, in my opinion, truly great rebellious rock-anthems that we hope can work as a gateway drug into our discography. It ends with Analysing Animals, a softer punch filled with a more bitter sadness and despair than the previously more angry nerve of the three songs before it.
Animalysis is our heaviest work to date, meaning we really crossed some boundaries within hard rock and even some metal, but still maintaining our anthemic rock and left-indie nerve with odd time signature changes and spicyness within modern rock guidelines.
What was the gestation period of the EP like? What topics do you tackle in the lyrics?
‘Animalysis’ really started after really seeing and understanding the genocide in Palestine for the first time in my life. I immediately wrote ‘wait/NOW’ as I was witness to the Western world’s double standards and uninvolvement in the first 3-5 months. The other songs were created after more contemplation of the matter at hand and witnessing more normalization of the right-wing radicalism in Europe and America. Analysing Animals is often mistaken as a love song, but it really is all about closing your eyes to the tyranny and cruelty when you’ve had enough and feeling helpless.
At the moment, ‘Flowers in Antarctica’ is our favourite of the 4 tracks on the EP. What can you tell us about this one?
As I said, it really is a hodge-podge of IDLES, Biffy Clyro, System of a Down, QOTSA, and Queen. Our silly attempt of creating a stand-out song, such as Paranoid Android or Bohemian Rhapsody, that’s more of a progressive rock-anthem filled with different changes and colours. I found myself having a minor anxiety attack after realising that if I have kids, they will struggle to live with the consequences of climate change and political radicalisation. And there’s really nothing me, as a “man in the street” can do to change that, other than writing my songs, I guess. My footprint is so small otherwise. It’s a climate change anthem that I believe will come more and more relevant in the years to come. Maybe it will be a hit when there’s a botanical garden in Antarctica? who knows.
How do you feel in the run-up to releasing new music? Nervous? Excited? Both?!
Releasing music is such a bittersweet emotion in the digital age. We love the feedback from our audience and finally showing everyone what we’ve done. But there are endless tasks connected to the release that we as a smaller band have to do to get heard, and it’s a grind if you want to get heard. I hope we become big enough to one day have magazines such as you write articles and share our stuff just by us releasing it. I am a dreamer.
Every release from the EP, and the EP itself, has had stunning cover art, ‘Analysing Animals’, in particular. Which artists helped bring your visions to life?
Our guy on this EP has been Hypnotistdesign, aka Thomas Moe Ellefsrud. We love to support art, and it’s so cool to have a guy understanding our vision, and hopefully, really soon you’ll get to see the bigger picture we’re working on. literally.
What is the underground punk scene like in Norway?
It’s thriving, I tell you. There have been a few bands who really paved the way, such as Honningbarna, and out of it came a lot of great bands. Want to give a big shout out to bands such as Fixation, Slug Boys, Pil & Bue, and LÜT, which is great in their own way, and who you should check out!
Punk is a highly visceral and emotionally charged form of music. With that in mind, how much of a concern is the rise of AI in music?
We’re not so worried since our music is so expressional within the live aspects of it, which just simply cannot be replaced by holograms and stuff like that. What is concerning is, of course, that major players such as Spotify are creating their own AI bands and pushing that to playlists for their own gain. But live music will live on, and people want to feel real human connection and belonging. At least I do.
Regarding a similar audience, which band do you feel Yesterdaze would be best suited to open for at the moment?
There are always big names that we look up to, such as Biffy Clyro, Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, Nothing But Thieves, Kasabian, etc. However, some medium-sized bands we are IN LOVE with are The Virginmarys, Boko Yout, Tigercub, Bad Nerves, and Slomosa, to name a few.
Excluding yourself, which new band would you like to see break out and become a success?
Dude, there’s this band in the UK with like 178 monthly listeners, which I think deserves to be listened to. They’re named Jora the Fortuneteller. They sound so good and are a true example of how the numbers really do lie in the music industry. But the Norwegian bands and medium sized band I’ve mentioned all deserve more praise.
What are your first musical memories? And what was the lightbulb moment that made you say, “I want to do that”?
My uncle, back in Iceland, showed me Queen live at Wembley on DVD, and that was it for me. I learned English at the age of 5 because of Queen mostly, Queen books, interviews, songs, and videos. I was so amazed by their songs and live presence.
What was the last gig that you attended as a fan?
I watched Viagra Boys with Boko Yout as support a few days ago. That was great!
What current social issues are you particularly passionate about?
Just humanity in general. I feel powerful people get away with blatant lies more often than before, and that we don’t care about others’ agony. I truly hope we get rid of the new modernized Dictatorship happening in the USA with ICE and everything. It scares me.
What frustrates you about the music business?
Spotify being owned mostly by the major labels, as well as their use of AI bands.
The album that you have in your album collection/Spotify playlist that would surprise most people?
I mostly listen to albums/artists and don’t have many lists, but it ranges from Kanye West to Björk, Sigur Rós, and Radiohead, all the way to Obongjayar and Laufey.
Everybody is a fan of something. Who or what are you a fan of?
Poke bowls with salmon. Banger
What does 2026 hold for Yesterdaze?
Maybe our biggest year in terms of concerts and festivals and music releases. I don’t want to say too much, but we’ll get abroad more than in 2025 and do some big festivals. Hope people are ready for more music as well, although Animalysis is quite young.
How active are you on social media, and where can people connect with you?
We’re quite active on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Like and subscribe.
All images – credit: Olafur Ørn
