Nordman
| Company type | Musical duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Founder | Håkan Hemlin, Mats Wester |
| Headquarters | Sweden |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Nordman is a Swedish musical duo established in 1993, recognized for merging folk elements with rock and pop genres, a style often referred to in Sweden as etnorock or folk rock. The group features Håkan Hemlin as the lead vocalist and frontman, alongside Mats Wester, who plays the nyckelharpa and serves as the principal songwriter.
Among their most notable tracks are "Förlist" (Shipwrecked) and "Vandraren" (The Wanderer). The pair parted ways in 1998 due to Hemlin's struggles with substance abuse but reunited in 2004. They made a return to the Swedish Melodifestivalen competition with the song "Ödet var min väg" (Fate was my way) and released their comeback album Anno 2005. In 2008, Nordman participated again in Melodifestivalen with "I lågornas sken", finishing in sixth place behind winner Charlotte Perrelli. Their song "Vandraren" was later covered by Blackmore's Night on the 2010 album Autumn Sky and by Ensiferum on their 2009 release From Afar.
1991–1993
Hemlin and Wester first crossed paths in a Hjorthagen recording studio in 1991. At that time, Hemlin was working on a demo with his rock band Bye Bye, while Wester was exploring the fusion of folk and pop sounds and searching for a vocalist. Their collaboration began with early drafts of "Förlist". By the fall of 1993, they presented their new project, Nordman, to various record labels.
1994
Nordman secured a contract with Sonet Records, initiating production on their debut album. The initial single "Förlist" debuted in February 1994, followed by the full album release in April. Within just four weeks, the album attained gold certification by selling 50,000 copies. The follow-up single "The Wanderer" dominated Sommartoppen throughout the summer. The album eventually reached platinum status after surpassing 100,000 sales. Nordman embarked on an extensive tour across Sweden lasting a year. Additional singles such as "Laglöst land" (Lawless Land) and "Ännu glöder solen" (The sun still glows) were also launched, with the latter hitting number one on the Swedish Singles Chart in 1995.
1995–1996
On 22 November 1995, exactly one year after their debut album, Nordman released their sophomore effort titled Ingenmansland (No Man's Land). This album garnered over 100,000 pre-orders and was certified platinum even before its official launch. The single "Be Mig" (Ask Me) gained significant radio airplay. In spring 1996, they held a concert at Stockholm's Cirkus venue; this show was recorded, broadcast on TV4, and later distributed on VHS. Their summer schedule included performances at various festivals throughout Sweden.
1997
During the spring and summer months of 1997, Nordman concentrated on composing new songs. By autumn, they finalized their third album Här och nu (Here and Now), which was released in November. Similar to their earlier releases, it received over 100,000 pre-orders and achieved platinum certification. Promotional efforts extended through December before the band paused activities in January 1998.
2004–2005
Following a seven-year break, Hemlin and Wester reestablished their collaboration, resuming writing and studio sessions. In 2004, they signed with Bonnier Amigo. Their revival included participation in Melodifestivalen 2005 with the track "Ödet var min väg" (Fate was my path). A new album was recorded between January and April of 2005 and released on April 27. That summer, Nordman toured extensively throughout Sweden.
2006–2007
Nordman returned to the recording studio to create fresh tracks. Between November and December 2006, they joined the Julgalan Norrland tour, delivering a memorable set that included a Motown medley alongside artists such as Brolle Jr., Roger Pontare, and Chris Lind. In the fall of 2007, Nordman performed across various Swedish clubs and issued the single "Du Behöver" (You Need) on 24 October.
2008
In January, the duo released "Längtan" (Longing), a duet featuring Jessica Andersson from their forthcoming album Djävul eller gud (Devil or God). They took part in Melodifestivalen with the song "I lågornas sken" (In Light of the Flames), composed by Lina and Mårten Eriksson. After advancing through the second chance round held in Kiruna, Nordman reached the final at Globen, where they secured sixth place overall.
2013
While recording at Wester's residence, Nordman produced their inaugural English-language track titled "Dance To the Loop". Although initially kept unreleased, the duo found it entertaining and swiftly created a promotional video, subsequently releasing it on iTunes and Spotify.
2014
February saw the release of Patina, an album comprising acoustic renditions of their popular songs, some traditional pieces, and new compositions. The ensemble featured Håkan Hemlin, Mats Wester, Claudia Müller on flute, and Dani Strömbeck on piano. That month, they toured Sweden, predominantly playing in churches and more intimate venues.
2016
Nordman entered a hiatus period as members focused on solo ventures. Mats Wester embarked on a world tour with Joe Bonamassa.
2019
The single "Glöm det som var" preceded the album Tänk om. To celebrate their 25th anniversary, the band held two concerts in December.
2020
Activities were suspended due to the global pandemic.
2022
The group appeared on the Swedish reality program Så mycket bättre, released several new singles, and announced plans for a spring 2023 tour alongside their third participation in Melodifestivalen 2023.
Albums
Studio albums
| Year | Album | English Title | Highest Chart Position | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SWE | ||||
| 1994 | Nordman | 1 |
| |
| 1995 | Ingenmansland | No Man's Land | 1 |
|
| 1997 | Här och nu | Here and Now | 5 | |
| 2005 | Anno 2005 | Year 2005 | 8 | |
| 2008 | Djävul eller Gud | Devil or God | 3 | |
| 2010 | Korsväg | Crossroad | 8 | |
| 2014 |
Patina Patina | style="text-align:center;"|34 | style="text-align:center;"| | |||
| 2019 |
Tänk om What If | style="text-align:center;" |8 |
Compilation albums
| Year | Album | English Title | Highest Chart Position | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SWE | ||||
| 2001 |
Nordmans bästa – I vandrarens spår Best of Nordman – In the Wanderer's Footprints | style="text-align:center;" |36 |
|||
| 2004 | "Bästa" | "Best of" | "–" | "–" |
Singles
Singles information sourced from Spotify.
| Year | Single | Highest Chart Position | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| SWE | |||
| 1994 | "Förlist" | 5 | Nordman |
| "Vandraren" | 7 | ||
| "Laglöst land" | 40 | ||
| 1995 | "Ännu glöder solen" | – | Ingenmansland |
| "Be mig" | 12 | ||
| 1996 | "På mossen" | – | |
| "Det sista du ser" | – | ||
| "Live-singel" | – | ||
| 1997 | "Se dig själv" | – | Här och nu |
| 1998 | "Hjälp mig att leva" | 26 | |
| 2005 | "Ödet var min väg" | 10 | Anno 2005 |
| "Allt eller ingenting" | – | ||
| 2007 | "Du behöver" | "6" | "Djävul eller Gud" |
| "I lågornas sken" | "6" | ||
| "Hon är redan här" | "–" | ||
| "Om Gud var jag" | "6" | "Korsväg" | |
| "Dance to the loop" | "–" | "Non-album singles" | |
| "Vår igen" | "–" | ||
| "Tagga ner" | "–" | ||
| "Tiden har talat" | "–" | ||
| "Hallelujah" | "–" | ||
| "Dag och natt" | "–" | ||
| "Glöm Det som Var" | "–" | "Tänk om" | |
| "Trasiga själar (Radio Edit)" | "–" | "Non-album singles" | |
| "Vi kan vinna" | "–*" | ||
| "Släpp alla sorger" | "7" |
- This track did not appear on the Swedish Singellista Chart but reached number 20 on the Swedish Heatseeker Chart.
Appearances as Featured Artist
| Year | Single | Peak Position SWE | Album |
|---|
| Year | Single | Peak position SWE | Album |
|---|