Teitur Lassen, known just as Teitur (pronounced ‘tie-tor’), is a Faroese singer-songwriter and producer who has won multiple Danish Music Awards while gaining international success and renown. His debut album, Poetry and Aeroplanes, released by Universal Records in 2003, received rave reviews from both critics and those in the industry, and he has since released four acclaimed studio albums. His sixth album was released in Denmark on Thursday (September 19), and a day later he is due to give samples of both new and old material with a live concert in Tivoli.
Teitur left the Faroe Islands for Copenhagen when he was 17, having resolved to become a full-time musician. The instant success of his debut album led to opening acts for big international names such as John Mayer, Suzanne Vega, Glen Phillips and Aimee Mann. Mayer described Poetry and Aeroplanes as “one of the best albums to come out in the last five years”. In spite of the great reviews, the album was not picked up by mainstream radio. By the end of the following year, however, after playing more than 300 shows, Teitur had built a firm following. Several of the songs also found airplay on major TV and film soundtracks such as those for the 2006 films Aquamarine and My Super Ex-Girlfriend.
In April 2006, Teitur parted ways with Universal following months of legal problems and creative differences. His second album, Stay Under the Stars, was released in May the same year on his manager’s new label, Arlo and Betty Recording, and was produced by Martin Terefe (A-ha, Ron Sexsmith, Train). After several months in the Danish Top 40, the album was released in the US, Canada, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Teitur’s next album, Káta Hornið, written in Faroese and released only in the Faroe Islands and Iceland, came out in 2007 and was followed by The Singer in 2008. The latter was recorded in the barn of the famous house ‘Fridhem’ on the Swedish island of Gotland, which is the former home of world-renowned director Ingmar Bergman. In 2009, The Singer fetched Teitur a Danish Music Award in the category ‘Danish singer/songwriter Album of the Year’ and the record was also selected as ‘Album of the Week’ by British newspapers the Guardian and the Independent.
His fifth album, Let the Dog Drive Home, from 2010 was also chosen as ‘Album of the Week’ by The Independent and, like his other records, received excellent reviews both nationally and internationally. The song title that spawned the album title is, according to Teitur himself, a metaphor for relaxing and letting things just happen.
Story Music, Teitur’s freshly-released ten-track album, was mainly recorded on the Faroe Islands with local Faroese musicians. On his website, Teitur states that he is not sure how to categorise the music other than calling it story music.
“It’s not something you get on the first listen,” he said.
“It’s about storytelling, accompaniment, monotony, life in the province, palindromes, Michala Petri, music genres, sociology, embarrassing silence and lots more.”
He also announces that a Story Music interactive film will be released during the winter and says that he is “immensely proud” of the album.
Apart from getting great reviews for his albums, Teitur consistently gets great reviews for his live performances, and it is first and foremost through these performances that he has won a big audience. So if you haven’t yet experienced Teitur – on record or live – tonight is an excellent opportunity to do so. If, on the other hand, you are already a loyal fan, then this is the perfect way to get acquainted with his brand-new material.
Teitur
Glassalen, Tivoli,
Vesterbrogade 3, Cph V;
Friday 19:30;
Tickets: 245kr,
www.billetlugen.dk
