Hajk Seeks Humanity, Love on New EP, Drama

A year and a half after the release of their debut album, up-and-coming Oslo electropop quintet Hajk return to the pop music scene with Drama, the band’s first full-length album since their eponymous 2017 debut. The quintet, comprised of vocalists Sigrid Aase and Preben Sӕlid Andersen, bassist Knut Olav Buverud Sandvik, keyboardist Einar Nӕss, and drummer Johan Nord, met while studying jazz at the same school before embarking on a journey to create “good pop-songs.” Set for release on February 8th, Drama showcases a more refined take on the same sound that memorably garnered praise from actress Chloe Grace Moretz.

With new single, “Keep Telling Myself,” Hajk are at their most polished yet, weaving wistful lyricism with measured drumbeats and a catchy yet powerful synth to create a final product reminiscent of English electropop duo Honne. Andersen steeps the track in melancholy, intimate vocals, humming, “Can’t you hold on just a little bit longer? We’re so much closer now, I just keep telling myself. This is everlasting love, I’m afraid I’m out of love.”

While Andersen seems to cling with muted, solemn vocals to a fading belief in love, the sharp rises and falls of the synth stand in stark contrast, evoking the chaos and noise that so often threaten to disrupt modern notions of love. And despite the dreamy ambiance, Andersen notes that “‘Keep Telling Myself’ is actually a pretty dark song about trying to convince yourself that love still exists – not just between two people, but in general.”

Love is one of the primary themes the quintet confronts on Drama, which “relates to the drama of humanity and a somewhat naïve yearning for love in a world in which love sometimes seems scarce.” In a time split by political and social unrest, it’s a prescient yet heavy topic to tackle, but Hajk manages it handsomely.

Listen to “Keep Telling Myself” on Soundcloud here and pre-order their upcoming album, Drama, on Bandcamp, here.

1. Keep Telling Myself

2. Get It Right

3. Dancing Like This

4. Sorry

5. Time To Forget

6. Breathe

7. As Loud As It Gets

8. Tokyo

9. Desperately

10. Snow Ball

Written by Sage Cho.