Darling West experienced a spectacular breakthrough in their musical career after the release of their second album, Vinyl and a Heartache in 2016. They were awarded a Norwegian Spellemann award (equivalent of Grammy), listed on Norway’s biggest radio channels and appeared on the Top 100 Country charts in the US. In February 2018, their third album was released, to widespread critical acclaim, both in their native Norway and internationally. The music has definitely made an impact in the streaming world, racking up several million plays on Spotify and appearing in numerous influential playlists.

They are constantly touring, and the recent album release was succeeded by a nationwide Norwegian tour. They have played shows all over the world – among the highlights are several of Norway’s biggest festivals, SXSW in Texas, Americanafest in Nashville, Folk Alliance in Kansas City, Eurosonic in the Netherlands, a tour with Sam Outlaw and a support slot for Lucinda Williams.

While I Was Asleep was released worldwide on Jansen Records February 16th, 2018, and although they have added drums, the band stays true to their sound and still plays the sweet americana/country/folk they are known for. Moreover, the new album demonstrates a revitalized Darling West, with more drive in the music and even catchier melodies than before – who would have thought that was even possible?

Darling West’s career continues to be on the up, and 2018 promises to be their biggest year so far. So far the album has received raving reviews from Uncut Magazine, Greil Marcus in Village Voice Classic Rock Magazine, Folk Radio UK, Belwood Music, Americana Highways and many more. A busy Norwegian festival summer is on the cards, while their international efforts are starting to match their lofty ambitions.