“Norwegian soul music” must be code-word for incredible vocals.
Background
Guro Elverhøi may be based in Los Angeles now, but has traveled the world, and grew up in Røyken, Norway. At the impressionable age of 6, she began singing and playing the piano. Eventually, her talents led her to the head of a local youth choir, known as “Flambeaux”, recognizing her incredible skill in hearing and creating harmonies.
Rewarded with a cultural scholarship in 2010, Elverhøi even lived a year in London, working on her music and taking voice lessons. By 2015, Guro graduated from The Berklee College of Music in Boston (Acceptance rate of 32% and graduation rate of 49%. Wow.) where she collaborated with CLAY (Gabrielle Walter Clay).
Today, Guro is a worship leader at the California Worship Center, working with music producer and pastor Warryn Campbell. In the past, Elverhøi has been featured on Norwegian radio, and performed for and with a variety of huge names:
- Stevie Wonder
- Jessie J
- Brian Courtney Wilson
- Tasha Cobbs
- Robert Glasper
Guro has a glimpse into the meaning behind her song, too:
“The song is about waiting for good things to happen. Sometimes it can be difficult to be patient, but you have to believe that everything will be alright in the end.”
Verdict
“I Will Be Waiting” evidences impressive vocal arrangements and production, that one cannot help but be caught off-guard by. Earning radio air time on NRK in Norway, the influence of Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, and even Kirk Franklin come to mind.
Beautifully paired with the present and welcomed, passive guitar of Juan Carreño Ariza, and written in tandem with Esteban Obando, “I Will Be Waiting” lands as a carefully produced, hook filled introduction to the world.
However, the story behind the creation of “I Will Be Waiting” throws all of that back in your face—as if just to remind you of the innate talent and hard-wrought but seemingly effortless touch of Guro Elverhøi:
“[The song] came together in a very short amount of time! It only took 10 days from getting the idea, until it was written and recorded.”
My immediate impression was raw talent, and lasting impression was of incredible potential, in a 4/5.
Support
You can add “I Will Be Waiting” and other songs of Elverhøi’s to your own playlist or library on Spotify. Additionally, you can listen for news and announcements on her Facebook, where a 2017 EP is expected to be released.
