Elias Rønnenfelt

Elias Rønnenfelt — the Danish musician and poet best known as the lead singer and lyricist of Iceage — will release his debut solo album Heavy Glory on October 25th via Escho. Following singles “Like Lovers Do“ and "No One Else,” Rønnenfelt shares another preview from the album, “Worm Grew a Spine.”  Propelled by the energizing steam-engine chug of a drum machine, “Worm Grew A Spine” is a rock song reminiscent of the ornate amphetamine jams on Blonde on Blonde. Watch the surreal green screen performance.

Heavy Glory is the sound of growing up in the world by throwing oneself into the world, made by someone whose only constant companions have been a pen and a guitar. The album tells tales of isolation, excess, and perseverance in the face of chaos. Co-produced by Rønnenfelt and Nis Bysted, Heavy Glory was recorded in Copenhagen in chapters and moments over the course of a year. Collaborators include Iceage’s Dan Kjær Nielsen, Danish punk godfather Peter Peter, as well as singers Fauzia and Joanne Robertson (who Rønnenfelt has collaborated with before on a number of Dean Blunt releases).

Heavy Glory first took shape in the spring of 2022, during the curious coda of the pandemic, when the world felt neither open nor closed. Rønnenfelt, “sick and tired of not being able to do what I do,” announced to his fans and friends that he would play shows anywhere in Europe, in any venue, to whoever wanted to hear his music. On the road, Rønnenfelt would write songs and play them the next day. These songs, which form the heart of Heavy Glory, were designed to be played anywhere, and they had to be: they were christened in forests and living rooms, bookstores and chapels. Rønnenfelt’s life as an artist combined with his fluency and comfort in music creates a sound that wobbles and rocks but never loses its center, both fragile and tough, and always moving forward. It is dreamy yet bombastic, held together by the passion of certainty.