Bobby Halvorson is a musical dream with his new single “Angeles” which is out today via all digital outlets. Hailing from Los Angeles he brings a vibe both vibrant and seductive which comes alive within every note.
A refined take on dream pop, Bobby Halvorson embraces a world of wonder with his new track; managing to conjure up a whole sound bigger than the sum of its parts. Paired alongside the poetic, playful nature of Halvorson’s lyricism, moments become magnified in this careful fashion. There is hope imbued deep within each of the song’s narrative.
Halvorson was raised in a household where the songs of Simon and Garfunkel, Cat Stevens, Joni Mitchell and the Beach Boys were regularly played and harmonized to in a quintet featuring his mother, father and two older sisters. Halvorson, a self-taught multi-instrumentalist, found himself behind the drum set, guitar, piano and bass in groups like his high school jazz band and his numerous angsty 90s pop-punk outfits during his adolescent years. The combination of these elements helped him to hone his unique and captivating sound which is evident on the new single.
At the age of sixteen he began writing his own original songs, showing a distinct affinity for complex arrangements and harmonies despite his lack of formal music education. It was during this time that he became enamored of the work by artists like Van Dyke Parks, Björk and Radiohead with their lush orchestration and more experimental approaches to songwriting.
It was in university where Halvorson learned to read and write the language he could speak so well. Under the tutelage of Dr. Jeremy Haladyna, Halvorson honed his skills in counterpoint, orchestration, songwriting and classical composition. It was here that he absorbed the new influences of Stravinsky, Debussy, Prokofiev, Ravel, Takemitsu and Weill. Halvorson turned these new inspirations toward his songwriting, adding even more ornate arrangements to his guitar-based folk-rock tunes while also working with playwrights to write songs for original pieces of musical theatre. In collaboration with playwright, author and performer Daniel Alexander Jones, Halvorson composed and produced numerous works of musical theatre for shows like Jomama Jones – Radiate and Bright, Now, Beyond.
It was during this time that Halvorson connected with one of his personal heroes Van Dyke Parks and began working as a music editor and notation guru assisting Parks in preparing scores and parts for his florid orchestrations. It was through Parks that Halvorson was introduced to Kiefo Nilsson (son of Harry Nilsson) where he worked as an arranger, producer and performer in live renditions of Harry Nilsson’s The Point. Halvorson soon cemented himself amongst his peers as the go-to arranger and artists like Sondre Lerche, Tim Heidecker, Morgxn, Joseph Luca, Rob Schnapf, Inara George and Tim Hutton called on Halvorson to amplify their work with strings, winds, brass, and vocal arrangements.
Since 2020, Halvorson began writing about his own personal struggles with debilitating anxiety and the challenges of finding romance in an increasingly more isolated world. It is from this place that his new material emerged, terrifyingly vulnerable and exposed. The album he is set to release drops all facades and shows exactly who he is, embarrassments and all. He has finally returned to himself and for the first time in twenty years he’s no longer hiding behind a band or the notes of the orchestra.
A sound that has a classic, timeless appeal, Bobby Halvorson goes for a spirited, passionate performance with his latest effort. “Angeles” is out via all digital outlets today.
From The Artist : “Los Angeles is a city that holds lots of promises and possibilities for young people. It’s advertised as a place with endless opportunity and to some degree this is true. But after living here for a while it starts to feel like you’ve entered into an abusive relationship where your partner continues to make promises they can’t keep. Yet, you linger and kowtow to its whims in the hopes that one day it’ll finally love you back. As I’ve gotten older, having been here for over a decade, I’ve exhausted myself through my efforts to stay relevant, to maintain a spark. This may sound bitter but I don’t feel victimized. I learned what I needed from this relationship and it’s time to explore another. ”
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