Bio
Musical Style and influences
Drawing inspiration from the early 2000s alternative rock and metal scene, as well as both old and contemporary prog-metal influences, If I Fall blends catchy melodies with emotional, contemplative lyrics, infectious hooks, and driving guitar riffs that resonate with a broad audience. Their songs deal with often unspoken perspectives of both the very personal and the universal, where challenges in friendships, close relations, and love, go head to head with the shackles of supposed freedom in western society and the feeling of not finding ones place in its sometimes overwhelming ignorance, hypocrisy and cynicism.
The band members' influences range from bands like Radiohead, A Perfect Circle, Porcupine Tree, Tool, Metallica, Ayreon, Iron Maiden, Dream Theater, Symphony X, Mars Volta, and many more, much of which is transferred into their songwriting, resulting in a unique blend that appeals to both nostalgic fans and new listeners.
On July 19. 2024, If I Fall released their debut album, "Unspoken", and are planning live shows, concerts and potential festivals in the near future. The band is also working on new material, promising an evolution in their sound while staying true to their roots.
Band history
Erik and André first briefly crossed musical paths way back in 2003, when they as colleagues bonded over their shared interest in bands like Muse, Live, Queens of the Stone Age etc, and became friends. Throughout the years their desire to create music together was discussed several times but didn’t materialize until 2016, when they joined forces with Tobias, Rudi, and drummer Jan Christiansen to play a few cover songs and create original music. If I Fall was officially born.
First Release and Live Shows
The band’s debut, "Manic" (2017), was a 3 song EP only released on youtube, with a pretty raw sound, originally intended as a demo for friends and other interested parties. They played a few local gigs through 2018-2020 with audiences expressing the band’s music was unique, interesting and definitely made for larger venues. Unfortunately both due to covid and being the Norwegian equivalent of Spinal Tap (with drummers coming and going), the band went on hiatus until autumn 2023, when they finally decided to record all their songs into a full album. Their first single, “Duplicitous” was released in May 2024.
Band Members
Tobias Solvang
Lead guitar and live backing vocals
Rudi Johnsen
Guitar and Riff-Meister
Born to a virgin mother and a unicorn father, Rudi is the epitome of creativity and fantastical beings. He is in fact the guitar equivalent of the The Pied Piper with the ability to entrance even the most resilient of men, and he has even been known to cure the deaf. Not only are his guitars fretless, but also neckless and without strings, with only a floating guitar head from which massive riffs are spewed.
André Kollstrøm
Bass
André was not born like ordinary men, he simply came into being in an event aptly described by his followers as "The Emergence". Although never confirmed, it is speculated he accidentally stumbled into our plane of existence from a higher dimension wearing nothing but a bass guitar, and that if you look him directly in the eyes when he plays you may spontaneously combust.
Erik Salminen
Vocals
Erik does not exist, except as a figment of collective immagination, much like the Grinch, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny and most, if not all, gods. He draws sustenance from the subconscious minds of those around him and exhales it all into music and melodies you do not know you've already dreamt, yet somehow cannot forget.
Espen Moe
Drums
Espen is a cyborg in the true sense of the word. Through genetic and robotic experimentation, he has fused parts of his own body with his drumset, allowing him to feel every stroke like a tap of his skin, or in the most extreme cases, like a punch in the face. One might think this would be a distraction, but to Espen it is a heightened sense of existence giving him superhuman musical immersion.