"One of the most exciting acts to emerge from Europe." - The Vinyl District (UK) 

 

"Pretty much every track I've heard from them makes me think 'Damn, why has it taken me this long to find them'. Seriously. They're that good." – The 405 (UK) 

"Einar Stray Orchestra delights, surprises, fascinates and captivates" – Aftenposten (NO) 
 

Einar Stray Orchestra find themselves in an artistic renaissance. With the February (2017) release of their third album "Dear Bigotry", produced by Team Me frontman Marius Hagen, the young Norwegian indie rock gem has sharpened their expression. After two critically acclaimed albums, two EPs, 300 concerts in Europe and Asia, and solid radio rotation in UK and Germany, the young quintet has become one of Norway's most experienced and playful acts. The band, known for their close collab with Moddi and Cezinando, uncompromisingly unite classical music with pop and rock that might send your mind in the direction of Sufjan Stevens and Arcade Fire. The new record, with lyrics about double moral, religious upbringing and their love-hate relationship to Oslo, was frontet by the colorful music video for the first single «Penny For Your Thoughts».
 

The 16 year old Einar Stray's experimental songs recorded in his bedroom in Sandvika, Norway, was discovered on Myspace in 2006. Inspired by the layered music of Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Sufjan Stevens the singer/song-writer brought musician friends with him on stage, including cellist Ofelia Østrem Ossum. Together they produced both delicate and grandiose sounds with strings, blows and percussion. After meeting the Norwegian artist Moddi in 2008, they quickly joined forces and released their debut EPs together, as a split-vinyl. "Favors And Fields/Rubato EP" resulted in their first tour through Norway, including big Norwegian festivals like Slottsfjell, By:larm and Øya. 

When the debut album "Chiaroscuro" finally saw the light in 2011, it received great critics home and abroad. It was released in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Japan and Norway. The band got compressed into a five-piece: Ofelia on the cello, Hanna Furuseth/Åsa Ree on the violin, Simen Aasen on bass and Lars Fremmerlid on drums, with Einar's classical inspired piano playing and deep voice in center. They became a hard working live band leaving audiences through Europe mesmerized. With a range from noisy post-rock ballads to stripped down A Capella songs the band toured all of 2012, and gave also birth to "For The Country EP". They ended the year opening for Múm and Under Byen in Russia.

The quintet released their personal and political second album entitled "Politricks" September 2014 to, ones again, great critics. With songs questioning their religious upbringing and Norway's weapon export, the album made some controversy in the media. Producer Hasse Rossbach (Team Me/Moddi) and mixer Nick Terry (Libertines/Klaxons/Serena Maneesh) pushed them towards a punchier and more available sound - a good fit to the band's growing ambitions. The band did a successful 40 dates release tour in the fall of 2014 and further into 2015 in Europe and China. 

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In 2015 two new band members was announced: Maja Gravermoen Toresen (violin) and Steinar Glas (bass) followed by the news of a new album in the making. The band went into the Ocean Sound Recordings studio on the stormy Norwegian island Giske with Team Me frontman Marius Hagen and Rumble In Rhodos' Øyvind Røsrud Gundersen. The result was their third album "Dear Bigotry". The album was released early 2017 on Norwegian label Toothfairy and Berlin based Sinnbus Records. Once again the album recieved rave critics.