Donkeyboy

Donkeyboy
Donkeyboy performing live in Oslo in August 2009
Donkeyboy performing live in Oslo in August 2009
Background information
OriginDrammen, Norway
Genres
Years active2005–present
LabelsWarner Music Norway
MembersCato Sundberg
Kent Sundberg
Peter Michelsen
Thomas Drabløs
Past membersAlexander Garborg Ågedal
Websitewww.donkeyboy.no

Donkeyboy (occasionally stylised as donkeyboy) is a synthpop band from Drammen, Norway, formed in 2005. The band consists of Cato Sundberg (vocals, rhythm guitar), Kent Sundberg (synth, vocals), Peter Michelsen (guitar, backing vocals) and Thomas Drabløs (drums)

History

Donkeyboy release concert, 2009

Donkeyboy were signed to Warner Music after an employee came across their music on MySpace.[1] Their debut single, "Ambitions" was released on 26 March 2009 and was put into heavy rotation by NRK P3.[2] The song's chorus is built around a bassline similar to those used on Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" and some of Madonna's 1980s songs.[1] The song features guest vocals by Linnea Dale. "Ambitions" debuted on the Norwegian singles chart at number seven on 6 April 2009,[3] and reached the number one spot on 29 June, after 13 weeks on the charts. "Ambitions" remained at the number one spot for 12 consecutive weeks, before being replaced by the band's second single "Sometimes" on September 22. This was the first time ever for a Norwegian artist to occupy the top two spots on the singles chart.[4] Guitarist Peter Michelsen described the situation as "completely absurd".[4]

Donkeyboy's debut album Caught in a Life was released on 19 October 2009. It was produced by Simen & Espen at Livingroom Studios in Oslo. Sven Ove Bakke of Dagbladet gave the album four out of six, and described it as "revolving around its already established hits with a combination of self-assured conviction and uneasy duteousness."[5] He concluded that the album was overshadowed by its hit single.[5] The band supported fellow Norwegians a-ha in the UK and Oslo legs of their Foot of the Mountain tour in November 2009, and in 2011 Donkeyboy won a European Border Breakers Award for their international success.[6]

Donkeyboy's second album Silver Moon was released on March 2, 2012, and in 2013 they released the single "Triggerfinger" featuring vocals by Kiesza.

Honours

  • 2009: Three times Spellemannprisen in the categories this year's Hit song, Newcomer and Musical video, for the album Caught in a Life and the tune/video "Ambitions"

Discography

Albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
NOR
[7] 		DEN
[8] 		FIN
[9] 		SWE
[10]
Caught in a Life 1 — — 6
Silver Moon
  • Released: March 2, 2012
  • Label: Warner
  • Formats: CD, digital download
 2 35 — —
Lost
  • Released: February 12, 2016
  • Label: Warner
  • Formats: CD, digital download
 17[12] — — —
"—" denotes albums which were not released in that country or failed to chart.

Singles

Year Song Peak chart positions Certifications Album
NOR
[7] 		DEN
[8] 		FIN
[9] 		SWE
[10]
2009 "Ambitions" 1 — — 1 Caught in a Life
"Sometimes" 1 — — —
  • NOR: 3× Platinum[11]
"Broke My Eyes" 6 — — —
"Awake" 8 — — —
"Blade Running" 8 — — —
2010 "Stereolife" — — — —
2011 "City Boy" 1 1 7 — Silver Moon
2012 "Pull of the Eye" 11 — — —
"Silver Moon" — — — —
2013 "Triggerfinger" — — 9 — Lost
2014 "Crazy Something Normal" 13 — — —
"Hero" — — — —
2015 "Downtown" 18 — 9 —
"Lost" 36 — — —
2016 "Dollar" — — — —
2017 "Kaleidoscope" — — — —
2018 "It'll Be Alright" — — — —
2019 "Think You Should" (feat. Linnea Dale) — — — —
2021 "Kentucky" — — — —
"—" denotes singles which were not released in that country or failed to chart.

References

  1. ^ a b Narverud Moen, Siri (2009-04-23). "Slik fikk Donkeyboy platekontrakt" (in Norwegian). NRK P3. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
  2. ^ Myrvold, Kine (2009-03-26). "DonkeyBoy A-listet på P3" (in Norwegian). Drammens Tidende. Archived from the original on 2009-06-23. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
  3. ^ "DonkeyBoy debuterer på VG-lista" (in Norwegian). Drammens Tidende. 2009-04-09. Archived from the original on 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
  4. ^ a b Røyseland, Halstein (2009-09-23). "Donkeyboy skapte norsk pophistorie". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2009-10-20.
  5. ^ a b Bakke, Sven Ove (2009-10-15). "I skyggen av sin egen hit". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2009-10-20.
  6. ^ "Winners of the 2011 European Border Breakers Awards", ec.europa.eu. Retrieved February 20, 2012
  7. ^ a b "Norwegian Charts > Donkeyboy". norwegiancharts.com, Hung Medien. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
  8. ^ a b "Danish Charts > Donkeyboy". danishcharts.dk, Hung Medien. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
  9. ^ a b "Finnish Charts > Donkeyboy". finnishcharts.com, Hung Medien. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
  10. ^ a b "Swedish Charts > Donkeyboy". swedishcharts.com, Hung Medien. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
  11. ^ a b c "IFPI Norsk platebransje - Salgstroféer". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 2007-06-13. Retrieved 2012-03-04.
  12. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-05-25. Retrieved 2016-02-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. ^ "Certificeringer" (in Danish). IFPI Denmark. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
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Awards
Preceded by Recipient of the Newcomer Spellemannprisen
2009 		Succeeded by