Allan Olsen

Born in 1956 in Frederikshavn in northern Denmark, Allan Olsen has developed since the 1980s a career as a singer, guitarist and songwriter characterized by Danish-language writing and roots in rock, pop and folk. After years performing solo in pubs and small venues across Jutland with a repertoire that was initially English-language, he released his first single in 1983 and made his breakthrough on record with Norlan in 1989, an album that establishes a world tied to his North Jutland background. His subsequent output alternates between acoustic formats and full-band arrangements, with records of varying aesthetics — from melodic rock to more stripped-down forms or material closer to roots and folk, including Jern (1996), Sange for rygere (1998), Onomatopoietikon (2000), Gæst (2004), Jøwt (2013) and Hudsult (2017). Allan Olsen also pursued in parallel the project Dalton, a trio formed with Johnny Madsen and Lars Lilholt, whose debut album Dalton appeared in 1992. A regular presence at festivals, theatres and Danish venues, Olsen has long alternated solo concerts, trio performances and shows with different ensembles depending on the project.