Ever since his debut back in 1997 with the Norwegian lo-fi psych-pop heroes Dipsomaniacs, Øyvind Holm has managed to stay a renowned and prolific songwriter. Some 22 years later, Holm has, on his own or as a part of various band constellations, released close to 20 albums of original material. These days Holm is probably most recognized as a member of the cosmic, high-flying Americana combo Sugarfoot. Their newest album, “In The Clearing”, has received massive praise since its release earlier this year. Holm has decided to put out a new album under his own name again, his first solo release since 2005’s “The Vanishing Act”. “After The Bees” was recorded in Trondheim’s Brygga studio in May 2019, with production duties shared between Holm himself and the eminent Pål Brekkås and Alexander Pettersen. “My motivation for doing this was to get in touch with the more poppy sides of my songwriting again,” explains Holm. “Sides that don’t necessarily always fit naturally into what’s going on in the Sugarfoot camp at any given moment. Writing songs is something I do all the time, so l guess writing this album and writing for the band fulfill different artistic needs” Holm’s love for 60s psychedelia occasionally seeps in through the cracks this time around too – and why shouldn’t it? Still, more than anything else, “After The Bees” is a melodic-driven album, packed with memorable hooks and choruses. Hell, some of these tracks are even danceable.