Born In Europe, Inspired By The Bay: Meet Norwegian Folk-Poppers 'Oakland Rain'

Born In Europe, Inspired By The Bay: Meet Norwegian Folk-Poppers 'Oakland Rain'Photos: Oakland Rain/Facebook
Susan Xu
Published on March 01, 2017

Maren and Charlotte Wallevik Hansen are only 21, but they've been singing since they could talk.

The red-headed twins from the mountains of Norway have built up a steady home market over the years, but their folk–pop mix of "catchy choruses, acoustic guitar, drums, and vocals" was initially inspired by their emotional connection to the Bay Area.

Photo: Oakland Rain/Facebook

"We started writing as a band when we were 15," they told Hoodline via email. "That year we lived in California, and it shaped us a lot as songwriters."

Based near Monterey, the sisters visited Oakland and San Francisco every month. "The area inspired us with its uniqueness. We felt like it was a mix of everything: art, fashion, business, different cultures, colors, orientation and it felt so open to new ways of thinking."

Oakland Rain, "Northern Lights" | YouTube

Intrigued by the city's beauty and their interactions with its residents, the duo settled on the name "Oakland Rain," originally the title of a song Maren wrote (now called 5000 Lanterns), which the duo felt represented them "as a package."

"The song ... is about feeling like you belong in two places, and that's how we feel about our relationship between Norway and the US," they said.

PHOTO: OAKLAND RAIN/FACEBOOK

Along with the Bay Area, the sisters said their sound is informed by a mix of musicians, ranging from Simon & Garfunkel, Elton John and Bob Dylan to younger artists like Taylor Swift and Troye Sivan. They're also fascinated by nature.

"We like to compare the human mind to a landscape; when the landscape is luxuriant, the mindset is healthy. And the opposite. And we like to compare our bodies to growing trees; we need to treat our insides with kindness to be able to grow," they said.

The prospect of this growth—either personally or artistically—is exciting for the young musicians, who are still experimenting with their sound; they acknowledge that the process will take time, as well as feedback from the audience they're playing for.

PHOTO: OAKLAND RAIN/FACEBOOK

In the meantime, the twins are working on new material and are excited to release more music following the positive reception of their single "Northern Lights." Since the release of their debut-EP in March 2015, they've been on the radio, gone on tour in Europe and the US, and will drop their first album this year.

Through their work, they ultimately hope to tackle fundamental issues in today's society, with a focus on audiences their age and younger.

"We want to be that little voice inside the heart that tells them to be exactly who they are, and go for whatever makes them happy. And of course, we want to inspire the audience to be awake, and to care about what's going on in the world."