MARI KLINGEN

Mari is a versatile Norwegian musician best known for her work with the bands SalmeKlang and Lumsk. Beyond these primary projects, she is also a member of the Norwegian folk-pop duo BLAA and has released solo material under her own name. From time to time she also lends her voice to other bands and projects.

The bands

Mari founded SalmeKlang in 2008—a four-piece orchestra specializing in rearranging and bringing new life to old hymns. Their innovative approach has made them a distinctive voice in the Norwegian hymn and sacred music scene. SalmeKlang is currently taking a break from touring while working on new material.

Mari joined the acclaimed progressive folk metal band Lumsk in 2021, bringing her dynamic vocal style to their established sound. She is set to release her second album with the band—which will mark Lumsk’s fifth studio release—later this year.

Together with Gisle Haaland, Mari forms the duo BLAA, and they have been playing together for over twenty years. «It’s all about being creative and seeing where the music will take us today,» the duo explains. Mari writes the material— folkish pop with Norwegian lyrics performed in her own dialect, Trøndersk.

Her solo work isn’t easy to categorize, but it’s always rooted in Maris’s core passion for singing and making music. Her debut album was an experimental album with large jazz/improvisation-based contemporarypieces for her voice only (in layers!), but also melancholy pieces for piano and voice. She has also a couple of singles out, in a more traditional pop style.

Musical style

Mari’s primary musical genres are progressive rock, folk rock, and pop. She is particularly recognized for her dynamic and expressive vocal abilities, which have become her signature across various musical projects.

Other things

Beyond her performing career, Mari maintains an active role in the Norwegian music industry through several channels:

Music Production: She arranges and produces music for various choirs and artists.
Session Work: Provides vocal contributions to other musical projects
Education: Teaches vocals and music theory at multiple university colleges, currently at Kristiania University College and NLA University College Staffeldts
Media: Co-founded the podcast «Vokal til folket» in 2018 with Carina Frantzen

What People Say:

The music tends to have a harsher tone at times, but is often softened by the lovely vocals from Mari Klingen. She has a wonderful vocal range which fits in well with the gentler moments as well as the more forceful, heavier ones.
The Progressive Aspect

Vokalmelodiene er i kjent Lumsk-stil uutslettelige fra hjernebarken når man først har hørt dem, og er levert via det fabelaktige stemmematerialet til bandets nye vokalist, Mari Klingen.
Metallurgi.org

New female vocalist Mari Klingen impresses from the beginning as she lifts «Det Døde Barn» from sparse, piano-based, melancholic neo-rock to a dominating, higher level of intensity, heaviness, and details. Her technique is – probably quite literally – breathtaking.
Global MetalBlog