Bendik Brænne

Biography

Bendik Brænne (born 17 August 1987) is a Norwegian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger. He is the son of the late actor, playwright and author Trond Brænne. Growing up in a family with a strong connection to the arts, Brænne began writing songs with his older brother, Mattis Brænne Wigestrand, in the basement of their childhood home. At the time, both played in separate ska and punk bands and initially wrote material for their respective groups. Their collaboration continued beyond those early projects and has remained an important part of Brænne's musical career.

Alongside his solo work, Brænne has established himself as a record producer, arranger and session musician. He has worked across a wide range of musical styles, producing and arranging recordings for Norwegian artists while also contributing as a saxophonist, guitarist and keyboard player. As a backing musician and studio performer, he has appeared on releases by artists including Kurt Nilsen, Backstreet Girls, DumDum Boys and Jonas Alaska, among many others.

In 2010, Brænne was nominated for the Brage Prize in the children's literature category together with his father, Trond Brænne, and his sister, Kaia Brænne.

Brænne released his debut solo album, How to Fake It in America, in March 2013. The album won the Spellemansprisen for Best Country Album. Later that year he released the EP Aloha from Torshov.

In 2018, Brænne released Benedictionary, an album for which he wrote, arranged, recorded, produced and performed all the music, as well as designing the artwork. He followed it with Personal Best? (2020), Birds Are Real (2023) and Banos (2026).

In addition to his solo career, Brænne has been involved in numerous collaborative projects as a producer, arranger and performer. His work spans rock, pop, country, Americana and children's music, and he has contributed to recordings, live performances and theatre productions for a broad range of Norwegian artists and ensembles.

Brænne is also a member of the pop-punk band The Needs, alongside musicians known for their work with Kvelertak, Oslo Ess and Honningbarna.

Discography Solo Discography

2026: Banos (Bendix) 2025: Honkin Holidays (Bendix) 2023: Birds are Real (Bendix) 2020: Personal Best? (Bendix) 2018: Benedictionary (Bendix) 2017: The last great country swindle (Bendix) 2014: Do you know who I think I am (Snaxville) 2013: Aloha from Torshov EP (Snaxville) 2013: How to Fake It in America (Snaxville)

With The Needs 2021: You Need the Needs (Jansen) 2019: You Need the Needs (Jansen)

With Los Plantronics

2017: The worst is yet to come (Jansen) 2015: Surfing Times (Jansen) 2011: Organic Voodoo Soup (Jansen)

With Amund Maarud

2015: Volt (Snaxville) 2012: Dirt (Snaxville) 2011: Electric (Snaxville)

With No Torso

2008: Ready Already 2006: Several Brains 2004: Fatal Fraud

Other projects 2026: Full Tilt Boogie, with Backstreet Girls 2025: Back from the sea, with The Laundrettes 2025: 14 år, with Odd Erik Lothe 2025: Enda mer Stjerner og fyrverkeri, with SaraLy 2025: Å Leve i en By, with Anders Eidsvold 2025: Sunset Solace, with Marius Lien 2025: Jakta på jula, with Daniel Kvammen 2025: Siste sjanse, with Kristian Kaupang 2024: Spiller Lillebjørn, with Thea and the wild 2024: Poetically True, with Even Martinsen 2024: 5 O'clock man, with Lady Friend 2024: En fot ut døra, with Yngvild 2024: STIL, with Blomst 2024: Off Leash, with Embla and the Karidotters 2024: Ta meg hjem igjen, with Humle 2024: Mer Stjerner og fyrverkeri, with SaraLy 2024: Jadda, with Staut 2024: Belladonna, with Petter Baarli 2024: Fashion Victims, with Fashion Victims 2024: Can I get some adult supervision, with Feber 2023: Sanger og fyrverkeri, with SaraLy 2023: We the Thee, with Thee K-Otics 2023: Feelantropico, with Akersborg 2023: Oslo Ess, with Oslo Ess 2023: Blomsterspråk, with Roger Græsberg 2023: She, with Endre Nordvik 2023: Summetonar, with Stedje, Lothe, Tokvam 2022: Takomaha, with Takomaha 2022: Early arbo ashtar...., with Kosmik Boogie Tribe 2022: Raus, with Amund Maarud & Jace Everett 2022: Raging River, with Benedicte Brænden 2022: Phases, with Unnveig aas 2022: Fountain of St. Kathrina, with Leifson 2022: Bonnie and the Jets, with Bonnie and the Jets 2022: Sommerregn, with Roger Græsberg 2022: Sanger ingen skjønner, with Kigo 2022: Jaguar, with Odd Erik Lothe & Mighty Magnolias 2022: Sorry, Tom, with Kristian Kaupang 2021: Paradis Kitty, with Dinosaurtegning 2021: La det fine skine, with Odd Erik Lothe 2021: Leaving, longing, loving, with Robert Moses 2021: Blå Song, with Hellbillies 2021: Better Angles, with Adam Douglas 2021: Pønk, rock og harde kår, with Oslo Ess 2020: Snøfnugg, with Inge Bremnes 2020: Rock Omelette, with Mats Wawa 2020: Magnolianesque, with Mighty Magnolias 2020: Six string holiday, with Perry Dear and the Deerstalkers 2020: Travels, with Endre Nordvik 2020: The Backbouncebillity of humans, with Harald Thune 2020: I morra kjører jeg forbi, with Kristian Kaupang 2020: Rock Omelette, with Mats Wawa 2020: Eksil på Sundrehall, with Hellbillies 2020: After the bees, with Øyvind Holm 2020: Don't Remember - Can't Forget, with Alxsander Pettersen 2019: Love, with Torgeir Waldemar 2019: Young Heart, with Unnveig Aas 2019: MamaLove, with Queendome 2019: Norwegicana, with Jack Stillwater 2018: Good times ar bad times for somebody, with Numa Edema 2018: The Letter, with Alexander Pettersen 2018: Unknown skyline, with Mighty Magnolias 2018: Drømmen drømmerne drømmer, with Hubbabubbaklubb 2018: Kløyvd, with Odd Nordstoga 2018: References pt.2, with Malin Pettersen 2018: All city, with Label 2018: Heines sommerfavoritter Vol.2, with Heine Totland 2018: Gold, with Endre Nordvik 2018: Unbridled & Ablaze, with Zialand 2017: Oslo - Harlem , with BAYA 2017: World wide frequency, with Wild Man Riddim 2017: Mykje lyd , with Odd Nordstoga 2017: A Keen Eye for the Obvious, with Thulsa Doom 2017: Don't Mess with My Rock'n Roll, with Backstreet Girls 2017: Fear Is a Deamon, with Jonas Alaska 2017: Pop Noir, with Øystein Greni 2017: Amazing, with Kurt Nilsen 2017: Life of A Rudeboy, with Fyah George 2016: Predikant, with Predikant 2016: Divided, with Tommy Kristiansen 2016: Hopp Karoline, with Krom 2016: Mosaics, with Hard Luck Street 2016: Medicine, with Simen Aanerud 2016: Superkrefter, with Dizzet ft. Admiral P 2015: The Better End, with Caddy 2015: Durg natt, with Anders Bjørnvold 2015: Wild Man Riddim, with Wild Man Riddim 2014: Jump, with Queendom 2014: Manjolia mountains, with Manjolia mountains 2014: Bli her til eg dør, with Iselin Andreasen 2014: Bless Us All - Songs of Mickey Newbury, with Paal Flaata 2014: Will ni åka mer, with Senjahopen 2014: Green Means Walk Red Means Run, with Shaun Bartlett 2014: Alt, with West Bank Robbers 2014: Frode Johansen, with Frode Johansen 2014: Kall det hva du vil, with Herreløse 2014: Porterville, with Porterville 2014: Bli her til eg dør, with Iselin Andresen 2014: ...The Further Out You Get, with The South 2013: Glimpse of What We Had, with The South 2013: Violent Hippies, with Popgun 2013: Della Loved Steve, with Grand Island 2013: If Only As a Ghost, with Jonas Alaska 2013: Inertia, with Gina Aspenes 2013: Selections, Images under constructions, with Dandylion 2013: Ikkje vekk mæ før æ våkna, with Julie Willumsen 2013: My Sun, with Mona & Maria 2012: Sing Like Me, with Stina Stenerud & Her Soul Replacement 2012: Dead Man's Shoes, with The Lucky Bullets 2012: Images Under Construction, with Dandylion 2012: Ti liv, with Dumdum Boys 2011: Prairie Sun, with Orbo & Longshots 2011: Melodi Grand Prix 2011, with Melodi Grand Prix 2011: Joy Visible, with Foyn Trio 2011: Jobber overtid, with Admiral P 2010: Go and Tell, with SUM 2010: Den unge Fleksnes, with Den unge Fleksnes 2010: Live 10, with Orbo & Longshots 2010: Live fr Operaen, dugnad for Haiti, with Forente artister 2010: Elevator Sessions, with Paul Tonning 2010: Dugnad for Haiti - Live fra Operaen, with various artists 2009: Public Treason, with Fence 2009: Hooga Island, with Hooga Troopers 2009: Masquerade, with Orbo & the Longshots 2009: Soul Deep, with Noora Noor 2009: Appelsinpiken, with various artists 2009: Abracadabra, with Bazooka Boppers 2008: Røde Hunder, with Trond Brænne 2008: Himmelblå, with "various artists" 2008: Absolute music 20, with various artists 2008: Worry No, with "Chris lee" 2008: Welcome to Annoying Town, with 2008: Shrink the City to a Light, with Shaun Bartlett 2008: Put a Little Grease on my Axe, with Grand Cafe 2007: Troll, with Trond Brænne

Awards 2018 – Won the Spellemannprisen for The last great country swindle 2015 – Nominated to Spellemannprisen for Do you know who I think I am 2014 – Won the Spellemannprisen for How to fake it in America 2014 – Nominated to the Bendiksen Award 2013 – Nominated to Kulturdepartementets priser for barne- og ungdomslitteratur for the book series Dyra på gåren 2010 – Nominated to the Brage Prize in "Billedbøker for barn og/eller voksne" for Uvenner