Solveig Heilo

Solveig Heilo (born 24 December 1981), known professionally as Sol Heilo, is a Norwegian composer, artist, musician, music producer, arranger, designer and costume designer. She is mostly known for the band Katzenjammer.

Sol works in different genres, such as folk, rock, pop, bluegrass, classical, blues, soul, country, tribe, klezmer and electronica. She is a multi-instrumentalist who plays drums, trumpet, bass, guitar, melodic percussion, ukulele, domra, banjo, balalaika, zither, harp, flute, accordion, piano, harmonica and mandolin.

Early life Sol grew up in Bærum, Norway as the youngest of four children. From their early years they all showed great aptitude for music, and learned to sing before learning to talk. She has written music with her brother Kristian Heilo, and her brother Øyvind Heilo is also musically active.

Education

Music From 1998 to 2000 Sol went to a musical high school, Rud Videregående skole, in Bærum,

After travelling the world she lived in Connecticut and played in Norwalk Symphony Orchestra as a percussionist for a short period of time.

Sol left the Nordic Institute of Stage and Studio with the highest grades of her class and was awarded St. Olavsprisen as Student of the Year. trumpet with Westlife, vocals and drums on several Espen Lind and Stargate recordings, vocals and drums in Magnus Uggla's band, trumpet on Grand Island's record Boys and Brutes (2008), vocal on Vinni's song Mørkredd (2011), mandolin on Thomas Dybdahl's song Før Morgengry (2011), percussion and vocal with Odd Nordstoga and Kåre Vestrheim on a Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) music video project.

In 2012 and 2013 worked as a composer, arranger, musician, music producer, technician, visual designer and actor on the Worsøe theatre production Stilleben.

Katzenjammer Sol Heilo with the Katzenjammer balalaika contra bass "Akerø" She has been central in Katzenjammer's arrangements and compositions, and was co- producer on Katzenjammer's first and third album.

She was co- writer on the Katzenjammer singles Rock Paper Scissors and I Will Dance from the album A Kiss Before You Go (2011), and has written the two singles My Dear and Shine Like Neon Rays from the album Rockland (2015).

Together with Eivind Buene she is behind Katzenjammer's version of Bjørn Rønningen's Christmas song Vi Tenner Våre Lykter, which is the title track on the then-Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s Foundation's Christmas compilation from 2011.

Sol also made all the vocal arrangements for the Katzenjammer version of The Pogues' Fairytale of New York, where strings arrangement was made by Tormod Tvete Vik.

She is also the sole arranger of Katzenjammer's versions of the songs When You Wish Upon a Star, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and White Christmas.

Design Work Sol did all the artwork on Katzenjammer's first album Le Pop (2008) together with her sister Kaja Heilo, and Sandrine Pagnoux. She also participated in the design on their second album A Kiss Before You Go (2011) together with Mathias Fossum and Heydays, and is fully behind all art work on Katzenjammer's third album Rockland (2015). She has also done most of Katzenjammer's general artwork for their line of merchandise, such as t -shirt designs, posters, stage designs, early web design and the design of their well known contra bass balalaika Akerø.

At the moment she plays with Magnus Grønneberg in his solo project with his daughter Hanna Maria. Sol plays drums and sings. She recently participated on CC Cowboys' last album Til det blir dag (2015) with vocals. She now works on a side project with Andreu Jacob, where they both are producers and musicians on some of Sol's recently written musical works.

Sol just started a new solo project, called SOL. The genre is eclectic but has a clearer red thread than the Katzenjammer material, as she is the main songwriter.