The bugle call that signals the entrance of the all-female quartet Katzenjammer onto the Norwegian stage, and now the international music scene, stems from the band’s first hit single the whirlwind song called “A Bar in Amsterdam”. The trumpet fanfare is just one of Katzenjammer’s vas array of instrumental hooks, just recently utilized to wake up the audience at the opening of the Spellemannprisen, the Norwegian Grammy Awards.

Katzenjammer was nominated for the “Newcomer of the Year” prize for their debut album, titled Le Pop, but the fact that they were chosen to open the awards ceremony confirmed the reputation the band has already established as the most entertaining new act on the thriving Norwegian music scene,

Katzenhammer consists of Soleig Heila, Anne Marit Bergheim, Turid Jorgensen and Marianne Sveen—an between them they play the tuba, the balaika bass, drums, harmonica, piano, banjo, accordion, mandolin, guitar, melodica and, very efficiently, the aforementioned trumpet. By the time you catch them live, they most likely will have added some more oddball instruments to their repertoire.

On stage, Katzenjammer displays their own version of musical chairs, the various instruments continuously circulating among the four musicians, adding a circus element to the show.

The music of Katzenjammer has been described as folk/country/Balkan/gypsy/rickety-rock pop, which strangely enough is not as confusing in reality as it sounds.

The album was produced by the team of Kare Westrheim and Mike Hartung. The latter also produced other notable Norwegian artists, including Marit Larsen, Superfamily and Hanne Hukkelberg. Westrheim has also been instrumental to the big breakthrough of major Norwegian singer/songwriter Odd Nordstoga.

The album was very well received in the Norwegian press upon release last autumn, described by one writer as “a mix between Eastern European folk music, B-52s, the sisters Kate & Anna McGarrigle, seasick bluegrass, country blues and a carnival orchestra on the run”.

Katzenjammer’s ascent into the spotlight started at the beginning of 2008, when the band blew away an audience of music biz people and journalists at the Scandinavian music convention by larm in Oslo. The performance catapulted Katzenjammer into the larger clubs of Norway; just recently they have sold out Oslo’s 1,500 capacity venue, Rockefeller twice in a 90-day period. Last summer, Katzenjammer played a series of festivals, even before the release of their first album.

This winter, they have brought their passport-free brand of musical mayhem to the Eurosonic convention in the Netherlands, South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, and they have also played two nights as special guests of the band Keane at the huge 02 Arena in London.

In August, Le Pop will be released internationally.