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Indie rock outfit I Was a King were formed in Oslo, Norway by singer/songwriter/guitarist Frode Strømstad in 2006. Taking a cue from stalwart '90s shoegaze acts like Teenage Fanclub and My Bloody Valentine, as well as lo-fi power pop icons Guided by Voices and psychedelic rock royalty the Creation and Strawberry Alarm Clock, Strømstad released I Was a King's debut, Losing Something Good for Something Better, in 2007. The album received accolades in its Scandinavian homeland as well as in the British press. Released in 2009, I Was a King's eponymous sophomore effort featured appearances by Emil Nikolaisen (Serena Maneesh), Sufjan Stevens, Daniel Smith (Danielson Famile), and Gary Olson (Ladybug Transistor). On the group's 2011 album Old Friends, Strømstad was again joined by Nikolaisen and Smith, among others, as he crafted his most impressively musical and memorable record yet. ~ James Christopher Monger