Hedwig Molestad Trio (NOR)

On their eighth album, *Bees in the Bonnet*, the Hedvig Mollestad Trio continues to blur the boundaries between free jazz, progressive rock, and lighthearted psychedelia with their signature telepathic chemistry, nuanced sonority, and uplifting spirit. Released on April 25, the album’s six adventurous tracks range from celebratory riffs to cerebral ballads, all imbued with an infectious, inclusive joy.

“A bee in your bonnet is something you can’t stop thinking about,” explained celebrated guitarist and composer Mollestad from her coastal home near Oslo. “I wanted something that would describe the musical concept of the trio—which is what we’ve been doing for eight albums.”

As a child, Mollestad would be moved literally to tears by the ostensibly dissimilar sounds of, say, Sonny Rollins and Pearl Jam—often on the same day. This juxtaposition of genres, once dubbed “jazz Sabbath,” has become her trademark as a revered composer, award-winning solo artist, and—since 2009—with her beloved trio (also known as HM3), formed after she received the This Year’s Jazz Talent award at Moldejazz that year. Fourteen years later, Mollestad returned to that legendary festival as Artist in Residence, following in the footsteps of the likes of Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, and John Zorn in receiving that honor. In 2019, she was also awarded the prestigious Musicians Prize at the Kongsberg Jazz Festival.

While her father was formerly a professional flugelhorn and trumpet player whose recordings include the seminal folk-jazz opus *Østerdalsmusikk* with Jan Garbarek, Mollestad did not begin to seriously cultivate her own talents until her early twenties. She graduated from the Norwegian Academy of Music but found her own voice almost in spite of her formal education while playing in clubs with a diverse array of rock and jazz acts.

“All genres were shattered a long time ago,” she mused. “The biggest reason we play music is because it’s incredibly fun, makes us happy, and spreads joy—even if it stirs up strong emotions.”

HM3’s *Smells Funny* made Rolling Stone’s “11 Great Albums You Probably Didn’t Hear in 2018,” with senior editor David Fricke also praising “the quality and ferocity of [Mollestad’s] guitar playing and improvisation, and the rhythmic bond of the group.”” Their vibrant live sets eschew any somberness associated with virtuosic musicality, instead focusing on sparkling spontaneity (and often their stage outfits), a visceral connection with the audience, and sheer, dynamic joie de vivre. In short, they’re a band devoted to having a serious and musically challenging good time.

After releasing seven acclaimed albums over the course of a decade, accompanied by rapturously received tours throughout Europe and North America, it has been nearly four years since the Hedvig Mollestad Trio released their triumphant seventh album, *Ding Dong*. You’re Dead. Mollestad’s pent-up delight in reconnecting with co-founders Ellen Brekken (bass) and Ivar Loe Bjørnstad (drums) permeates the thirty-seven invigorating, beautifully baffling yet accessible minutes of *Bees in the Bonnet*. Always self-producing and releasing records exclusively through Rune Grammofon, HM3 has created its own fascinating sonic universe, offering fans a unique aural experience that has earned a global cult following.

“This is the longest stretch of time we’ve had since our last release,” said Mollestad, who had been busy with commissioned works for festivals and solo releases. “It was very important to me that we got back together as a trio, because it’s like the beating heart of all our musical lives.”

With HM3 lately playing as many rock clubs as jazz venues, *Bees in the Bonnet* is perhaps Mollestad’s most balanced exploration of both styles to date, drawing equal inspiration from fellow Norwegian jazz guitarist and composer Terje Rypdal, Texas boogie rockers ZZ Top, Canadian prog rockers Rush, and her Norwegian psychedelic rock labelmates Motorpsycho. “There are open sections, but there are also structures on this album that are very long, quite complicated, and written out as a score,” said Mollestad, who has also played with Nels Cline, Trevor Dunn, Colin Stetson, Ingrid Laubrock, and Shahzad Ismaily.

Released on February 11, the first single “Golden Griffin” is an up-tempo, shifting series of Rush-style major-key riffs exuding positive vibes with propulsive yet fluttering drums, light psychedelic guitar motifs, and tapped bass. The dreamy, delicate follow-up “Lament,” due on March 18, honors HM3’s tradition of including a ballad on every album—in this case, a tribute to Mollestad’s father as the catalyst for her musical passion. The playful third single, “Bob’s Your Giddy Aunt,” drops right before the album’s release; its title—a blend of two nostalgic British colloquialisms, “Bob’s your uncle” and “My giddy aunt”— —reflects Mollestad’s fascination with language and her study of literature, alongside her band’s tendency not to take itself too seriously.

Bees in the Bonnet will be accompanied by at least one music video plus extensive touring across Europe in the summer and fall of 2025, before making a long-awaited return to America in 2026, continuing to delight and intrigue fans of both hard rock and heartfelt jazz with rare dynamism and seductive panache.


hedvigmollestad.com