Norway based creative Glenn Meling has returned with his third album, Minnesota, which explores the experiences of migration to American during the 19th century.
During the 1800s, the American Midwest became a popular spot to settle down with people migrating from Norway and surrounding regions. After traveling the states, Glenn found himself digging deeper into the stories of his fellow journeyman.
Before the term Uncle Sam came into the collective consciousness, the U.S. was referred to as Brother Jonathan, which is also the title of the lead single from Meling’s Minnesota album. The term Brother Jonathan embodied the spirit of the new, growing nation from the perspective of Europeans who left to find their new home across the big pond.
Fast forward to the present day, you’ll find universities like St. Olaf in Minnesota that focuses its’ studies on Norwegian heritage and immigration. Glenn also mentioned that film, Fargo, by Joel and Ethan Cohen was very inspirational and further sparked an interest in this very subject.
Weaving influences from rock, pop, and blues, Glenn has created an album filled with thoughtful explorations about his homeland and the Norwegian diaspora.
You can hear more and stay up to date with Glenn Meling’s projects on his website.
You can find his music on Bandcamp and can connect directly on FB or Twitter.