Biography - Ida Jenshus

Biography – Ida Jenshus

Ida Jenshus is a Norwegian singer-songwriter, artist and producer. Since her debut in 2008 she has released six critically acclaimed albums and has received several prestigious awards. In 2023, she will release her seventh studio album, The Grip, further evolving her successful mix between pop, rock and country music.

After winning a popular talent competition on Norwegian national television (NRK) in 2007, Ida Jenshus’ artist career quickly took off, and she made her record debut in 2008 with the singles «These are the days» and «For the Nation». Then followed her first studio album Color of the Sun, which earned her the Norwegian Grammy (Spellemannsprisen) for best country album 2008. Two years later, in 2010, she released her second album, No Guarantees, with twelve new songs that showcased a rapidly maturing singer-songwriter. Once again, she won the Norwegian Grammy.

Ida established herself as one of Norway’s leading female country artists, and she was invited to open for the Eagles when they performed at the Norwegian Wood Festival in the summer of 2011. When she won the Norwegian Grammy once again in 2012 for her album Someone to Love, she became the first Norwegian solo artist to win Grammys for her first three albums. With this album, she also took her music further into the pop/rock territory and developed the characteristic sound that she is known for today.

During 2013, Ida truly blossomed as a songwriter, soaking in the culture and co-writing with some great American artists and writers. In the fall of 2014, Ida released a genre-breaching EP called Let it Go, earning her yet another Norwegian Grammy nomination, this time as Pop Soloist 2014. The record included the single «Shallow River», which generated great reviews and made it to several Norwegian popular song charts. Her fourth full-length album, Starting Over Again, was released in March 2015, to unanimous critical acclaim in Norwegian media, and was followed by a massive tour and summer festivals all over Norway.

Fifth album Two Worlds was released in 2017, and was a result of Ida spending a great deal of time in Nashville, where she toured with songwriting legend JD Souther, famous for his work with superstars such as Linda Ronstadt and The Eagles. The title reflects the duality of the album as well, being recorded both in Norway and in Nashville. The album was once again met with rave reviews, followed by a seemingly never ending tour of Norway.

On her sixth album From This Day On, released in 2019, Ida once and for all revealed her love of timeless pop music such as ABBA and Fleetwood Mac, and at the same time stood firm in her country roots. The record featured great pop singles such as «Love You A Little Less», «Heartland» and «Over Before It Started», and it surprised fans and critics alike, and was once again met with ecstatic reviews.

Naturally things did grind to a halt because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but Ida kept herself as busy as she could collaborating with several local acts, writing and releasing her first ever song in Norwegian, as well as co-producing albums for Unnveig Aas and The Mighty Magnolias, two «next generation» acts following in her footsteps. She also released two singles, «The Grip» and «Leaving You», which will both feature on her seventh album – also titled The Grip – which she is currently recording. Her brand new single, the jubilant pop country gem «Only Kindness Matters», almost signals a new start. This is where we find our heroine returning to her roots, reclaiming everything that may have been lost during the pandemic, coming out stronger and better than ever. The Grip will be released later in 2023.