Interview: The Dahlmanns

Discussing Their New Album 'Life In Reverse'

Mar 12, 2026

Talented Norwegian duo The Dahlmanns are back with the fantastic new album, Life In Reverse.

This is only the second full-length release from the married couple of Andre and Line Dahlmann, following an impressive 15-year run of singles, EPs, and covers that have earned them a global fanbase. The 11-track collection is built around their signature power pop hooks while proving they still have more tricks up their sleeves.

“This is a record written by Line and me, for Line and me. It’s a release I’m so genuinely proud of that I don’t really worry about whether people like it or not. Of course, it’s fantastic if they do—but that’s just a bonus,” Andre Dahlmann told me for the interview below.

Fans of poppy Detroit proto-punk will be instantly drawn to lead track and single, “Leatherboys.”

“I tend to write lyrics around a sentence I like, or maybe just a word or two that I like the sound of, but with ‘Leatherboys’ I had more of a full cartoonish story in my head. Finnish artist Touko Vailo Laaksonen’s art was part of the whole mood board for that one,” Line said.

“The lyrics were inspired by Tom of Finland, while musically it turned into a kind of mix between The Stooges, Alice Cooper, and that sort of thing,” Andre added.

I caught up with Andre and Line by email to find out about the writing and recording of Life In Reverse (Fabcom Records), discuss their evolving relationship with music genres, and ask what’s next for The Dahlmanns.

Congrats on the great new album! Can you tell me a little about how Life In Reverse was written?

Andre Dahlmann: Thank you! It’s been a long and winding road. I actually wrote songs for this album four different times. Every time I thought it was finished, something just didn’t feel right.

Then one day I decided to record a song I’d been sitting on the couch playing for myself—the kind of song you play absentmindedly without really thinking much about it. That song was “Old Ghosts Stays,” and it just felt completely right. After that, the rest of the songs came together relatively quickly.

It was really liberating to break free from what felt like a “genre prison” and instead focus on what I actually want to play—and, not least, what I want to listen to.

I write the songs and usually sketch out a basic melody. Then I send a demo to Line, who writes the lyrics, adjusts some of the melodies, and gives input on what could be different—suggesting changes or ways to approach certain parts musically.

Line Dahlmann: If we consider our own originals, it is usually the same series of steps to go from idea to finished song, and it usually starts with Andre and few guitar cords. He plays these cords for a couple of days and will eventually ask me if I think he is on to something—and he usually is. Next step is him casually forcing me to jot down some words, and then we record the demos in our home.

How was Life In Reverse was recorded?

Andre Dahlmann: Once the songs are more or less finished, we book studio time. This time we worked with Anders Møller, someone I’ve wanted to collaborate with for a long time. We immediately had great chemistry in the studio, which made the recording process a lot of fun. We’ve already decided to work together on the next album.

Line Dahlmann: On our first album we spent long days and weekends in the studio recording, but with Life in Reverse it’s been different. We laid the guitars, bass and vocals in Magnus Gulbrandsen’s studio just up the road from our house. We had shorter sessions to fit our different schedules, which worked well. His kids would be around, and the three year old would hold my hand for parts of the recordings, which was a real bonus.

The Dahlmanns have been around for a while, but this is only your second full-length release. Is there any specific reason for that?

Andre Dahlmann: There are several reasons why we haven’t released more albums. Without going too deeply into who, what, and why, it’s really been a combination of many factors. We’ve faced some financial challenges as a result of certain tours, and there has also been illness within the band that put things on hold.

We’ve been writing songs the whole time, but it hasn’t felt like the right moment to go into the studio and make a full album until now. In hindsight, I’m actually glad we took our time.

Do you prefer singles and EPs?

Line Dahlmann: Firstly, I tend to take my time on most things I do. Andre on the other hand is much more spontaneous, driven, and he is always occupied with different projects. The singles and EP formats have worked for both of us. I don’t always find it easy to write lyrics, and so fewer songs at a time takes a bit of self-inflicted pressure off on my part. Secondly, life seems to happen along the way too, and making an album is not always compatible with the rest of your life.

The lead off track “Leatherboys” has a great proto-punk Detroit vibe. Was there a specific inspiration for that song?

Andre Dahlmann: The song actually started as an idea during a Soundtrack of Our Lives concert in Gothenburg, Sweden. Line and I had a four-hour drive home afterward, and the idea was still stuck in my head when we got back. So before going to sleep, I quickly recorded it into my phone…

The next day, I started working on it. The references came quickly, and the song took on a very different shape from what I had originally imagined.

“What’s Inside A Mind” has a beautiful melody. I love the vocals and guitar solo. Can you tell me about the songwriting for that one?

Line Dahlmann: I allowed myself to be a bit more personal and intimate on a few of these new songs, “What’s Inside A Mind” included. By no means is every lyric self-oriented, but there is a little something here and there.

Andre Dahlmann: This particular song was inspired by a small line from a song from the ‘60s—just the tail end of a verse, really.

I went through quite a few guitars to find the right sound. On the demo, it leaned even more toward that 12-string, jangly feel, but it changed shape in the studio when Magnus added his guitar parts and I got to experiment with different amps.

Line adjusted parts of the melody here and there and contributed several harmony ideas that really helped shape the song into what it became. The song itself came together quickly—it was really the sound that needed some time to mature. Anders Møller did a fantastic job mixing this one.

“Ride On” is one of my favorite tracks on the new album. This one is probably the most straight-ahead power pop song. Do you think about genre much when you’re writing and recording your songs?

Andre Dahlmann: Thank you—that’s great to hear.

After “Old Ghosts Stays,” we started to notice a pattern in the songs—even though the references seemed to point in all directions. When we looked at them individually, it felt a bit scattered and chaotic. But once the songs came together, we realized they all drew from the music Line and I have listened to throughout our lives, from when we were young until now.

Before this album, I was very focused on genre. The bands I’ve played in have been firmly rooted in pop punk, power pop, and garage rock. But this time, I felt that wasn’t the direction to go.

So no, I haven’t really focused on genre this time. And I don’t think I will focus on it forward either.

I specifically love the way you use handclaps on tracks such as “Leatherboys,” “Ride On,” and the title track. Why is that such an important rhythmic element for you?

Andre Dahlmann: Handclaps—and percussion in general—tend to make many songs better. They really change the character of a track, giving it a different kind of energy and expression. Quite simply, it adds more swing.

Anders Møller, who mixed the album, has added percussion to some of my favorite Norwegian releases, so it would have been foolish not to take advantage of that opportunity when we had it. He’s one of the best I know at that kind of thing, so it felt completely natural to make use of his expertise while we had the chance.

Andre Dahlmann: Not so much for me. If a song needs a country feel, it will get just that, however the pop element aways seems to come along at one point or another in all of our songs. Perhaps it’s the Abba gene from being born in the ‘70s.

The final track, “Old Ghosts Stays,” has a more laid back, Laurel Canyon vibe to it. Why was this the right way to end the album?

Andre Dahlmann: This is a song I’ve been working on for many years, but I never really dared to play it for anyone. It’s so far from anything I’ve done before.

When we started shaping it, I asked Line to imagine Stevie Nicks standing alone out in Joshua Tree—that was my reference point for the atmosphere I heard in the verses. As I mentioned earlier, this was actually the song that ended up defining the direction of the entire album. It’s probably my personal favorite on the record.

The reason it closes the album is quite simple—it’s very long. It didn’t feel natural to place it anywhere else. I also think it makes for a nice ending: a calm song that slowly fades out.

What’s next for The Dahlmanns?

Andre Dahlmann: We’ve got a few shows lined up in Norway this spring, and there are also some gigs booked in Spain for the fall. Beyond that, we’re taking things as they come. If an interesting offer comes our way, we’ll might go for it—but we’re not playing at any cost. It has to be fun, it has to give something back, and we need to have the energy and motivation to do it properly.

I’m currently writing new songs, so hopefully there might be a new album before too long.