Milestone Refinery – Biography
Milestone Refinery August 2018 (photo: Lars Petter Pettersen)
Download Hi-Res Official Press Photos HERE. Photo credit: Lars Petter Pettersen.
The band was founded by Christian Lysvåg and the brothers Jon and Tomas Lauvland Pettersen back in the early 2000s. From the start, the vision was to create a platform for music that was different from other projects we were involved with, but also something more: a vehicle for a merger of artistic ideas and concrete adventure. So we called ourselves Long Range Desert Group and took our inspiration from soldiers and explorers, aeronauts and sea captains, writers and philosophers, –just as much as musicians.
Our vision was filmatic in this sense, something that culminated in a grand expedition to Eritrea’s capital Asmara to shoot a video for our single Gatsby’s Helicopter.
This song featured on the long play record Citric Love, released in 2004 under the new band name of Milestone Refinery, by then fortified by Gudmund Østgård and Gaute Fredriksen.
The album consists of music ranging from quiet jazz-like tunes to straightforward rock, but always with an unmistakable signature in terms of both sound and lyrics. Some have said that Milestone Refinery is a band that presents something quite rare in the world of bands; a worldview.
If this is true, it is a worldview that encompasses a sense of longing and adventure, and seeks to let the listener travel, in many respects of the word.
After touring in Norway around the release of Citric Love, the band went into a prolonged hiatus. Then, exactly in line with the band’s creed, we were unexpectedly called to play a concert in Bilbao. Working towards that concert, we started writing new material, and the gig in Spain became the new start for the band.
We are currently writing and recording new songs: still unmistakeably Milestone, still filmatic and with a mind for travelling. But more laid-back, we like to think, –more fun loving and brazen.
Milestone Refinery’s sophomore album is scheduled for a spring 2019 release.
Line-up:
Christian Lysvaag: vocals, guitars
Jon Lauvland Pettersen (Madrugada): drums, percussion, vocals
Tomas Lauvland Pettersen (Hastwerk, Sternklang, Perculator): double bass & bass guitar
Gudmund Østgård (Autoband & composer/producer): keyboards, electronics, guitars
Gaute Fredriksen (Vidar Vang & solo artist): guitars & vocals
Discography:
Citric Love (album & digital release) – 2004 (Firemile)
Nothing Changes Kundun (single) – 2018
Norsk bio:
Last ned høyoppløselige pressebilder HER. Fotografkreditering: Lars Petter Pettersen.
Milestone Refinery består av medlemmer fra band som Madrugada, Vidar Vang, Autoband, Sternklang, Perculator og Hastwerk.
Milestone Refinery ble grunnlagt i 2002 av Christian Lysvåg, Jon Lauvland Pettersen og Tomas Lauvland Pettersen. Senere har Gudmund Østgård og Gaute Fredriksen kommet til som permanente medlemmer av bandet. Opprinnelig bar bandet navnet Long Range Desert Group, men dette ble endret til Milestone Refinery i 2003.
Live og på plate har en rekke andre norske utøvere bidratt i Milestone Refinery-sammenheng: Sivert Høyem, Anders Woltmann (King Midas), Susanna Wallumrød, Eivind Schou (Serena Maneesh, St. Thomas), Petter Svee (Cinnamoon, The Goo Men, The Devil And The Almighty Blues) og Marius Almås Johansen.
I 2004 albumdebuterte Milestone Refinery med utgivelsen Citric Love. I perioden 2002-2004 turnerte bandet nasjonalt og har bl.a. spilt på Øyafestivalen, by:Larm og Buktafestivalen.
I perioden 2004-2016 har det vært liten aktivitet for bandet, med unntak av studioinnspillinger våren 2007, men høsten 2016 har Milestone Refinery gjenopptatt øvingsaktiviteten og skrevet nytt materiale som planlegges fremført live og i innspilt format. I juli 2017 begynte Milestone Refinery innspillingsprosessen mot nytt album i Velvet Recording i Spydeberg. De første sporene til bandets andre album slippes høst 2018.
Besetning:
Christian Lysvaag: vokal, gitar
Jon Lauvland Pettersen (Madrugada): trommer, perkusjon, vokal
Tomas Lauvland Pettersen (Hastwerk, Sternklang, Perculator): kontrabass & el-bass
Gudmund Østgård (Autoband & komponist/produsent): keyboards, klaver, gitar, vokal, elektronikk
Gaute Fredriksen (Vidar Vang & solo): vokal, gitar
Diskografi:
Citric Love (album & digital release) – 2004 (Firemile)
Nothing Changes Kundun (single) – 2018