Paal Nilssen-Love Circus With The Ex Guitars - Calls (2026) [Hi-Res]

“Calls!” is the third album from Paal Nilssen-Love Circus, following “Pairs of Three” (2022) and the live recording “Turn Thy Loose” (2025). Circus first came out of Large Unit as a side-project but quickly grew to become its own steady project. The band plays music composed by Paal, and in live performance the musicians are free to play any parts of any song at any time. On this studio recording they take a different approach, the songs are recorded separately and carefully produced (the CD and LP even has different running orders, as Paal believes the formats tells different stories). As the live album “Turn Thy Loose” the already powerful six-member line-up is extended with Terrie Hessels, Andy Moor an Arnold de Boer from the legendary Dutch punk rock band The Ex. Collaborating with The Ex is not a first-time venture for Paal, who has been part of numerous collaborations with them in the past, but the Circus line-up/sound offers a new combination that feels fresh.

“Calls!” was recorded in both Amsterdam and Oslo and features six compositions by Paal, as well as two unusual cover songs: “I Should Be So Lucky” by the British punk band Stretchheads and a song from Nazare da Mata in Northeast Brazil, by Mestre Barachina. The band goes into some slight surrealistic and more conceptual areas, such as “Pussy Pussy Cha Cha”, “Eg Såg” and not least “Slainté”. However, the real standout will for many listeners be “Calls: Let they be free!” – a wild song that’s both danceable and political – and often a highlight when the band performs live.

Juliana Venter, voice
Thomas Johansson, trumpet
Signe Emmeluth, alto saxophone, and flute
Kalle Moberg, accordion
Christian Meaas Svendsen, electric and acoustic bass
Paal Nilssen-Love, drums, percussion, Paiste cymbals plus piano on “Eg Såg”

Andy Moor Terrie Hessels, electric guitar on Pussy Pussy Cha-Cha, I should be so Lucky and Calls: Let They Free!
Arnold de Boer, electric guitar and megaphone on Calls: Let They Free, vocals on “I should be so Lucky”