Gåte are one of the most distinct bands to come out of Norway. The band have topped the Norwegian charts, won a Norwegian Grammy and represented Norway in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest. Now, they are expanding their groundbreaking mix of Nordic folk and modern rock on their upcoming new album Sigil.
Today, Gåte are releasing “Strandvaskar” as the second advanced single from Sigil. With Hardanger fiddle and mystical electronics, the song pulls from the Norwegian superstition that a body washed ashore must be given a proper burial, lest the sea return to reclaim what it’s lost.
Sigil comes out September 25 on Season of Mist.
Pre-order: https://orcd.co/gatesigil
Pre-save on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/prerelease/2kiURuXN7GZ84VD9HDnbsf
Sigil is Gåte’s most ambitious album yet. The album recounts ancient legend and folk narratives to ask what survives once illusion falls away.
“Strandvaskar” names the drowned rather than the finder. The song stages a quiet, unresolved dialogue between the two: a voice with no sound that speaks, eyes that flicker and slowly fill with blue as the sea reclaims its own. The narrator is pulled toward the dead and pulls back, not from horror but fear, letting go rather than being able to hold on.
Tracklist:
- Bergteken (04:44)
- Oskorsreia (03:08) [WATCH]
- Sannsiger (03:43)
- Nokon (03:10)
- Bòd frå djupet (03:45)
- Strandvaskar (03:27)
- Songen (03:38)
- Aude (03:54)
- Mi Jord (03:44)
- Jostedalsrypa (03:39)
Full runtime: 36:53
Gåte’s upcoming fall tour will bring the band to nine cities across Norway, plus one date in Istanbul, Turkey. During this ten date run, they will perform new songs from Sigil, along with fan favorites from their celebrated discography.
Gåte Concerts 2026
October 23 – Trondheim, Norway @ Havet [TICKETS]
October 30 – Drammen, Norway @ Union [TICKETS]
October 31 – Oslo, Norway @ Sentrum Scene [TICKETS]
November 5 – Haugesund, Norway @ Høvleriet [TICKETS]
November 6 – Stavanger, Norway @ Folken [TICKETS]
November 7 – Bergen, Norway @ Verftet [TICKETS]
November 12 – Skien, Norway @ Parkbiografen [TICKETS]
November 13 – Moss, Norway @ Verket Scene [TICKETS]
November 14 – Hamar, Norway @ Festiviteten [TICKETS]
November 21 – Istanbul, Turkey @ IF Performance [TICKETS]
Rooted in the intersection of Nordic folk tradition and contemporary rock, GÅTE have spent over two decades developing a sound that feels both ancient and fiercely present. Drawing on centuries-old ballads, oral traditions, and traditional vocal forms, the band transform these sources into music that is physical, emotionally direct and unmistakably their own.
Emerging in the early 2000s, GÅTE quickly became one of Norway’s most distinctive bands for their groundbreaking mix of Nordic folk tradition and modern rock. In 2002, their debut album, Jygri, entered at #1 on the Norwegian Albums chart and won them the Spellemann Award (Norwegian Grammy) for Best Newcomer.
“GÅTE have been drawing from traditional music and transforming it with modern means into something new right from their beginning”, Metal Hammer writes.
After two studio albums, three EPs and one live album, GÅTE took a twelve-year hiatus before returning to critical acclaim and sold-out performances with 2017’s Svevn. Following their folk-leaning LP Nord in 2021, the band went on to represent Norway in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest with a contemporary re-imagining of “Ulveham”, a traditional Norwegian ballad. In 2025, they toured throughout Europe with Leprous.
Rather than treat tradition as a fixed reference, GÅTE approach it as a living force. Old material is not preserved for its own sake, but reworked and recontextualized, allowing it to resonate with contemporary urgency and relevance.
“Our music comes from a place where tradition is not something fixed, but something alive” the band says. “We draw from old sources because they still speak to us, and because they allow us to express something honest and human today.”
GÅTE have now completed their sixth studio album, which will be released on the band’s new label home Season of Mist. While the band has focused primarily on Norway in the past, signing with the international label reflects both the growing interest they have received from around the world and their desire to reach a wider audience.
During the fall of 2026, GÅTE will perform the album’s lead single “Sannsiger” and other new songs during a headline tour of Norway and one date in Istanbul, Turkey. Their concerts are well-known for being immersive and intense, balancing raw energy with a ritual-like focus that has earned them a glowing and growing reputation beyond the Nordic region.
Line-up:
Gunnhild Sundli — Vocals
Magnus Børmark — Guitars, Nyckelharpa, Sounds, FX, Programming, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Jon Even Schärer — Drums, Percussion, Programming, Mouth Harp, Backing Vocals
Arent Todal — Hardanger Fiddle, Nyckelharpa, Violin, Sounds, Backing Vocals
Mats Paulsen — Bass, Backing Vocals
Production Credits:
Recorded at MagnuStudio; Øra Studio.
Produced by Kristian Fanavoll Tvedt & Magnus Børmark.
Mixed & Mastered by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios.
Guest Musicians:
Kristian Fanavoll Tvedt — Synths, Programming, Sounds, Guitar, Backing Vocals
Maria Franz — Guest Vocals on “Sannsiger”
Olav Luksengård Mjelva — Hardanger Fiddle on “Bergteken”, “Oskorsreia”, “Strandvaskar”, “Songen”, “Aude”
John Stenersen — Hurdy-Gurdy on “Mi Jord”
Knut Anders Vestad — Concert Grand Piano on “Jostedalsrypa”
Marit Aspås — Cello on “Jostedalsrypa”
Sylvelin Sundli — Upright Piano on “Bòd frå djupet”
Cover Art:
Martine Solstad Larsen (Sigil Artist); Martin Kvamme (Cover Art and Design).
Photography:
Ole Ekker
Follow GÅTE:
Official Website: https://www.gåte.com/
Bandcamp: https://gaate.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gaateband/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gaate_official/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gaateband
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/G%C3%A5temusic
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3YxkGgMvqCQA75aFpy6524
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/g%C3%A5te/73355577
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/artist/16043
Tidal: https://tidal.com/artist/12122/
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