Love songs for lumberjacks, bluegrass for punk rockers, serenades for sailors, drinking songs for desperate nights; love, insanity, murder, natural disaster and three-legged dogs are some of the themes covered in the Flea Market songbook, blending shadows from the Norwegian forests with darkness from the margins of America.
Songwriter Everett Badmarsh grew up in a remote corner of New York’s Hudson Valley. After criss-crossing the country in his early 20s, Badmarsh set his sights further afield, seeking his fortune across the Atlantic. Somewhere along the northern edge of civilization he came across four musicians from the Norwegian countryside who shared his outsider’s sensibility and spirit of adventure - The Fabulous Flea Market Band was born...
Together with preacher’s son Larry Coldberg, punk rockers Kurt Amundsen and Lasse Kristensen, and percussive magus Tony Karlsen, Badmarsh explores a musical landscape that draws upon the the earthy fellowship of the old-time string band, the broken joy of the second-line funeral parade, the wild-eyed intensity of the serpent-handling preacher, and the homesick longing of the starlit sailor.
Violent labour disputes, natural disasters, broken men, resourceful women, crimes of passion, and romantic yearning - Badmarsh’s lyrics evoke the struggles and hopes that everyone can recognize as their own.
Formed in 2010, the Fleas have released multiple recordings on the Crescent City label: ‘A little something for everyone’ (EP) 2011, ‘Queen of Denmark’ (single) 2013, and the full length eponymously titled ‘The Fabulous Flea Market Band’ (LP) 2014.
The Fabulous Flea Market Band has opened for Americana legend Justin Townes Earl, performed on Norway’s TV Norge together with honorary member, snowboard champion Daniel Franck, played numerous festivals, toured Scandinavia, and undertaken several tours of the United States, gaining them a loyal following from New York to North Carolina, Oslo to Copenhagen - and everywhere in-between.
The Fabulous Flea Market band is:
Everett Badmarsh - Vocals, Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin
Larry Coldberg - Guitar, Hammond, Trombone, Vocals
Kurt Amundsen - Guitar, Hammond, Accordion, Mandolin, Vocals
Lasse Kristiansen - Bass, Guitar, Banjo, Glockenspiel, Vocals
Tony Karlsen - Drums and Percussion