Sebastian formed his solo project in 2012, which laid the foundation for his debut album Skarvesteinen, which was released in the spring of 2017.

 

The music is rooted in the Nordic jazz tradition and the songs are lyrical, melodic and rhythmic. With a background in traditional jazz, free improvisation, Norwegian and American folk music, soul, pop and rock, the musicians in the band have a wide range of musical references, which contributes to the group's unique sound.

 

Skarvesteinen is a tribute to Andøya, a weather-beaten island in Northern Norway. Some of the stories the composer portrays through the music are taken from the hard lives led by fishermen 200 years ago, the bird life on the outer edges of the island or the mighty Northern Lights over the mountain peaks at Bleik.

 

Some of Sebastian’s strongest childhood memories come from being on Andøya.

Fishing trips, playing on the shore, hide-and-seek with the Northern Lights and mountain walks on the peaks are some of the things he can thank his grandparents for.

 

Via this project, Sebastian wants to give something back to Northern Norway and to his grandparents.

 

"... It's both cool and unusual for someone to have the huge breadth of musical skills that Sebastian Haugen-Markussen displays here. Both it - and he - are highly  welcome."

(Tor Hammerø)

 

"... he composed all the music on Skarvesteinenhimself; it starts with a bass solo that is accompanied only towards the very end by a small amount of vocals. This is a beautiful melody that gives a clear picture of Haugen-Markussen's skills. "

(Jan Granlie, salt-peanuts)