Norrbottens Järn

About Norrbottens Järn

Swedish progg band from Luleå that was active during the 1970s.

The band’s most famous member was Ted Ström (who previously played in, among others, the group Contact); he also wrote most of Norrbottens Järn’s songs. The other band members (and significant for the arrangements of Ström’s songs) were Bo Sundberg, Ulf “Flu” Jonsson, Hans Lindström, Hans Rinander and Maria Rosén. Sundberg was a guitarist in Norrbottens Järn 1975-1977. He has written songs such as “Flugornas hage” and “Farfars väst”. “Flugornas hage”, was youth radio in Luleå’s signature tune for several years in the 1970s.

The band toured extensively and became known throughout the country. A documentary about the group was broadcast on SVT in 1977. Norrbottens Järn released two LPs before the group was disbanded; Ström did not appear on the second record, Järnet. The music is a mix of rock / jazz / blues and country. The band reunited in the early 80’s to play together one last time. The concert received glowing reviews in the newspapers. The group has been reunited several times, most recently at a concert in Luleå in May 2013. Sundberg worked at Norrbottensteatern during the 80s and 90s but is now a high school teacher in the music department in Luleå. Björn Sjöö, who wrote some of the band’s songs, also works there.