Even Cowgirls Get Sad

The Northern Belle is back with new songs, new collaborations, and renewed creative joy—but the melancholy remains! On Even Cowgirls Get Sad (a tongue-in-cheek statement—aren’t cowboys and cowgirls always a little sad, anyway?), singer-songwriter Stine Andreassen dives into longing, uncertainty, anxiety, and anger—both personal and universal.

Musically, the album represents a new direction, yet it’s instantly recognizable. It’s more pop, without sounding cynical or calculated; it’s detailed without being overloaded; it’s tasteful without being too polished. Fresh impulses have injected energy into the project. A close collaboration between Andreassen and producer Preben Sælid Andersen, along with guests like Embla Karidotter and Feber, turns the album into a party you won’t want to miss. Expect indie-pop and modern jangly indie, wrapped in Americana and the attitude of 90s R&B, with cheeky harmonies and a swinging groove.

The Northern Belle’s music has always carried a duality. Musically, it’s often been bright, light, and catchy. Lyrically, it’s often introspective, vulnerable, and at times aggressive. Before you know it, middle fingers are flipped and certain people get told (they deserve it).

To release music and be vulnerable can be challenging for an artist’s soul. After the critically acclaimed Bats in the Attic, Andreassen and The Northern Belle took a short break, followed by a transitional phase. Band members were scattered across the country. Working together continuously became more difficult, and everyone had their own projects and jobs. For songwriter and frontwoman Andreassen, the solution was to approach colleagues and musicians in Oslo whom she admired.

The recording took place at Globus Studio in close collaboration with producer Preben Sælid Andersen, with a lineup of stellar musicians dropping by: Bjørnar Ekse Brandseth, Øyvind Blomstrøm, Nikolai Grasaasen, Tor Egil Kreken, Henrik Lødøen, and Halvor Falck Johansen.

All creative people with a career spanning a certain length probably have periods where they seek to reconnect with why they started in the first place: the urge to explore, the joy of creation, exciting new collaborations—taking chances. Even Cowgirls Get Sad is a project that reflects this. It’s relaxed, abundant, collaborative, and full of fresh energy. In that sense, it harks back to The Women in Me, the band’s successful 2021 album, which came about in a similar way.

Even Cowgirls Get Sad releases on Die With Your Boots On Records on August 21, 2026.