2012.10.04 - Blabbermouth - Richard Fortus Releases Collaboration With Norwegian Musician

Guns N' Roses Guitarist Richard Fortus Releases Collaboration With Norwegian Musician

Guns N' Roses guitarist Richard Fortus has joined forces with Norwegian musician Lásse Kvernmo in a new project called Sáivu.

It all started in 2008 when Kvernmo, who was studying in the U.S. at the time, sent Fortus some demo recordings via the Guns N' Roses homepage. It didn't take long for him to get an answer.

"I fell for his songs," says Fortus. "Right then and there I decided that I wanted to be a part of this. He's got some really unique and amazing rock songs."

The American guitarist, who has been a member of Guns N' Roses since 2002, took a break from his main gig to visit Tromsø, northern Norway, where he and Kvernmo spent the days writing new material.

On October 2, the first single from Sáivu, "Goodbye", was released as a preview of what's to come on the project's debut album, "Iron Curtain". The recordings were done in Los Angeles with producer Ben Grosse (Marilyn Manson, Depeche Mode, Madonna). Drummer Will Hunt (Evanescense, Black Label Society) and guitarist Geno Lenardo (Filter, Chevelle) also appear on the CD.

"Sáivu" is a word from Sami mythology. Sáivu is considered to be a place where the dead forefathers reside — a place where everything is bigger, more beautiful and better than the world of the living.

Despite Kvernmo's Sami roots, Sáivu's songs are sung entirely in English.

"In order to reach a larger audience, I couldn't sing in my native language," explained Kvernmo. "Had I done that, only 30,000 people would have understood what I had to say."

Kvernmo and Fortus have already performed some of their material live in July 2010 at the Midnattsrocken festival in Norway.

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