Since 2011 and with seven albums, the explosive trio has enjoyed ever-greater success, garnering attention and recognition from rock fans and jazz enthusiasts alike. The band's name might suggest jazz, except that the Hedvig Mollestad Trio's lineup doesn't include piano, saxophone, or trumpet. Instead: guitar, drums, (double) bass, and songs that occasionally evoke the Melvins (Blood Witch). Jazz here is, therefore, primarily rock, not chamber music. Mollestad lets her guitar wail incessantly, driven by overdrive, dancing up and down scales, riffing her way through the most breakneck solos, yet still playing grounded in the rich groove of the drums and bass. After busy years (solo, with Weejuns, soundtracks, and commissioned work), Mollestad felt a strong urge to return to the core, the trio that started it all in 2011 with the strong debut album Shoot!. Excitement was high when they entered the studio, and since much of the music is quite complicated, with many small variations and long structures, the studio sessions were extremely focused and concentrated. Hedvig emphasizes that the trio's main goal is always to have fun, whether in the studio or on stage, and to share that joy with the listeners. Listening to "Bees In The Bonnet," it's clear how much the trio missed making new music together and that they are very good both as songwriters and musicians. Frontwoman Hedvig Mollestad presents herself here not only as a riff master, but also as a solo guitarist, more than living up to the comparisons already made to Tony Iommi and Jimmy Page.
