WHATEVER HAPPENS DON’T BE YOURSELF – new single released
- by eternalterror
- Posted on 03-02-2026
Photo: Gaute Singstad
WHATEVER HAPPENS DON’T BE YOURSELF ANNOUNCE 2ND SINGLE “SCHOOL BUS”
This is the party you don’t want to miss, no matter what your musical preferences are. The mix of catchy and almost pop-like melodies with explosive, hard-hitting impro noise is captivating. It’s thrilling battle of two opposites you can’t take your ears off!
Whatever Happens Don’t Be Yourself’s 5th album, “Tales of No Consequence” is set to be released on February the 27th. Today the song “School Bus” will be out and it can be heard here:
https://orcd.co/schoolbus
Bandleader Nils Are Drønen has this to say about “School Bus”:
The first part of the song came to me when I was on a bus. I half thought it might already be a tune but the band convinced me otherwise. I finished the second part a few weeks later, and it more or less defined the African vibe of the track.
In many ways, I like to think of this track as a tribute to one of my favourite albums, Ghana Special 1968-1981.
I’m really proud of the band and how the free jazz and African influence came together on this tune.
Formed in 2015 by Nils Are Drønen, the 9-piece orchestra Whatever Happens Don’t Be Yourself has from the start been an improvisational hotbed for both the young and upcoming musicians and more seasoned players in the Bergen jazz scene.
For this project, Drønen has brought together a band of nine very different musicians: percussionist Snorre Bjerck with a background from world music (Mari Boine, Sainko Namchylac and Jon Balke), four of the hottest young musicians from the Norwegian jazz/impro scene – Isach Skeidsvoll, Aksel Røed, Rasmus Lagerberg and Torkil Hjelle (General Post Office, Paal Nilsen-Love), guitarist Mads Berven (Kniv og Taffel), Barcelona-based trumpeter Audun Waage (Jo Jo Mayer), and the Norwegian Grammy nominated vocalist Nelly Moar.

Recorded at the Havnelageret Studio in Bergen with Daniel Birkeland as producer and mastered by Zlaya, with cover art by Lasse Marhaug, tracklisting on “Tales of No Consequence” is as follows:
1. Opus X
2. What’s My Chances?
3. Stormy Nights
4. Where the Sky is the Highest
5. Seventy-Two
6. Green Candela Blues
7. Tales of No Consequence
8. School Bus
“Tales of No Consequence” is now available to pre-order on Vinyl at:
Webshop: https://shop.karismarecords.no/products/whatever-happens-dont-be-yourself-tales-of-no-consequence-lp
Bandcamp: https://whateverhappensdontbeyourself.bandcamp.com/album/tales-of-no-consequence
This live performance by WHDBY is a powerful statement of free music combined with written material. The live sound of WHDBY is inspired by the free spirit of artists such as Art Ensemble of Chicago, Charles Mingus, Alice Coltrane, Steve Reich, Wayne Shorter, Fats Waller and Derek Bailey. WHDBY has played at the AMR Jazz Festival in Geneva and at the Nattjazz Festival in Bergen to name but a few.
More information about Whatever Happens Don’t Be Yourself can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WhateverHappensDontBeYourself
