In January 2024, guitarist Magnus Mathisen received a message inviting him to assemble a band to perform at several concerts during the festival Bodø Jazz Open 2024. He brought along his classmates from the music program at Bodø Upper Secondary School: Drummer Ludvig Mathisen Anvik, bassist Edward Valentin Engen, and singer/guitarist Elias Undrum, who was a year below them.

Together, they needed to come up with a band name. They didn’t dwell on it for long, as they initially thought it would just be a one-time thing, and eventually chose the name “Lemé”—a combination of the first letters of each member’s name.

In late January and early February, they played three concerts during Bodø Jazz Open, performing cover songs by artists they admired such as Vulfpeck, The Dip, TOTO, and Stevie Wonder. At their final festival concert, they shared the evening’s lineup with renowned Norwegian jazz pianist Jan Gunnar Hoff, who strongly encouraged them to continue as a band. He believed their potential, energy, and joy of playing together were too good to leave untapped. Following his advice, they never looked back.

Lemé continued performing and stayed active throughout spring 2024. That summer marked the band’s first major breakthrough. In August, they were set to play at Beddingen Kulturhus and later at the Skogen stage during Parkenfestivalen 2024, both in Bodø. This meant they needed original material, as they had only played covers up until then. The band spent the summer writing their own songs, and on August 9, 2024, they performed their first hour-long concert of original music at Beddingen Kulturhus. A week later, on August 16, they played at Parkenfestivalen. Both shows clearly demonstrated their potential as a band. Their music style was a good mix of pop, funk, soul and blues. What truly set them apart was their stage presence, energy, joy in playing, and their ability to connect with the audience.

In the fall, Lemé played more concerts at various venues—from headlining their own shows such as Ad Lib Jazzklubb’s “After Work Jazz” at Piccadilly, to smaller appearances at conferences and mini-concerts. Their biggest moment yet came in November 2024, when they shared the stage with the legendary Halvdan Sivertsen at his sold-out concert in the main hall of Stormen Concert Hall in Bodø. Lemé performed three songs on their own as part of the show and joined Sivertsen and his band for the evening’s finale, “Venner.” The performance was met with enthusiastic feedback, and that fall truly put Lemé on the map.

Lemé kicked off 2025 by performing at Sinus Lokalt on January 25. The concert showcased a mix of new material that marked the band’s evolving sound alongside the songs that had first made them popular. Jazz pianist Jan Gunnar Hoff was the evening’s guest of honor and joined them on one song. It was a special moment, as Hoff had been the one to convince them to continue as a band in the first place, and now they were sharing the stage together. The following week, Lemé returned to Bodø Jazz Open 2025 for their second consecutive year. They continued to perform across Bodø, establishing themselves as a well-known name in the music scene of Bodø and Northern Norway.

In June 2025, Lemé decided it was time to enter the studio. They recorded their single “This Ain’t Over,” which was released on August 4, 2025, the same day they performed at Town Square in Bodø during the Nordland Music Festival Week. The song received glowing feedback from both audiences and the press.

Today, Lemé is recognized as one of Northern Norway’s most promising live bands.