Frank Hammersland of Pogo Pops has died
Frank Hammersland died on Friday morning, aged 53. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.
Frank Hammersland was for more than three decades the frontman of the Bergen band Pogo Pops.
– It’s a sad day, says the band’s guitarist Viggo Krüger to VG.
It was Bergens Tidende that first reported the death. Hammersland was characterized by serious cancer throughout 2022, Krüger states.
Frank Hammersland made a name for himself with Pogo Pops in the nineties. They made their recording debut in 1992, and for the 1993 album “Crash” they received the Spellemannpris.
The band was on ice from 1996 to 2006, but has been active ever since.
Two concerts during the Over Oslo festival last summer were Hammersland’s last with Pogo Pops.
– Then he was in a lot of pain. He had gone to great lengths to make the concerts happen, says Viggo Krüger, who says that Hammersland throughout the autumn and winter was plagued by a lot of pain.
– But he was well looked after by his wife, children and other family, he says.
Krüger elaborates:
– It is infinitely sad that Frank is gone. He meant a lot to many and he will be deeply missed.
35 years have passed since they started the band together. In 2022, they released the Pogo Pops album “Daylight”, which received good reviews.
– Unreal that there will not be more concerts and records. Frank leaves behind wonderful pop songs that will live on. He was a true pop smith, someone who could turn any idea into gold. The thoughts now primarily go to Frank’s immediate family, says Krüger.
– One of the best, writes Kurt Nilsen about Hammerlsand on Instagram.
– You will be missed, he adds.
Frank Hammersland worked until the end to complete a new solo album, according to BT.
He will also be musically relevant on the theater scene soon: Hammersland is behind the music for the musical version of “Døden på Oslo S”, which premieres at the Nationaltheatret on 9 March.
– Who would have thought this? I have composed the music for a musical, he wrote on Facebook on 10 August.
After a longer period living in Oslo, Hammersland spent his last years in Bergen.
– I don’t regret moving home, but there has been a pandemic and then cancer. It hasn’t been fun, he told BT in June 2022.
– There have been very difficult days, but I have not dug myself into the blackest hole. I can not. I don’t rule over this, it just has to take its course, Hammersland said then.
