B-Side Guys

Norwegian multi-instrumentalist Tuva Hellum Marschhäuser operates from a position of total creative control, and “Galloping Chest” demonstrates why that autonomy matters. Written for anyone who’s felt deliberately ignored or systematically diminished, the track channels that specific frustration of being present but invisible, heard but not listened to.

The song’s programmed percussion doesn’t just support the melody—it embodies the restless energy of its central metaphor. Tuva’s vocal delivery shifts between whispered vulnerability and urgent declaration, particularly in the repeated plea “Please don’t wake me up if I am dreaming / My heart beats so loud as if it was screaming.” These lines capture the paradox of wanting to remain in hopeful delusion while your body betrays the anxiety underneath.

What makes “Galloping Chest” compelling isn’t just its emotional directness but how Tuva constructs its sonic environment. Her production choices—spectral reverbs, percussive elements that feel both organic and programmed—create space for the song’s central tension between internal chaos and external composure. The track benefits from her complete artistic control, every element serving her vision rather than committee compromise.

Tuva’s approach to folk music sidesteps both precious acoustic traditions and overly polished indie-pop conventions. Instead, she creates something that feels handmade but not homespun, intimate but not claustrophobic. Her voice carries the weight of someone who’s learned to advocate for herself through necessity rather than choice.

“Galloping Chest” functions as both personal catharsis and communal anthem for the underestimated. It’s a reminder that sometimes the most powerful response to being overlooked isn’t proving your worth to others—it’s creating something so undeniably yourself that dismissal becomes irrelevant.