Donkeyboy

---

title: "Donkeyboy" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["norwegian-pop-music-groups", "spellemannprisen-winners", "musical-groups-established-in-2005", "2005-establishments-in-norway", "musical-groups-from-drammen"] description: "Norwegian synthpop band" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donkeyboy" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Norwegian synthpop band ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox musical artist"]

Field	Value
name	Donkeyboy
image	Donkeyboy.jpg
image_size	260px
caption	Donkeyboy performing live in Oslo in August 2009
origin	Drammen, Norway
genre
years_active	2005–present
label	Warner Music Norway
associated_acts	Linnea Dale
website
current_members	Cato Sundberg
Kent Sundberg
Peter Michelsen
Thomas Drabløs
past_members	Alexander Garborg Ågedal
::

| name = Donkeyboy | image = Donkeyboy.jpg | image_size = 260px | caption = Donkeyboy performing live in Oslo in August 2009 | origin = Drammen, Norway | genre = | years_active = 2005–present | label = Warner Music Norway | associated_acts = Linnea Dale | website = | current_members = Cato Sundberg Kent Sundberg Peter Michelsen Thomas Drabløs | past_members = Alexander Garborg Ågedal

Donkeyboy (occasionally stylised as donkeyboy) is a synthpop band from Drammen, Norway, formed in 2005. The band consists of Cato Sundberg (vocals, rhythm guitar), Kent Sundberg (synth, vocals), Peter Michelsen (guitar, backing vocals) and Thomas Drabløs (drums)

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Donkeyboy_release_concert_2009.jpg" caption="Donkeyboy release concert, 2009"] ::

Donkeyboy were signed to Warner Music after an employee came across their music on MySpace. Their debut single, "Ambitions" was released on 26 March 2009 and was put into heavy rotation by NRK P3. The song's chorus is built around a bassline similar to those used on Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" and some of Madonna's 1980s songs. The song features guest vocals by Linnea Dale. "Ambitions" debuted on the Norwegian singles chart at number seven on 6 April 2009, and reached the number one spot on 29 June, after 13 weeks on the charts. "Ambitions" remained at the number one spot for 12 consecutive weeks, before being replaced by the band's second single "Sometimes" on September 22. This was the first time ever for a Norwegian artist to occupy the top two spots on the singles chart. Guitarist Peter Michelsen described the situation as "completely absurd".

Donkeyboy's debut album Caught in a Life was released on 19 October 2009. It was produced by Simen & Espen at Livingroom Studios in Oslo. Sven Ove Bakke of Dagbladet gave the album four out of six, and described it as "revolving around its already established hits with a combination of self-assured conviction and uneasy duteousness." He concluded that the album was overshadowed by its hit single. The band supported fellow Norwegians a-ha in the UK and Oslo legs of their Foot of the Mountain tour in November 2009, and in 2011 Donkeyboy won a European Border Breakers Award for their international success.

Donkeyboy's second album Silver Moon was released on March 2, 2012, and in 2013 they released the single "Triggerfinger" featuring vocals by Kiesza.

Honours

• 2009: Three times Spellemannprisen in the categories this year's Hit song, Newcomer and Musical video, for the album Caught in a Life and the tune/video "Ambitions"

Discography

Albums

::data[format=table] | Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | NOR | DEN | FIN | SWE | Caught in a Life | Silver Moon | Lost | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | | 1 | — | — | 6 | | | | | | | | | 2 | 35 | — | — | | | | | | | | | 17 | — | — | — | | | | | | | | "—" denotes albums which were not released in that country or failed to chart. | | | | | | | | | | | ::

Singles

::data[format=table] | Year | Song | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | NOR | DEN | FIN | SWE | "Ambitions" | "Sometimes" | "Broke My Eyes" | "Awake" | "Blade Running" | "Stereolife" | "City Boy" | "Pull of the Eye" | "Silver Moon" | "Triggerfinger" | "Crazy Something Normal" | "Hero" | "Downtown" | "Lost" | "Dollar" | "Kaleidoscope" | "It'll Be Alright" | "Think You Should" (feat. Linnea Dale) | "Kentucky" | "Galileo" | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 2009 | 1 | — | — | 1 | | Caught in a Life | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2010 | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2011 | 1 | 1 | 7 | — | | Silver Moon | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2012 | 11 | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2013 | — | — | 9 | — | | Lost | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2014 | 13 | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2015 | 18 | — | 9 | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 36 | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2016 | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2017 | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2018 | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2019 | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2021 | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2025 | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | "—" denotes singles which were not released in that country or failed to chart. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ::

References

References

1. Narverud Moen, Siri. (2009-04-23). "Slik fikk Donkeyboy platekontrakt". [[NRK P3]].
2. Myrvold, Kine. (2009-03-26). "DonkeyBoy A-listet på P3". [[Drammens Tidende]].
3. (2009-04-09). "DonkeyBoy debuterer på VG-lista". [[Drammens Tidende]].
4. Røyseland, Halstein. (2009-09-23). "Donkeyboy skapte norsk pophistorie". [[Verdens Gang]].
5. Bakke, Sven Ove. (2009-10-15). "I skyggen av sin egen hit". [[Dagbladet]].
6. [http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/doc1098_en.htm "Winners of the 2011 European Border Breakers Awards"], ec.europa.eu. Retrieved February 20, 2012
7. "Norwegian Charts > Donkeyboy". norwegiancharts.com, Hung Medien.
8. "Danish Charts > Donkeyboy". danishcharts.dk, Hung Medien.
9. "Finnish Charts > Donkeyboy". finnishcharts.com, Hung Medien.
10. "Swedish Charts > Donkeyboy". swedishcharts.com, Hung Medien.
11. "IFPI Norsk platebransje - Salgstroféer". [[International Federation of the Phonographic Industry]].
12. "Archived copy".
13. "Certificeringer". [[IFPI Denmark]].

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::