About
Jerry Bessent, Helge Rognstad, Ian Robinson. The original line-up (Photo by J.Cumpsty, 2016) (click image for high-resolution photo).
Formed in 2006 London as a duo by guitarist & vocalist Helge Rognstad and drummer Ian Robinson, The Fluffy Jackets gained some favorable live reviews, performing in central London-venues over a 3 year period.
The first Fluffy Jackets EP was recorded in June 2007 at Cowshed Studio in North London with the assistance of renowned producer Teo Miller (Placebo, Robert Plant, Black Box Recorder, The Godfathers). This EP is notable for featuring a special guest appearance by Neil Murray (Whitesnake, Black Sabbath). The bass player Jerry Bessent would later join the band for live performances.
The Fluffy Jackets signed a recording contract with Cargo Records in 2013. By this time, drummer Nick Rhodes had taken over the drum stool while some very special guests were recruited to complete their first album at the 1950’s birthplace of rock’n’roll - Sun Studio in Memphis TN.
The Fluffy Jackets at Sun Studio, Memphis USA: L-R: Manny Charlton, Robert Hall, Helge Rognstad & Neil Murray (Photo by M. Trobee 2011) (click image for high-resolution photo).
The Fluffy Jackets’ debut studio album, Fighting Demons, was released on the 11 March 2014 and featured special guests Neil Murray (Whitesnake, Black Sabbath, Brian May), Manny Charlton (Nazareth) and Robert Hall (Jerry Lee Lewis), alongside renowned UK blues harmonica player Steve “West” Weston and Swedish vocalist Emil Gammeltoft (SKoR).
The album was recorded in both the United States and the UK. Manny Charlton produced four Fighting Demons tracks recorded at the legendary Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, where the sessions were engineered by Grammy-winning recording engineer Matt Ross-Spang (Rival Sons, Jason Isbell). The album’s five additional tracks were recorded at Cowshed Studio in London, with the UK sessions produced by The Fluffy Jackets’ Helge Rognstad and co-engineered by Joe Leach and Nick Trepka.
Fighting Demons received international radio and press attention and won “Best Studio Album of the Year (2014)”, an award voted for by listeners of The Blues Hour radio programme in the UK and France. The album’s lead single, “Why Don’t You Smile,” was selected for Classic Rock Magazine’s Sharp Shooters covermount CD accompanying Issue 194 (March 2014), and subsequently received radio airplay in Europe, the United States, Mexico, Brazil and other international territories.
The Fluffy Jackets in 2016 (L-R): Helge Rognstad, Nick Rhodes, Jerry Bessent in Cordoba, Spain (photo by Manny Charlton, 2016) (click image for high-resolution photo).
In 2016, The Fluffy Jackets announced their intention to release a sophomore album with Manny Charlton on board as the producer and co-writer. The proceeds of the first single '44 Blues' was released in support of the staff at Metal Hammer and Classic Rock Magazine who were made redundant without pay in December 2016.
After three years in the making (at Madmento Studio in Spain), 'Something from Nothing' was released 16 August 2019. The single “Everything Must Change” became one of the band’s most recognised songs from the period, receiving coverage in the UK music press and selection by Classic Rock Magazine for its “Bring It On Home” covermount CD accompanying Issue 265 (September 2019). The compilation featured 12 tracks from new bands and was distributed to approximately 60,000 subscribers. “Everything Must Change” was also selected as one of LouderSound.com’s Best Tracks of the Month during its Battle of the Bands feature, with the publication describing it as a “tasteful, tender ballad.”
The album included a tribute to Glen Campbell with the song “Better Place”, featuring Alison Cooper on duet vocals. The accompanying Making-Of documentary DVD celebrated the band's decade long history with retrospective interviews with band members, including the special guests Neil Murray (Whitesnake, Black Sabbath, Brian May) and Manny Charlton (Nazareth).
2021 (L-R): Leif Knashaug (The Halloween Project) & Helge Rognstad (The Fluffy Jackets) (Photo by K. Gyenese, 2021) (click image for high-resolution photo).
The Fluffy Jackets joined forces with fellow Norwegian band The Halloween Project to record a surprise tribute for Manny Charlton’s 80th birthday on 25 July 2021. The tribute featured two Nazareth covers, “Telegram” and “Ship of Dreams,” with special guest appearances from Ronni Le Tekrø (TNT) and Neil Murray (Whitesnake, Black Sabbath, Brian May). The recording garnered notable attention in Norway, with The Halloween Project’s band leader Gunnar Nergaard and Helge Rognstad discussing the tribute on the national Norwegian radio station NRK P1.
The Fluffy Jackets released their third full-length album "The Rise And Fall Of The Songwriter" on the 17th of May 2024. The album included the single "The Well Is Dry" featuring LA-based slide guitarist Matt Bradford and a cover of a Steve Earle song called "Goodbye", recorded in memory of their mentor and producer Manny Charlton who sadly passed away in 2022. The album was produced by lead vocalist / guitarist Helge Rognstad who is joined by long-time collaborator Neil Murray on bass, along with Matija Bajtal on drums plus a special guest appearance by the Scottish guitarist Liam Creedon from Abberdeen, Scotland.
In 2026, The Fluffy Jackets revisited their roots with a deluxe vinyl reissue campaign, remastering their entire back catalogue from the original recordings. Each album was reissued on high-quality vinyl, featuring faithfully restored artwork, full-colour inserts, and rare archive photography. The campaign coincided with the release of their fourth studio album, The Comparison Blues, marking a new chapter in the band's history.
Released on 27 February 2026, The Comparison Blues was produced by Helge Rognstad and featured bassist Neil Murray (Whitesnake, Black Sabbath, Gary Moore) as a long-time collaborator on every track. Los Angeles slide guitarist Matt Bradford guested on “Doc The Doctor”, while UK vocalist Alison Cooper returned to duet with Helge Rognstad on “No Airs or Graces” and also contributed backing vocals to the singles “Fear and Paranoia” and “Doc The Doctor”.
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