King Of The Junkyard — LISTHAUG’ s Rustbelt Anthem Reimagines the American Dream
- Editorial Board
- Jul 4
- 2 min read
A folk-rock reflection on leadership, culture, and the weight of inheritance.
On this Fourth Of July 2025, Oslo based artist LISTHAUG releases “King of the Junkyard” which is more than a song — it’s a bittersweet postcard to the America that raised him from afar.
The track rummages through the cultural debris of heartland rock and classic Americana, reassembling it into a sharp, open-ended critique of power and identity.
From the first verse, LISTHAUG’s admiration for American icons — Springsteen’s blue-collar poetry, Tom Petty’s highway anthems, Simon’s storytelling — runs like a weathered vein through the arrangement. You hear it in the folk-like acoustic strum, the resilient, slightly bruised vocal delivery, and the subtle twang that tugs at the edges of the melody.
But beneath that warmth lies a deeper frustration: the “King” who rules this junkyard is a stand-in for something bigger than any politician. It’s the stubborn wreckage of promises unkept and futures mortgaged.
What makes this song linger is the ambiguity LISTHAUG deliberately leaves behind. He hints that for some listeners, this king might be addiction itself — the tyrant that seizes control when everything else has rusted out. That double meaning gives the song its weight: it’s protest and confession, elegy and invitation all at once.
Adding to its raw honesty is the single’s cover art — a scratchy, minimalist drawing by LISTHAUG’s 14-year-old daughter. Inspired by the Italian cartoon La Linea created by italian cartoonist Osvaldo Cavandoli, it feels like a perfect companion piece: simple, hand-drawn, yet alive with personality, reminding you that legacy — artistic, cultural, or political — is a family affair, passed down whether you want it or not.
In “King of the Junkyard,” LISTHAUG shows he knows where he comes from and what built him — even if some of it now lies in pieces, waiting for a new generation to decide what’s worth salvaging and what’s worth saving. On this 4th of July after the fireworks and the BBQ are done, put this song on and think of what this country has become, and tomorrow start to act as such.
Don’t forget to follow LISTHAUG on Instagram and listen to King of the Junkyard on Spotify on all streaming platforms.
