IndieForBunnies

Hi Hanne and welcome! While we are setting up this interview we’ve red on your website some lines about your new album. What can you anticipate to us ? You’ve been talking about a lot of surprises that’s make us quite excited about your new stuffs…
Hi, thanks! I can say that I was seven months in an island in the north of Norway to compose the material for my new album and that I have been inspired by noise rock, new wave and all sorts of indie music. The album will be released in april in the whole world.

To compose music for your new album you’ve been spending seven months in a little village very far north in Norway. What do u keep about this experience so different from the previous one (months in Berlin for “Rikestrasse 68) ?
In the northern Norway it is way more quiet and lonely. It has been interesting to experience composing in both a very busy city and in very a quiet village, I noticed it affected me in very different ways. I felt a need for composing more quiet songs in the noisy city, and more noisy music in the quiet village.

Did u were expecting all those appreciations about “Rykestrasse 68”? The “Bible” Wire voted it as one of the 50 best records of the year 2007!! (For what it’s worth , it was in my personal top ten album of the year… )
Thank you so much, I feel honored! I appreciate this very, very much. Knowing other people appreciate my music so much makes my work feel very meaningful.

From the very beginning of your career, you distinguish your music also and especially by using instruments not just usual. Bells, carillon, objects, bottles, glasses, water, old typewriters. Which is the reason of this firmly original approach? The desire to compose music “ out of the common” or a personal wish of sperimentation ?
A: the reason why I have used found sounds and non musical objects in my music is more or less coincidental. I started using a pen at a glass of water, and it just developed and we used this as a big ingredient in the music.

Moreover this creative opening calls attention to oneself especially as live. In the 2007 we saw you playing in Rome, and i remember a drummer engaged to play more about ten instruments (or something like that), naturally not forgetting his reliable laptop…
Most of my musicians play several instruments. There are so many components in my music to bring on stage, so this is necessary. Sometimes the musicians have played instruments they don’t really know too well. But I like the sound of the imperfect one. I find the music more alive then.

What do you think about the many comparisons with Bjork it’s about to describe your music? According to me it besides seems there isn’t a lot in share with the Icelandic, if not the northeuropean provenience and – that’s sure – a great talent in both of them.
Thanks!

Do you believe in a possible relation between music and geography? Has to born in Norway somehow influenced your sound, your writing?
No, Not really. I think the way a writer writes is more about what the need is, what possibilities one got and what one strives for. I think you can find more comparisons between Norwegians and non norwegians together than between the Norwegians.

Rykestrasse 68 is the name of the Berlin street where you stayed during the recording of the album. Would you like living there, in a city spotted as the actual centre of european culture, or you’re too affectionated to Norway ?
I have been living there, so i don’t need to live there again. Though, i love berlin! I am a person eager to move forward in life and i seldom look back or miss places i’ve lived (which are starting to get very many.. 25 or so…)

Beyond the wonderful cover of The Pixies (“Break My Body”) in the album, you play on live shows an incredible version of the classic by Kinks “All Day And All Of The Night”? Why have you made this choice? Do you listen to 60’s music?
I sometimes listen to 60’s music. I listen to lots of different music. But “All Day And All Of The Night” came up when a Norwegian TV show wanted a group of musicians to do each their cover song of the Kinks. Since then we have had it on the repertoire.

Which relation do you have with the boys of the Jaga Jazzist collective ?
If i’m not wrong some of them often follow you in tour.
I saw them playing in Rome some years ago, that concert was simply amazing, maybe one of the best i saw in my entire life.
Jaga Jazzist is awesome! They are many people and if you live in little oslo, you simply can’t not know a few of them. Some of the boys I studied together with, and I have used several of the guys and the girl in Jaga on my records and live.

Talk us about you musical project Ignore. How was this band born? When there will the successor of “Happiness Not Yet Won” released in 2006?
I also studied together with Gaute Storsve. Gaute, me, my bass player Henning Sandsdalen and a drummer, Kjetil Bremer, had a rock band back then. After this, gaute started his band Ignore where I was one of the contributors on “ Happiness Not Yet Won”. I think Gaute is about to release the successor..

You played at SXSW in Austin, probably the best “festival” in the world…how was that experience?
That was a great experience! At the same time, we toured the entire US. It was great to see such a huge continent. I will get back there later this year. I will tour both US and Europe the year with the new album.