Hiya (Y is Nature), thanks for joining us in the virtual RGM lounge today. Grab a brew and take a seat.
What made you decide that music is a thing for you?
My dad was a musician for many years before transitioning to psychiatry. Early on, he would fill our living room with constant sound from our small PA system, playing music by Bob Dylan, The Byrds, The Beatles, Tom Waits, Joni Mitchell, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Hollies, Chuck Berry, Ry Cooder, and more—along with his own Danish projects, Malurt and Doraz. It was important to him that at least some of his children would become musicians, so he invested in loads of music gear—including my first drum set, which I got for my 6th birthday. Music was all-encompassing from an early age. My first favorite song, the first one I can remember, was She Loves You by The Beatles.
Introduce us to you all and your musical history.
I started out as a drummer at the age of six and moved on to guitar when I was twelve. I think I took guitar lessons until I was fifteen and started writing my own songs during that period as well. At a boarding school in Denmark, I got into music production and became friends with Logic, my preferred DAW, in high school. I’ve since gone on to study music production and musicology.
What’s the live music scene like in (Oslo) right now? Anyone we should be looking out for?
I think there’s a lot of cultural arrangements in Oslo, including concerts, and therefore many arenas to visit if ever going there. My favorites probably being Parkteatret or Sentrum Scene.
I’ve seen a lot of people struggling for support recently online. What’s your view on the industry?
By struggling for support, I assume you mean getting your music to the right people—that is, getting heard, securing proper distribution through streaming platforms, radio, blogs, and not to mention SoMe. Hehe, it’s a pretty rough and cynical industry. I think a mix of information overload, overstimulation, and the constant fight for attention has created an industry focused on attention-grabbing and easy entertainment. Social media is highly visual, direct, short-sighted, and often over-dramatized, which makes for less meaningful, thought-provoking, and soul-driven art. It’s also frustrating to constantly fight against algorithms on different gatekeeping platforms. It’s like—the more money and entertainment value you put in, the better the algorithms.
Where do you feel you currently sit within the music industry?
Since I’m releasing music on my own label, I guess I feel both free and constrained at the same time. I choose my own strategies, profile, and how I want to be perceived, but it’s hard to compete with labels when it comes to networking, distribution, and PR/marketing budgets. It’s also tough at times to work extensively—and often alone—to market your own music.
Tell us two truths and a lie about you.
I’m from Denmark but live in Norway. I’m really into chess at the moment. I work out every day of the week.
Do you ever worry about people taking things the wrong way or cancel culture? Discuss….
Not really, but I’m not in favor of it.
Do you sign up to any conspiracy theories? If not, why not?
Not in a big way. I like to believe that, at least in my own Scandinavian democratic environment, information is fairly transparent—that our major news broadcasters and networks operate under free speech and a free market of real, uncorrupted journalism. That’s not to say that perspectives aren’t sometimes unbalanced or one-sided, but I also think that misinformation and societal distrust can be detrimental. It’s important to unite against fake news, false statements, and unsupported claims. In short, I think there are more false conspiracy theories than true ones.
What was your best experience on stage?
Probably ten years ago on a small stage at a boarding school in Jutland, Denmark, when the whole crowd started dancing to one of my songs. This was before the Y is Nature era.
What was your worst experience on stage?
A mini-concert in front of a small, enclosed circle of four involuntary psychiatric patients seventeen years ago. This was also in the pre–Y is Nature era, hehe.
Tell us something about you / each member that you think people would be surprised about. I studied anthropology in Hong Kong for one semester.
What are the next steps you plan to take as a band to reach the next level?
Playing concerts and releasing our album Evasion!
I hear you have new music. What can you tell us about it?
The Fool is our new single. It’s part of our spy pop universe, and a track on the upcoming album evasion. The track, which we also shot a music video for, navigates the unsettling interplay between the fear of losing someone you love and the desperate need for control.
What was the recording process like?
I already had a demo version of the song with some toplines sketched out but had to piece it together production wise and with some new lyrics. With the help of Tuva Svendsen Hesmyr, we managed to finalize the song during a short trip to Tromsø, Northern Norway. We did two rounds of vocal tracking in my studio in Oslo, then some editing, and went on to mix the track with Bjarne Stensli in his ultra-high-tech sound studio – also in Oslo.
What was the biggest learning curve in writing the new tunes?
Probably learning how to connect and collaborate with the various, very different artists, musicians, and featured guests on the album in my role as a producer. But there’s also the challenge of simplification, which I always struggle with. Tightening up the details—killing your darlings and all that.
Would you change anything now it’s finished?
No
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
Tune in to the world of spy pop! Our album Evasion is oooouuuut ….. Well, pretty soon! 😀
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