1st part of the interview with Margrét Ran from Vök

First of all, I was called during my way to Berlin. The band would be 20 minutes late. All in all it was 30 minutes because of the traffic in the city. At first we spoke about how I've discovered the band (it was a commercial video for thebrand 66° North) and what the favourite beverage of the singer is. And no, Margrét doesn't the Gilmore Girls.

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Could you please introduce yourself?

Margrét: My name is Margrét Rán and I'm the singer from Vök from Iceland. I play a couple of instruments but I'm not gonna mention... oh, and I am the lead singer. I do the keyboard, the bass and the guitar.

What does Vök, the name of the band or the project mean to you?

M: Mean to me? That's an interesting question. First of all it means a lot to me. It's kind a kind of a family to me. It is a five year old project and it has been growing for five years. It is a sort of a business and a baby.

What inspires you to write new music and lyrics?

M: It really inspires me when we are on the road. I get lots of creative ideas there and I guess when we are at home. We have major depressing weather and that can be sometimes madly inspiring. In a weird way.

Really? When I see a documentation about Iceland, there is always good weather, maybe some snow, maybe it's cold, but there are always happy people.

M: Oh god, we have loads of bad weather. You have to pray to the weather god to have sun. It can be really beautiful and cold and snowy, but the wind is the worst part about Iceland. For vacation it is better to come in the summer time.

F.r.t.l.: Einar, Margrét and Andri
(Source: Nettwerk's presskit)

So there are your ideas on the songs and lyrics or do bounce your ideas of with your saxophone player Andri?

M: Sometimes we bounce ideas of. But usually it is me and my ideas. I start with a beat and a melody and I take that to the studio.

Will there be new record this year?

M: Yes definitely. We're trying to find the right sound and producer. We're looking for the sound we want to make now because it is good for us to evolve, to make the next step and not just get stuck in one sound scape. That is very important to me.

Will there still be the warm sound from your first EP's and the record?

M: Yes, of course. The new sounds are actually warmer.

Is the Icelandic music scene different from the European one?

M: I think the main part is smaller because of the small community. We are 300,000 people living on a small island and everybody knows each other. And maybe it's harder here in Germany or even Europe.

So you know all the band members of Sólstafir?

M: Well, I don't know them, but I've talked to them.

What are you doing when you're not travelling or writing music? Do you have a day job?

M: I actually work at company called Össur. We're making prosthetics and I find it quiet exiting. When I'm not writing or working I like to ski, I exercise, I read books.

What is your favourite genre?

M: I''m all into self care books. I really love The subtle art of not giving a fuck. I like it. 

Could be a book from Corey Taylor. What kind of music are you listening to? Or is there no time for listening to some music?

M: I literally listen to everything. But when I don't want to be inspired and enjoy it, I listen to Billy Holiday and Cuban Music, because this is really calming to me. I have long playlist that I put on. Otherwise I like to listen to Portishead and Massive Attack and all that stuff from the 90's.

Do you have a different point view of into music at this moment referring to the time before Vök? Do you listen in a different way to music?

M: I analyse a lot like when I go to a concert and even when I am listening to music at home. But that's why I like listening to 30's and 40's music, I don't analyse that. I just enjoy it. I don't analyse it because I'm not making this kind of music.

Why not? Maybe as a side project?

M: Yes, maybe. It is really good to be like: 'Oh, this snare sounds amazing.

It was hard to record music back in the 30's and 40's. But it is heart warming and sometimes it sounds like Christmas.

M: Exactly.

--

In the second part Margrét and I will talk about touring and what she misses the most.

Postings aus der Vergangenheit Vol. 5

Braids, CBC3 hat mir auch diese Perle näher gebracht, welche ich um ein Haar auch noch live gesehen hätte. Natürlich ist meine Meinung wie immer nur subjektiv, aber ich mag diese Band. Ihr Album Native Speaker gibt es zum Teil auf CBC3 zu hören. Die Musik ist sehr atmosphärisch, wobei Plath Heart recht kindlich wirkt. Man bekommt hier keine Riffs um die Ohren, sondern lange Intros und sehr viel Soundgewandt, welches sich sanft in das Ohr schmiegt und einen nicht mehr so los lässt. Mein Liebling ist auch noch Lammicken, welches sich langsam anschleicht.

Und zur Vervollständigung des ganzen, das Albumcover. 

Braids - Native Speaker

Bandcamptage Vol. 7

Haha... heute kam ich auf die wahnwitzige Idee, so die "berühmten" Suchwörter des Internet auf Bandcamp anzuwenden. Machmal kamen da echt komische Dinge raus und andere, die ich nicht mal im Ansatz gut fand/verstanden habe. Zum Glück gehört zum guten Teil die Band Support The Troopz mit ihrem, doch zugegeben, sehr kurzem Album Total Pussy. Dieses gibts aber für Umme, also soll sich da bitte keiner beschweren. Und dabei scheint sich irgendwie alles um die magischen 3 Buchstaben zu drehen & das Albumcover erst. Und den Titel Total Pussy bitte abfeiern.

Support The Troopz - Total Pussy

So, die nächste Band ist aus Vancouver, Kanada. Die hab ich jetzt nicht über CBC3 entdeckt sondern ganz normal über Bandcamp. Sie heißen Hermetic und ihr Werk, welches auf Bandcamp liegt, hört auf den Namen Civilized City. Man könnte meinen, man sei wieder in den 90ern. Curmudgeons Club wäre eine Hörprobe wert. Wer den Titel mag, wird den Rest auch mögen, da das alles zwischen Grunge und Post Grunge und Rock und Indie liegt. 

Hermetic - Civilzed City
(Quelle: Bandcamp.com)

Da ich auch Folk ab und anrecht amüsant und unterhaltsam finde, werde ich heute mal mit nem Folkalbum abschließen. Das Album Quill von Bison ist recht angenehm zu hören, feiert aber weniger als Mumford & Sons. Was nicht so schlimm ist. Somit entlasse ich euch mit diesem Album doch recht ruhig in das, was auch immer ihr heute oder morgen macht oder machen werdet.

Bison - Quill
(Quelle: Bandcamp.com)