Categories
Music

Interview with Andrea Nord

 Can you tell us more about your personal journey and what led you to pursue a career in music?

Being raised in a family with lots of music and making songs since I was 13, I always knew I wanted to make a living out of creative expression. However, I didn’t think music was an option, so I studied tourism and marketing. Meanwhile my friend started a record label as part of his studies, and I said “yes” to be their try-out artist. The first song gained 100 000 streams, as well as radio plays, and it opened my eyes to a new path. I got into the pop school LIMPI in 2018, with mentors such as Stargate and Emily Warren. One thing led to the other, and now I’m finally releasing my debut EP, after three years in the making

– Mental health is a significant theme in your music. How do you hope your songs impact listeners who might be struggling with similar issues?

I believe no one actually fits into the standard of a “normal person”. While some are adaptable and able to work within the confines of our social structures, others find it hard to find their place, and blame themselves for not being enough. Like trying to fit a circle into a square (how my friend used to describe high school back in the day). I don’t believe we’re supposed to fit in, but make the world fit to us. Create what we want to create, to make the world brighter and more fun and exciting. And it’s about loving ourselves enough to be who we are. By diving deeper into our fears, we’re able to let them go. And that’s what I wanted to do with the songs – confronting my fears, to make them less scary and overwhelming, and make a safe space for others to do the same

– Tell us more about your latest song “Monsters”?

I wrote “Monsters” to my teenage self, who really wanted to fit in. But as I’ve already stated, I was a “weirdo” (in the best way possible), dressing up in expressive clothes, shaved my hair, and didn’t find a place in the groups of people I wanted to be part of. It’s about healing the negative thoughts by naming them something else – like “monsters”, so you don’t let them become a part of you. Sometimes I can still let them affect me, “sometimes I’m closer to the monsters than my friends”, but they’re not defining my worth. Because they’re just an endless stream of information, which you choose to either let go of or attach to.

– The song is taken from your debut EP ‘Closer To My Monsters Than My Friends’. Can you give us a sneak peek into the EP?

When Bruno Mota (the executive producer) and I started working on the EP, we both wanted to make sure none of the songs were filler songs. All of them are made as singles, as original pieces within themselves. I’ve chosen a broad variety of songs from pop ballads to upbeat chill songs to party anthems. Each song represents its own “mental issue”, such as loneliness, mood swings, heartbreak and negative thoughts. The overall theme of the EP is playful and catchy toplines and productions with meaningful lyrics

– Can you share any fun or interesting anecdotes from your time traveling between Norway and Portugal for this project?

I can’t think of any specific situation, other than that we traveled through so many different studios with the songs. The very first place, was in Bruno’s friend’s mother’s basement back in June 2021, and we tried to cover the smell of the mold with plants and air fresheners. But it was still cosy, and it’s where we made the very first song for the EP, which was “Monsters”. The next place was literally a bunker, however a great place to record vocals cause of the compact space. Since then, I’ve also been working with other producers to finish the tracks, and MOGNO’s tiny desk-inspired studio is always a vibe to work in. Last summer while I was on vacation in Spain, I got asked to sing at a festival here in Norway, called Havnefestivalen. At that time, I still had to finish the last song, “We Call it Love”. So instead of flying home, I took the plane to Portugal, and worked with Diogo Guerra to make it a party anthem. I’m so glad we made that decision, and basically rearranged the whole song only 3 weeks before performing it for the first time

– What’s coming next for you? A new single first or will you drop the EP next?

Next up is “Forget About Me”, which is a catchy, laidback pop track, coming out by the end of June/beginning of July. During summer it will be a break from releasing music, but when autumn comes, two more singles will be released, before the full EP with the 6 songs are coming out in November! I’m very excited about this year, and already overwhelmed by how much feedback I’ve gotten after only two songs released.

Photo by Kristina Lang-Ree