The Northern Belle Interview by Christian Lamitschka for Country Music News International Magazine & Radio Show
Brimming with melodic tunes and clever lyrics, We Wither We Bloom is The Northern Belle’s third studio album, albeit the first to be released internationally. Having made the difficult decision to quit her day job to pursue music, Stine Andreassen and The Northern Belle received widespread praise and a Spellemann nomination (Norwegian Grammy) for the 2018 album Blinding Blue Neon. In the spring of 2019, Andreassen traveled to Nashville for three months to write the follow-up. The welcoming and thriving music scene found east of the Cumberland River sparked a creative songwriting spell that resulted in this inspired collection of tracks. The distance from home allowed for new views on friends, family, love, loss, and homesickness, resulting in the band’s most personal album to date.
Constantly evolving as a band, The Northern Belle’s sound in 2020 is inspired by contemporary acts such as Erin Rae, Kacey Musgraves, Phoebe Bridgers and Marit Larsen, as well as legends such The Beach Boys, The Byrds, and Glen Campbell. All resulting in a record that pays tribute to its inspirations while also showing true originality.
Lamitschka:
Music has many new fans throughout Europe who may be hearing about you
for the first time. How would you describe yourself and the music you
play to someone who has never seen or heard you?
Well, it
sounds like, for me at least, a Norwegian fiddler and a legend on pedal
steel – let’s say Joe Graboff – had a foursome with Stevie Nicks from
Fleetwood Mac and the 12-string guitar player in The Byrds (was is it
Roger McGuinn maybe?) – and then they had two babies and it was Jenny
Lewis and Kacey Musgraves.
Lamitschka: What is the difference between your last album and your current one?
First
off, I wrote almost every song in Nashville and it was such an
inspiration! This is also the first album I have dared to write with
people outside the band. It was terrifying but such a relief when it
clicked. The sound has developed further on with a string quartet,
stronger harmonies, more flavors of pop, indie and rock’n’roll, more
12-string guitars and also a super cute 12-string Mandocaster and it is
more slide guitar this time. Personally I think the songs are stronger
as well. I also love that we still mix the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle
with pedal steel. The album was both easy and hard to write at the same
time. When it clicked the songs came pouring out. The songs are deeply
personal and it’s been a roller-coaster.
Lamitschka: What is your favorite song among all the songs you have recorded and what’s the story behind it?
I love the song “Pink Skies” from our album Blinding Blue Neon.
It’s about feeling free, following your dreams and traveling with dear
friends. I wrote it after a trip to the States with some of my favorite
people! They inspire me every day and they make life so much more fun. I
also like it because I tend to write sad songs and this is the
opposite. I also think we need happy songs in times like these when it
feels like the world is going to shit.
Lamitschka: How was the last year for you? What were your highlights?
2019
was full of wonderful concerts (both that I played and by other bands),
we recorded our new album in November and I got to live in Nashville
for 3 months and write songs. It’s also the first year that I haven’t
had a part-time job and could focus on my music! That’s pretty exciting
in itself! There were so many highlights, but Nashville tops it all. I’m
in love with that city and all the lovely people living there. I will
forever carry a piece of Nashville with me! The fact that you can see
legends like Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill, Rodney Crowell, and Paul
Franklin play, on a regular Tuesday, at the American Legion gives me
goosebumps. I can’t believe I was there. And I was at a Kacy and Clayton
concert the same night, but I just had to run. I felt bad for Kacy and
Clayton because I love their music, but it’s queen Emmylou!
Lamitschka: Who inspires you musically and how deep do your musical roots run?
I
simply love Stevie Nicks and want to be her basically. I’m not a
natural blond. Fleetwood Mac is my all-time favorite band. Like many
people that were born in 87, I love Destiny’s Child and that kind of
R’N’B as well. I’ve never been as happy as when Destiny’s Child sampled
Stevie Nicks! And she was also a part of their music video! Magic! I
have worked in different record shops since I was young and I just love
good music. All kinds of music! There are so many good lines being
written and so much beauty being made. At the moment I get a lot of
inspiration from Kacey Musgraves, Erin Rea, Margo Price, Jenny Lewis,
Dolly Parton and Courtney Marie Andrews.
Lamitschka: Is there any place you haven’t played that you would like to?
I would love to play at The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville! That would be a dream come true!
Lamitschka: What’s your favorite song that you wish you could have recorded?
I can’t choose just one. That’s impossible!! This answer will be different tomorrow I’m sure, but today I have to say:
Jackson Browne – “Running on Empty”
Guy Clark – “She Ain’t Going Nowhere”
Elton John – “Rocket Man”
Big Star – “Thirteen”
Fleetwood Mac – “Landslide”
Lamitschka: How did you choose the title for the new album? Is there a story behind the name?
When
we started recording the album I suddenly understood what the whole
album meant to me and why I had written the songs. So I wrote an outro, a
cute little gem, that sums it all up. We recorded it live with me
playing guitar and singing at the same time. My main goal of traveling
to Nashville was to write as many songs as possible. I didn’t want to
have any rules or a topic that I should write about, but I tend to write
about the people around me and the things that I experience. I wanted
it to be completely open and free. If I could write with other people
that would be a bonus. And that happened! It all came together
beautifully.
“We Wither We Bloom”
We wither
We bloom
Just like the seasons
But I don’t know if
We can come out new
Every time
We freeze
We die
My heart breaks in too many pieces to collect
I love too hard to even protect
Myself from falling for you again
Spring is just around the bend
Lamitschka: What drives you?
People making art and being themselves all the way.
People that stand for something and dare to have an opinion.
Often
when I listen to other music – ideas pop into my head and I have to
stop everything I’m doing. I love that! Music is the universal language.
The fact that someone across the world can listen to your song and it
might move them is also a strong force.
Lamitschka: What do you think about today’s music industry?
It’s
a really weird time here in Norway. All the concerts that were supposed
to happen in the next couple of months have been canceled because of
the coronavirus and so many musicians, technicians and people behind the
scenes have lost their income. This is critical! What has happened is
that everyone is coming together and are lifting each other up and
sharing each other’s music. People are working for free just to make
artists visible. There are tons of concerts being streamed on Facebook
and other platforms and people are donating money to see this. It’s so
touching to see. Even the government has helped out! I have felt so many
times that in this industry it’s every man for himself, but this is the
opposite. It’s naïve to think that this would happen in every country
but I sincerely hope it will! Show love and solidarity.