There are more than just birds singing in the forest in Hedmark. Songwriters from all over the world take the train out of the city, into the trees, to write pop music in the countryside.
/ 15/10/2019 / Kristian Dugstad30 km north of Elverum, on the west bank of the Glomma, lies the village of Rena in Åmot. The village is known to many primarily as the home of the Army Command School and the Telemark Battalion. There are 2260 people living there, and there are also many trees. In fact, two-thirds of the municipality's area is covered by productive forest.
Free association ends up with the harmonica and the Hardanger fiddle rather than the charts and pop music. But they didn't let that stop them, Carl-Henrik Wahl and his collaborators – they embraced it.
– Out of The Woods is a songwriting camp in the woods. I'm a forester.
It's an autumn morning in late September and the temperature is surprisingly pleasant in Bergen. Carl-Henrik sits at a café table outside the House of Literature and talks about his workplace and his childhood sweetheart.
– The first songwriting camp we organized under the name Out of the Woods was in September 2017. We had been running a conventional music studio for a little under a year when we quickly realized that it wasn't life. Suddenly, Biltema started selling studio speakers and a studio appeared in every barn.
– Suddenly Biltema started selling studio speakers and a studio appeared in every barn.
The business plan that had been conceived during his music studies at Innlandet University College had to be revised. Songwriting camps were part of the idea from the very beginning, but as a side business alongside regular studio operations. Two years ago, Wahl made a turnaround, and suddenly he was running writing camps full-time.
– The first edition was both fully booked and overbooked, and since then it has only been a hit and miss. In October we will be organizing Out of The Woods number 20, after a little over 2 years of camping.
There's no doubt that collaborative writing is a trend these days. Songs that top the charts often have a long list of copyright holders behind them.
– Our slogan is “We believe that the future is co-written”. Being at camp is an absolutely fantastic feeling. Dividing lines like age, religion and politics are erased when you come together to write a song, says Wahl.
TONO has been giving lectures on copyright at songwriting camps in Norway for many years. Norwegian songwriters write and produce songs for the international music market, and several have had great success with music created at songwriting camps.
– When you have three days where you only concentrate on writing music, and everyone is working towards the same goal, you see results. Especially in a place like Rena, where there is actually nothing else to do.
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It's the location that sets Out of the Woods apart from many other camps. The paved streets of the music industry are fast-paced. Taking a break from the urban can do wonders for creativity, Wahl believes.
– The participants say they have never experienced anything like it – Coming to a place where they simply don't meet other people: It inspires them and they find peace.
It takes exactly two hours from Oslo Airport to Rena by train. Wahl believes location is crucial for them to be able to compete with the big cities.
Participants say they have never experienced anything like it – Coming to a place where they simply don't meet other people
– It doesn't take us much longer than getting into Oslo, onto a tram and out into a district. But we have things they don't have in the cities. Those who come from abroad are often shocked when they see a meter of snow and the view over Rondane and Østerdalen.
With 20 campers in two years, many have found peace in the quiet of Rena Village. Out of the Woods strives to offer an opportunity for anyone who wants to write music, far from the noise of the city.
“There are so many people who want to come camping, and we want to have room for everyone. It's fantastic to meet so many like-minded people in one place,” says Wahl.
With the help of support, The Woods is able to offer participation at a low cost and a large number of people. To open up further, they have also started inviting songwriters outside the pop music framework.
– We have organized a vice camp, a country camp, an MGP and Eurovision camp, and in 2020 we are launching Out of the Woods Musical. There are just as many talented songwriters outside of pop who deserve to meet people on the same wavelength, says Wahl.
As long as there are enough skilled participants, a camp can be organized for anyone...
– Well, a metal camp? … We've actually talked about it and it's not impossible that it will happen, laughs Carl-Henrik.
