Emilie Nicolas inspired Mia Berg to pursue music. – I think I've wanted to pursue music for a long time, but I never quite dared to say it out loud.
/ 07/06/2019 / Kristian DugstadEmilie Nicolas inspired Mia Berg to pursue music. – I think I've wanted to pursue music for a long time, but I never quite dared to say it out loud.
Photo above: Emma Sukalic
Name: Mia Berg
Age: 23
Current with: Grow (single)
TONO member since: 2017
Who is Mia Berg?
Mia Berg is first and foremost me. And of course my project and music. It's pop versus alternative pop with a bit of R&B, soul and singer-songwriter style with my vocals in the lead, and Henrik Lillehaug on production.
Tell us about your musical background?
I grew up with a lot of ABBA, The Beatles, Michael Jackson and Barry White on the set from all the car driving in the summer, so I was mostly raised on my dad's favorites.
I went to singing school for a couple of years when I was young, and had a classical singing teacher. I guess I was never really into classical singing, when I would rather sing songs by Beyonce, Rihanna and Sugababes. So I remember dropping out of lessons pretty quickly, without my mom and dad finding out until about a year had passed. My biggest stage when I was young was probably the living room at home, a lot of singing in the bathroom, and in the local youth choir.
There was nothing that really told me I should do music, and I put it on the shelf for many years because I thought it wasn't for me. Then I moved to Oslo after high school, started folk high school and started writing and making music in secret. I still meet people from home who are like, "Wow, you do music? When did that happen?"
What inspired you to pursue a career as an artist?
I think it's been a long-standing desire of mine to write and make music, without me quite daring to say it out loud. It took a while to understand that it was so important that I just had to try, no matter what the outcome would be.
I don't really know how my career as an artist will go. But for me, it's mostly about the joy I have in writing and singing, and the drive to get better and to make new music. As a musician, you live a little bit on the feeling before you go on stage and when you sit in the studio and see something you wrote in your room take shape and become a whole. It's a beautiful journey, even though I realize it sounds very cliché.
But a very specific moment that inspired me to write was the summer of 2014 when I heard Emilie Nicolas' album Like I'm a Warrior, and Nattjazz 2015 in Bergen, where she had recently played. I sat up for several hours at night, listening to it over and over again. I was very inspired, and thought, "Shit – I want to do this too."
How do your songs come about? What inspires you when you write?
It can be either a feeling or a thought that just needs to get out, and I don't always know what I'm writing about until afterwards. I put a recording on my phone, sit down in front of the piano and find some suitable chords to start with. I also just sing. Also only when I listen to the recording do I understand what I'm trying to say. There's also a lot of work from there with just the lyrics and melody to get the song in place. So I feel like the subconscious really helps me a lot, if you can say that?
I can be inspired by what I hear and see around me. People on the street, relationships, stories, nature, the sky or a good concert.
What do you look for in a melody? How do you compose?
I think I think that the melody is the feeling and the lyrics are the words it conveys, and they carry each other together. I have no fixed way of composing them, other than that the melody should be clear, and natural in its own way. You also get inspired by the music and melodies you listen to, and pick up things that you transfer into your own music.
What was the name of the first song you ever wrote?
I wrote down a lot of stuff from the age of 8, but if we look past that, the first song is called Tomorrow, and was written in 2014. It's not a song I'm performing today, so to speak.
Why do you always have wool socks and tea bags in your backpack?
I'm a real cold-blooded person, and always afraid of getting cold. I think I have to be prepared for anything when I go out the door in the morning, and I never trust the weather. I also really love tea, simply put.
You've gotten a lot of attention and managed to do a lot in a short time. What does that mean to you?
It's been incredibly fun. I was so excited when I released the first song last fall, and shed a tear when it had a preview at Ruben's on NRK P3, it was huge. We had been working on that song for two years, so it was time to get it out into the world. There were also lots of nice writings and things around.
It's especially nice when people listen and express via text or on the street that they like my music. I remember I was at HM one day and was about to pay at the checkout, and the person standing there said, "That song you released is so nice." I had no idea what to say, and I probably didn't handle the situation very well. But it was very, very nice. It means a lot to get recognition for all the work and effort you put into your music.
Tell us about your latest one, Grow?
Grow was one of the first songs I finished with producer Henrik Lillehaug. It was written when I had moved to Oslo to study music. The song is about finding yourself at a point between being a teenager and an adult. There are many expectations and you feel a pressure to take responsibility and meet people's expectations. Grow is a kind of counter-reaction – where you want to shut out the chaos, and stay young a little longer.
What are you working on now? What does 2019 bring for you?
I'll be releasing more music, and my EP is coming this fall, so stay tuned! I'll also be using the year to write new music, play concerts, and record my next release.
What is your career highlight so far?
I think it must have been playing at Camp Øya on the outdoor stage at Blå last year. It was summer heat outside, we played the last song in the set, and ended with just me and keys. The audience was completely silent and listening, and I also look over to the other side of the Akerselva, and there several people have lined up to listen. It was a nice moment, and I thought "Wow, people have stopped to listen to me, that's awesome."
What is your greatest musical experience?
Bon Iver's concert in London last year. It was magnificent, magical and yes.. absolutely fantastic. Justin Vernon has an incredible voice and delivery.
Is there anything we should have asked you about?
Hmm, no.. Maybe ask if I've released a music video recently?
And what is the answer to that question?
Yep, I have! Check it out!!!