Josefin Winther's "Silent Storm" was a reminder to everyone who watched the Eurovision Song Contest final that the competition is not primarily about glitz and glamour, but about the composers and their works. Now she's releasing a single with PJ Harvey's producer.
/ 06/06/2014 / codexJosefin Winther's "Silent Storm" was a reminder to everyone who watched the Eurovision Song Contest final that the competition is not primarily about glitz and glamour, but about the composers and their works. Now she's releasing a single with PJ Harvey's producer.
Text: Willy Martinsen
– Congratulations on a great 8th place, we say on the phone to Josefin Winther, who lives in London – not for career reasons, as we suggest questioningly during the interview – but because she loves her partner so much. And it was such a nice answer that it just had to be included.
– Thank you very much!
– Can you tell all of us who will probably never have a song in the Eurovision Song Contest final what it's like?
– Well, 2014 has been a very exciting year because of that, with an insane amount of positive attention. The song seems to have touched many people, both in Norway and abroad. It has been quite a redemptive experience in many ways. And it's strange to see how something you've written starts to live its own life.
You don't have to talk to Josefin Winther for long before you understand that this is a person who is serious. Who does nothing half-heartedly, and who is almost uncompromising in the pursuit of the most optimal result. This will in most cases be about getting close to something genuine and heartfelt. Something that can travel from heart to heart. From songwriter to listener.
You hear it in the Eurovision song "Silent Storm" too. The lonely, yearning piano figure in the intro that sounds like a musical mirror of the core of the lyrics: The longing for once to be truly seen by someone. With the song's seriousness, and the almost "Bon Iverske" approach of the singer (and Josefin's cousin) Carl Espen, "Silent Storm" is almost a small indie opus. A long way from "Diggy-loo, diggy-ley":
– The song is important to me, and there is nothing wrong with Carl Espen. Actually, it was quite brave of us to do it the way we did. But; I think you have more to be brave about, she says with conviction. And the song has already traveled a long way.
– I don't let anything get in the way of what I want to do. At times it's extremely demanding, and there's little to suggest that it's wise. But I'm proud of it.
She has been brave before, too. Like when she released her second album on her own record label at the age of 23. She also highlights her early years in the industry when we ask about her greatest achievement so far:
– I'm proud that I debuted at 20, and that I took so much control myself with everything from songwriting to promo. But this spring, with Silent Storm, has also been a milestone.
– How did it all start for you, with songwriting and the dream of becoming a musician?
– It's a kind of primal instinct. I played the cello and did classical singing, and learned the basics of guitar. When I discovered that I could express myself through writing songs, nothing could stop me. I was 13, and for the next five years I wrote all the time. It was a completely existential thing for me.
– What is your specialty as a songwriter?
– I have a solid foundation in melodies, which many here in England think sound Scandinavian. I have a lot on my heart that I am not afraid to express. Also, I am a workhorse, and live my vision for music day by day. I don't let anything get in the way of what I want to do. At times it is extremely demanding, and there is little to indicate that it is wise. But I am proud of it.
– Where do you find inspiration for the songs you write?
– My inner life.
– What does the optimal song sound like?
– Like "Lover You Should Have Come Over" with Jeff Buckley, a masterpiece in the singer/songwriter world. Perfect balance between resistance and hooks.
– You have now released several albums, EPs and a long line of singles as an artist – and have had success as a songwriter for others. What do you want to do most in the future?
– I write a lot, and the songs that I feel I should do myself are always very clear to me. But some others can do, and that also gives me great joy. I think I have many songs with that potential. The next big goal is still album number three, which I have been working on for two years, and which I think will be finished in the fall. I have set the bar higher than before, which is especially about capturing a special nerve in the recordings. I have tried different producers. It is new to me.
– I think you still have time to be brave.
– Since we are interviewing you for TONO Magazine, we almost have to ask you about what kind of relationship you have with TONO…
– I have a strong relationship with TONO. It can be extremely confusing to be a songwriter and artist, and there are many people who want something from you all the time. At times it can feel lonely. TONO is a safe base. It is also very strange to know that someone is working for my interests without me having to do much for it.
On June 5th, Josefin released a new single, produced by none other than Mick Harvey, PJ Harvey producer and one of the founders of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Recorded at the legendary Tritonus Studio in Berlin, "Last Amends" is Josefine's first single in two years. It also hints at what awaits us on album number three this fall. What was it like working with a legend like Mick Harvey?
– I asked him, and at first I couldn't believe my ears when he said yes. He just said: "I am an artist, and I work with people I want to work with. It's easy as that." It was incredibly fun, she says.
– I was pretty starstruck when we got to the studio, and I wanted to ask about what it was like working with PJ Harvey and stuff like that. Eventually we got into a zone together, and it was incredibly powerful.
The recordings were made live to tape with Josefin on guitar and vocals, and Harvey on drums.
– We played until we were completely on the same wavelength, and then pressed record. I had hoped that he would surprise me, and not least give me resistance – and he did. My instinct is that the producer has a clear idea of what should be done, and then implements it – which he did not. On the other hand, he took me into an open creative process, where we stayed together until we came out the other side, and knew that we were finished. It was demanding, but incredibly important. I was very inspired when I left Berlin, and incredibly happy with the result, concludes Josefin.
iTunes: Last Amendments
WiMP: http://wimp.no/album/30408096
Spotify: Last Amendments
