The Northern Belles' "We Wither, We Bloom" has been praised by critics. Songwriter Stine Andreassen had to come to terms with herself in the process. - I forgot that I think writing songs is fun.
/ 11/09/2020 / Kristian DugstadName: Stine Andreassen
Current with: The Northern Belle – We Wither, We Bloom
TONO member since: 2012
Stine Andreassen, can you tell us a little about who you are?
I am a “Late Bloomer” from Tromsø, living in Oslo. Music has always been a part of my life, but it was only in my 20s that I dared to say out loud that I wanted to be a musician. I am a systematizer and a half-educated mathematician who actually enjoys doing tax returns and writing applications. But first and foremost, I am a songwriter, guitarist and vocalist in the bands The Northern Belle and Silver Lining.
More on The Northern Belle soon, but take us to the beginning. What is your musical background?
The Northern Belle is my first proper band project. It is simply the child of my heart. After trying and failing at the physics and math study at NTNU in Trondheim, I decided to finally dare to say out loud that it was a musician that I wanted to work as. After 3 months of studying sheet music, I passed the entrance exam to get into NISS Popular Music, and there I met most of the band. Bjørnar and I got along well right from the start. He has become a source of security and a driving force that has helped me find my self-confidence as a musician. I grew up listening to ABBA, The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac and in my teens I discovered MTV and devoured all the popular music and R'n'B that came my way. I am used to being on stage because I have been in revues in junior high school and high school. I also have an incredibly supportive family who bought me a guitar and a Boss BR-600 recorder that I played with in secret. Few people knew that I dreamed of becoming a songwriter and artist. Lene Marlin was a big idol!
In Trondheim I worked as a DJ at the community center and decided that I would become an electronic artist. It didn't quite work out. While I was studying at NISS, I worked at Platekompaniet. There I got my taste for country again, a genre that is close to my heart. Country reminds me of my grandmother, tradition, family and storytelling. At NISS I found like-minded friends and musicians, and that was it. The lovely band members, and not least my good friends, have made the dream come true.
Two weeks ago, on Friday, May 28th, The Northern Belle released the album We Wither, We BloomA question taken from the world of sports – What do you feel now?
Right now I'm actually a bit numb. There are so many impressions at once, and I've also been so excited. Now my body is slowly but surely starting to stabilize. I always forget how much I hype myself up about releasing albums, and there's almost always a vacuum right after. I would have thought I'd learned how this worked, but nope.
I'm also very relieved that people like it, and incredibly grateful that I have such a great band and team around me. The songs became even better with all the contributions from my fellow musicians and our producer. I've been confident that I love the songs and the product, it's more of a circus by releasing an album that I'm not so confident about. You're in focus in a different way than when you're, for example, on stage playing. But again, I'm very touched and happy about all the response. There are a lot of emotions going on.
When their previous album, Blinding Blue Neon, came out in 2018, Dagbladet gave it a five and wrote “Close the island and imagine you are in Nashville”. Aftenposten gave it top marks and proclaimed that “The Northern Belle exceeds all expectations”. How do such criticisms affect the work on new music?
I wish I could say I didn't think about it, but I did. In a way, it feels like I have something more to prove this time, but I'm glad that feeling eventually went away. I'm very confident in my own voice as a songwriter now. The first month in Nashville I really struggled with the idea that the next thing I wrote had to be sensational. I compared myself to a lot of my heroes, which made it difficult to perform. I forgot that I think writing and composing songs is fun. I had to really deal with myself, but it helped. After that, the songs came in droves and I've even written about things that I haven't been able to write about before. I think I had to have that confidence boost to move forward and to learn to be even more vulnerable. It was also a terrifying joy to write with others. I have so much to learn and when you find someone you click with, magic happens. I hope that I never lose the desire to explore my musical landscape.
I had to really come to terms with myself, but it helped. I think I had to have that confidence bump to move forward and to learn to be even more vulnerable.
You did it again too. There has been no shortage of positive reviews of We Wither, We Bloom the last few weeks. You are mainly responsible for the songwriting. What does it mean for someone who creates music to get such a response?
It means a lot that someone has taken the time to listen to our music. There is so much great music being released, so the fact that someone has chosen to listen to us makes me so happy! I also get touched when I see people adding the songs to their personalized playlists. It's strange to think that my stories could become someone else's and that it could remind them of their own experiences. Isn't that great?!
Many describe their sound as somewhere between Americana and pop. Furthermore, like Audun Vinger in DN, we must highlight Johanne Flottorp's Hardanger fiddle playing. How would you describe the sound of The Northern Belle?
Bjørnar in the band has a very good answer to this that I agree with:
“Imagine members of The Cardigans, Fleetwood Mac and the Allman Brothers Band attempting to cover “Take It Easy” by the Eagles.” If you throw Jenny Lewis and Kacey Musgraves into the mix, I think we've got the soundscape covered!
The natural thing now would be to embark on a launch tour. Will you be able to carry out your plans, despite the restrictions?
We have got a booking company and we were supposed to play a lot this fall, but for obvious reasons it won't work. We are going to play our first concert together since February this September and we have also booked a release concert on October 16th in Oslo. I am really looking forward to that! Otherwise it will be stripped down concerts, but not close to what we were supposed to play. Internet concerts and concepts like Brakkesyke and Drømmedager at Revolver have saved my everyday life.
It's no secret that the state of society this spring has had a severe impact on the cultural industry. How has it affected you?
I was shocked and scared when everything shut down in March. I lay in bed and followed the infection numbers with a lump in my throat. I called my dad and asked if he could help me financially if this got as bad as it looked. It was a long time coming to ask. In addition, I got acute homesickness. Then I panicked that we were going to release an album in the middle of all this. We had worked so hard on the product, and you have to tour to make money. There have been ups and downs. I was completely devastated to receive the Statens Kunstnerstipend a few weeks into the pandemic. Then I sat in the bathtub and cried. I couldn't understand that I had been so lucky, then I felt guilty that not all my friends had received it. There are so many talented musicians and artists in Norway. Now it's just great to have received the grant! Gradually, everyday life stabilized and I got used to being at home. I have written a lot of new music in my new home office and mini studio. In addition, I have had time to work more on our release. We have recorded 3 music videos, taken beautiful photos and recorded a Christmas song that will be released in November. I am not sure I would have had time for this if we had been touring. So something positive has come out of this.
The Northern Belle obviously represents themselves, and no one else. However, you are often mentioned as a prominent band in the much-talked about Nordicana wave. How do you experience that?
I think it is only positive to be part of something bigger than yourself. I feel at home in this wave, as it is called. I believe that Nordicana is here to stay and is no longer a wave. I rely on many of my fellow musicians in this genre, and I wouldn't be able to do without them. It has created new friendships and new collaborations that I could only dream of before.
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The Northern Belle is not your only musical project. You both write and play in Silver Lining also. How do you balance your different projects?
Both Bjørnar and I play in both bands, so we try to balance it out. It happens in natural periods. If we have a quiet period with The Northern Belle, it's natural to work with Silver Lining. I'm very happy that I have two projects. Then I always have something to work on.
Despite differences sound og feel, Both bands operate in the Americana world. When you write a song – Do you immediately know where it belongs?
I usually know very well where the songs fit in. It has happened that we test a song with both bands, but it almost always ends up where I thought it would. As a songwriter, it is incredibly fun to have more legs to stand on. It has also been incredibly interesting to play in Silver Lining where we are several songwriters. It is exciting to write with others and you get different ideas.
Where and how do you write your music?
I have found that more unique ideas come to me when I am traveling. I like to be in motion – sitting on the train, bus or plane. Being in such an incredibly vibrant city like Nashville is one of the most incredible things I have ever done. The level is sky-high! I can't turn off my songwriting brain. Lines can appear during concerts, for example. Then I just have to take out my phone and write them down, otherwise they disappear into thin air. I also like writing at home. There I am safe and can do things at my own pace. I write melody and lyrics at the same time, and it usually starts with a verse and chorus. I always use a guitar as an aid. I also record everything I do. Suddenly something magical happens! I also make lists where I write down song titles and what I feel the songs are missing. It helps a lot, and I like to have an overview. Sometimes I make notes of what kind of sonic landscape I envision, or make playlists of songs that have inspired me or that I just love. I really like listening to music when I'm writing. It helps me set the mood.
What inspires you?
Other strong songwriters and musicians. Maybe especially women these days. There are so many clear and inspiring voices in Norway. I am also inspired by feeling like I am part of something bigger than just me. I go on a lot of walks. It really helps if I have a bad day. I also love to travel. It doesn't happen that much during the day, but there have always been nice songs that have come out of those experiences along the way. I am also very inspired by the people I have around me. Especially my family and their stories. I love listening to old stories about how things used to be. I really like old treasures and I am very nostalgic.
Everything indicates that you have a lot ahead of you, but what is the highlight of your career so far?
There have been many, but I have to highlight the performance at Spellemann. It was so incredibly fun.
Can you share your greatest music experience – as a listener?
It's hard to pick just one experience, but it was incredibly magical to see Rodney Crowell, Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill and Paul Franklin play at a local Nashville venue in 2019. Word on the street was that Crowell might be bringing guests, but this was beyond expectations. When Emmylou came on stage I didn't know where to go. The venue they played at is called American Legion 82, and people of all ages gather there to two-step every Tuesday. Two other concerts that I will never forget are Robyn in 2010 and Pulp in 2011 at the Øya Festival. I have no words!
Finally – Can you give us a tip for a Norwegian artist you listen to a lot these days?
I am so lucky to work with so many talented musicians and when we started Silver Lining it was like something out of this world happened. When I sing with Live everything is still. Our voices blend together and it's like we were made to sing together. Live Miranda Solberg has a solo project called Louien and her songs are so velvety and beautiful. She is a fantastic songwriter and has an enormous presence when she sings. I believe every word.