An interview with the Norwegian band Washington. Read here for the second part of the interview. Questions by Edwin WildeboerLet’s talk about the music you make, you made an album in 2004. It sounds a bit melancholic, I hear also some influences of bands like Midnight Choir. Do bands like these inspire you?
R: Many different melancholic scenes and types of artists inspire us. Midnight Choir is the most natural comparison with us as a band, because we used the same types of atmosphere and types of instruments and the voice is quite similar in a way.
A: What is interesting and a bit funny about Washington is that the members listen to different kind of music. Rune and me listen to American and lo-fi artists, but the drummer listens to black metal, for instance. If you listen closely to our music, you can hear elements taken from different genres and influences.
Did guest musicians participate on A New Order Rising?
R: Several guest artists played, probably the most important one was Lars Lien. He’s a producer in Trondheim now, but he has worked a lot with Motorpsycho and also different types of bigger Norwegian bands. He plays both piano and different types of keyboards. We went to his studio to record our first EP, when we hooked up with him, we discovered this chemistry between us. We worked together on the EP and the album and without him I think the album would sound quite different. Also there were some local musicians from the Trondheim area. On pedal steel a very skillful man called Roar Øyen, he contributed a lot.
A: Also the former drummer from Motorpsycho. He didn’t play drums, but the manolin and the sitar.
Did their ideas also change the way you think about your own music?
R: No, I don’t think it changed anything. The slots for them were set, really. We discussed with Lars the possibilities of what we could achieve with the songs and the different types of songs. Without the different contributions it wouldn’t have been what it is.
Is there also a deeper meaning behind your songs?
R: Well, it is on this first album. It quite spread the meaning of the songs, it’s not love songs, more comments on every day things I experienced and have seen. The meaning of the songs is not a concept. It’s not like this album is about this and this. It is about small things that is put together in the same album. Most of the time it is just social relations and comments.
Your latest album is from 2004, I heard a new album is in the making. Can you tell me more about it?
R: We are heading into the studio this summer, but we have used quite some time to write this album. We have already thrown away one album. It didn’t received really good vibrations from other musicians and people we cooperate with. Then we decided to start all over again. We feel we somewhat achieved what we want to. We are not quite there yet, but the album is being recorded this summer, that’s for sure. The release will probably set for this fall.
Do you already know where the album will be recorded?
A: Yes, it will be recorded in Oslo, in the Propeller Studio. I think it is a really good studio, so we are really looking forward to it. We’ve got some good people working with us and they seem to be really into making this album. They like some of the new songs and are really putting their effort into it. We have the former guitarist of Gluecifer, he is sort of the man behind of the record company and he is being in the music business for so long, so he knows what it takes. He is really helpful for so far. The combination of having him and the studio will make good propositions for the album for sure.
You have been touring through Europe several times. How are the reactions so far?
R: Good reactions, it seems the more we work and the more we visit different countries and cities the easier it becomes to return. People seem to be enthusiastic often and buy the CDs. It seems that we are kind of building our way slowly, brick by brick in a way. We have never experienced a hype from anything, but I think we are one of those bands that you just hope that we build and build and then all of a sudden the results of all the work that have been put down will show. I think and I hope that this will happen. Of course, a lot of it depends on this next album to tell you the truth.
You played at Øya festival in Norway? How did it go? Was it the biggest concert you played, was it a kind of turning point of popularity?
A: Actually the biggest show we played was in Holland. That was right after the Øya festival, which was the biggest until then. It was quite fun. When we played at Øya, it was a kind of recognition of what we have done so far. I think the people who booked us at Øya just basically recognized that we actually doing well, playing in Europe. People were liking us. It was a good thing, it feels good to get that kind of a recognition and to get the feeling that people acknowledge of what you are doing.
How is it to play in the Netherlands?
R: Well, it’s been great so far. Every time we come here it is very organized. It is easy to play our music, because people are open and want to discover of what you do and are interested. It is unlike many places in Norway where people are skeptical and keep their distance. We have gotten some opportunities, such as Westerpop festival where we were able to play for several thousands of people. We have good connections also with a distribution and booking company and it has been very good for us so far. It is definitely something worth to put some effort in.
What’s the best place you played in Europe so far until now? Was it Holland?
A: Of course! I think all the cities in Holland are so beautiful. To honest, I am not used to it from Norway. When you go around here, all the streets are tidy and they have nice canals. We have the mountains and stuff and that’s beautiful, but we don’t have the buildings and stuff. All the cities of Holland are the best places where I’ve been!
Do you have any Scandinavian bands you like at the moment or we should hear of?
R: Lots of them, Madrugada, which is the biggest band in Norway right now. They have a brilliant career and it is absolutely worth listening to. And also from Norway, A-Ha obviously and Midnight Choir which you brought up. Also, Sweden has a lot of nice bands, Isolation Years for instance.
A: We have to mention Rökksopp, of course. They are from Tromsø!
Any non-Scandinavian band you like or are inspired by?
R: Mark Lannigan, from America. David Bowie is extremely important in our music, not as an influence, just because he makes good music. Earlier, Radiohead and Coldplay has been very interesting for us. But also from the American scene, some of the smaller bands, like Smog.
A: Country stuff, like Jayhawks.
R: 16 Horsepower is a more of a recent discovery of us and drawn us more into the country type of style.
A: It is always funny to see what influences the press finds in our music. In one of the reviews we got in Norway a woman wrote that she never heard someone try to sound more like than Jim Morrison in her life. I swear, none of us in the band has listened to The Doors, more then the hits and stuff. Rune is definitely not inspired by The Doors. It’s funny.
So, you are doing a cover of the Doors for the new album?
R: No, we are not going to do that. But on tour, we always play different kinds of covers. We enjoy playing other bands music as well, not just our own.
Back to: Interview Washington - part 1
Met dank aan Yvo Tap van Bertus voor het regelen en opzetten van dit interview.