Ok, so I haven't posted for a couple of weeks due to some personal reasons but now I'm back with a whole host of treats for you and first up is this 'Getting to Know' interview with Frode from I Was A King...
Hi Frode, can you introduce yourselves and tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
We are a Norwegian group called I was a King. First time name was used to name a recording was in 2004. It started out as my home recording project back then, and has taken a lot of different directions since then. The first album entitled “Losing something good for something better” came out in 2007. We actually then did two shows in UK which was a lot of fun. The current line up has been together since January this year, which actually is the longest lasting line up.
It must be quite nerve racking when you set out to try and make it in a different country. How do you handle that?
I mostly just try and focus on the fun part of it. We are really lucky to be able to travel around, see new places, meet new people and of course play music in front of people.
How different is the music scene in the USA and UK to the one in Norway?
Both USA and UK has a lot stronger musical traditions and history, which also means that scenes are a lot bigger. Norway is a small country and the different scenes aren't really big.
The album was recorded over such a short period of time, does that mean that a lot of the music was almost improvised?
Yes a lot of the songs on the album are first or second takes. I’ve been recording both IWAK albums starting out with just me on guitar and my friend Emil on drums. The way we’ve worked every time is that I go through the song once, so he gets an impression of structure, then we hit record, and takes what comes out of it. I tend to get very impatient working in the studio, so this is the best way to work for sure.
You worked with a lot of collaborators on the album, the most notable perhaps being Sufjan Stevens. How did that come about?
The reason we went to Brooklyn to record was that I really needed to get out of Oslo to find new inspiration, and new surroundings. Also I have a lot of friends who live there, wich includes Sufjan Stevens, Gary Olson and Daniel Smith who all helped out making this album something I’m really proud of.. It was so inspiring to work with all these amazing people in the same room.
You’ve said before that you don’t like keeping your style too similar. Have you got anything in mind stylistically for the next album?
I have been thinking a lot about what will come next, but haven’t had time to write very much lately. But I know for sure that next one will be different.
What three tracks of yours would you recommend for people to look up?
My 3 favorites of the album, i think are Not Like This, Breathe and Weighing Anchor. I guess they give a pretty decent impression about our sound and music.
And finally, what’s the plan for the rest of the year?
We’re doing a week of shows in UK now in November, which includes opening for one of my old favorites Swervedriver in Oxford. Can’t wait to see them live.
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