Είναι απ' αυτές τις περιπτώσεις που σου εμφανίζεται μια μπάντα-τραγουδιστής απ' το πουθενά. Που δεν τους παίζουν όλη μέρα τα ραδιόφωνα, ούτε παίζει να τους πετύχεις στην τηλεόραση, ούτε φιγουράρουν σε γνωστά μουσικά blogs. Απλά κάποιος φίλος πέφτει τυχαία πάνω της στο internet κατά την αναζήτηση νέας μουσικής και μετά απλά ξεχνάς να απενεργοποιήσεις το "repeat" στο music player σου.
Ο λόγος για την Αμερικανο-Ολλανδέζα Signe Tollefsen. Η πρώτη δισκογραφική κυκλοφορία ήταν το ομώνυμο της album τον Σεπτέμβριο του 2009, τον περασμένο Γενάρη ακολούθησε το ep "Baggage" με έξι διασκευές από έξι διαφορετικά ονόματα (προσωπικά να με κερδίζει το “Down by the water” της PJ Harvey), και αυτόν τον μήνα κυκλοφορεί το νέο της album "Hayes". So let’s start with some personal questions! Where are you from? And where in the earth are you living now?
I was born in Utrecht, Holland, my dad was American and my mom Dutch. We moved to England where i went to highschool and university and i moved back to Holland to make music. That’s where i’m living now.
What is your music background? Any past projects? How you start playing music?
My background is classical music. i was trained as a classical singer and since i was 8 i wanted to become an opera singer. that didn’t happen and i’m really happy with my choice to write and sing my own music. I started playing the piano when i was five, went to choir school at 7, sang in the choir and had singing lessons there. I bought my own guitar at 14, got friends to teach me chords and the rest is history.
Who are your music influences? And what’s your favorite new bands or artists?
Maria Callas, Edith Piaf, Janis Joplin, Pink Floyd.
Music i listen to now: Efterklang, Talk talk’s fenomenal album “Spirit of eden”, Le mystère des voix bulgares (female bulgarian choir that sings traditional bulgarian music), Cocorosie, Elbow, Kaizers orchestra, Mindpark (amazing dutch band), Philip Glass, Poulenc, Bach and other calssical music.
Your new album “Hayes” (btw what it means? Is it a name?) is out on September. Tell me some things about the songwriting and recording process and what makes this record different from your older material.
Hayes was my father’s middle name. He died in february. Instead of putting “this record is dedicated to my father”, i called it Hayes. I like the name too, so thought it the perfect way to honour my father.
Hayes is a transitional record.
I changed a lot in between my first record and this one. I traded my acoustic guitar for an electric one, it’s got a lot more balls than the first one. Not only sound-wise, also composition-wise and textually. My producer Ralph Timmermans and I have a great relationship. Me are on the same wave-length with music, we understand each other and we push each other to expand our borders and horizons. We wrote some songs together which was a first for me; three amazing songs i would not have been able to write by myself, were the result (“daddy”, “here is what” and “scared”).
I changed a lot in between my first record and this one. I traded my acoustic guitar for an electric one, it’s got a lot more balls than the first one. Not only sound-wise, also composition-wise and textually. My producer Ralph Timmermans and I have a great relationship. Me are on the same wave-length with music, we understand each other and we push each other to expand our borders and horizons. We wrote some songs together which was a first for me; three amazing songs i would not have been able to write by myself, were the result (“daddy”, “here is what” and “scared”).
Are you enjoying performing solo or with a band?
I like both, but i prefer playing with my band. Music is sex and sex on your own is not as much fun. It’s fun to flirt with each other on stage, and to experience music together.
How you feel about selling music online and how you feel about illegal music downloads. Do you think digital music will ever completely replace cd’s and vinyls?
Selling music online came too late. not that it would have prevented illegal downloading, but instead of sueing and fighting, they should have thought a bit a little earlier.
Not sure if it will ever completely replace cds and vinyl but i mostly listen Spotify and vinyl. Cds are for ripping and the booklet. After ripping them, i rarely touch them again except for checking lyrics. I love Spotify and my record player. I inherited an amazing 70s amp and b&w speaker from my dad so it’s a real pleasure to listen to music through those. And then records…. oooh! they sound fantastic.
I do miss having to go to the shop to actually buy something, and coming home all excited. I do still do that sometimes.
Is making and playing music what earns you a living?
Yup. Only just, though. I’m very poor. But very happy.
How would you define the word “success”?
When you achieve your goal. A goal can be filling a stadium with you fans, writing a number 1 hit, but also making a record you are proud of.
How common is music and politics for you?
I’m not a political musician, but music of course has played a big role in politics. Especially during protests (think of the American civil rights movement and all the songs that we were during and after it).
Future plans after the release of the new album? Have you planned a tour?
There’s quite a few shows planned during the release of Hayes. All of them are on the site.
What's the kindest thing someone has ever done for you?
That’s a difficult question. I would think one of the kindest men i knew was my father. Once he sent me one postcard a day, for a week. I was somewhere where i wasn’t happy. My dad wasn’t much of a writer, ever, so the fact that he did his best to think of something to write every day for a week was very special. I didn’t realize it at the time because i was a kid and didn’t understand him yet. But now that’s how i like to remember him.
(Η συνέντευξη μεταφρασμένη στα ελληνικά στο http://www.inculture.gr )
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