By: Jamie Steinberg
Photo By Tobias Wilner
Q) How would you describe your sound?
A) Dreamy reflections of harsh realities
Q) Who are some of your musical influences?
A) Early on it was what was in the CD player in my parents’ car – Kate Bush, Eurythmics and The Beatles. What inspired me to be a part of a band was discovering in my teens bands like Pixies, My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth. Nowadays I listen to a lot of experimental stuff. It’s a bit of a mix.
Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Hike to the Sun” for the film Hana Korea.
A) The director Frederik Sølberg knew from the start that he wanted to have an actual song for the credit roll, something very human. The song is written from the perspective of our protagonist Hye Seon (Minha Kim), calling to her mother. Frederik had this very simple, almost naivistic guitar part which felt perfect for the sentiment we wanted and from there I added vocals and we got Yeohee Kim to sing with me in Korean, making the song into a kind of duet. I added a bit of strings to it and a few horn instruments, but we kept it pretty sparse to keep it feeling quite vulnerable.
Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?
A) I think it’s the simplicity as well as the emotional impact. The verses have some slightly magical imagery, but the chorus is very direct. I think it conveys a feeling of loneliness that we can all relate to.
Q) The song is featured in the indie film Hana Korea. Were you approached to watch the movie and then craft the song around the premise?
A) I wrote the whole score for the movie as well. We wanted it to have a sense of alienation, to capture Hye Seon’s ambiguous feelings of arriving in South Korea from her home in North Korea, her struggle to adapt. So, it started out quite cold and electronic, but then slowly we introduce string instruments, choir and eventually this song “Hike To The Sun,” which has a lot of warmth.
Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?
A) It really depends on the song and what the song is meant for. On this occasion, Frederik wrote down a few key words from his experience of making the film, his time in Korea and his conversations with the woman who this film is based on (it’s based on a true story). From those I did my best to create a kind of juxtaposition between her old world and her new one.
Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?
A) In this case the hand was all mine, as I produced all the music for the film.
Q) You are a well known film and TV composer. Is there a series or film franchise you would love to contribute to?
A) They usually hire me for very dark things, which is great and I love doing that. But some day I’d like to try my hand at something like romantic comedy. I also quite like science fiction. I’d love to score something in the Star Wars universe!
Q) You’ve previously worked with Purity Ring, Kimbra, RAC and Duran Duran. Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?
A) I would love to write a song with Paddy McAloon.
Q) What artist/musician are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?
A) I was recently introduced to the music of Swedish singer Levina Storåkern. She’s amazing!
Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?
A) I would like to say thank you for supporting me and for giving me the opportunity to thrive in this wonderful world of music.