Next Wave #774: Astrid S

Norwegian pop newcomer who flickers with raw ambition...

The party’s over but the lights are still on, the stereo is flickering in the corner, and conversation is gently finding its path out the window.

This is where Astrid S comes in. The Norwegian newcomer – originally from a tiny Northern town before relocating to Oslo – captures that inky, twilight feel, when you’re too tired to continue but too damn excited to slow down.

On the phone, her voice is aptly bright and buoyant, a model of enthusiasm no matter where the conversation twists and turns. “At the moment, I just like to write music to have fun,” she says. “I think that’s how I like to work. I write songs to have fun, and then we’ll make a decision as to whether it belongs on an EP or as a single. Hopefully I’ll have an album by next year, but I’m just writing to have fun and to see what good can come out of it.”

Musical from an early age, Astrid S played saxophone and flute at school, even performing in a marching band. Her love for songwriting, it seems, grew in private, from a desire to explore feelings she could scarcely put into words.

“I’m not very talkative when it comes to how I feel,” she reveals. “My friends rarely see me sad or get to hearing me talk about how I feel. I used to keep a diary, but when I started writing songs I found a way to have an outlet for my emotions. When I’m on-stage and performing, I feel like people are listening without me necessarily addressing how I feel in a very direct way.”

The essence of her music, then is communication. “For me, it’s about working with other people,” Astrid explains. “I love how you can write a song about a relationship, and it doesn’t matter what culture you’re from or what religion you believe in or who you are, as everyone can relate to the same feeling.”

Still incredibly young, Astrid S admits that she’s still finding her feet musically. Yet every step feels riveting, wholly addictive – new EP ‘Party’s Over’ is laced with vivid pop melodies, shot through with just the faintest pangs of melancholy.

“I think I’ll never really figure out who I am musically,” she insists. “Everything moves so quickly within the industry, and I do too. One moment, I’ll be completely obsessed with one thing, and a couple of months will pass and I’ll move on.”

“Right now, I’m obsessed with indie. Like, organic, pop music. It’s nothing like what I used to write like half a year ago, but there’s a red thread running through what I do. I don’t focus on one genre. In a couple of years’ time, things will be totally different.”

Forever changing, continually evolving – you’d struggle to second guess Astrid S, but you’d be a fool to bet against her.

– – –

– – –

'Party's Over' EP will be released on June 30th.

Buy Clash Magazine

-
Join the Clash mailing list for up to the minute music, fashion and film news.