Lorraine
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French version
   Lorraine - When I Return To The World (2008)

Lorraine - When I Return To The World
1. When I Return To The World
2. Beyond The Sky


Lorraine are a 3-piece band from Bergen in Norway consisting of Ole Gunnar Gundersen (vocals), Anders Winsents (guitar) and Paal Myran Haaland (keyboards, programming). They signed to the major record label RCA Records in 2007 after parting ways with Columbia Records. The band cite their influences as Depeche Mode, A-ha, Pet Shop Boys and New Order, but have a specific and fresh sound.
"We're a bit 1985 and we're a bit 2020, we keep going back and we keep moving forward. We're like everything you have heard, and everything you have never heard.."


Interview with Lorraine:


S: When and how was Lorraine born? 

Anders: Ole and I decided to form Lorraine 8 years ago on a trip to the south of Norway. We were on our way to see Placebo and Marylin Manson at a festival in Kristiansand. On our way down, we stopped to see Ole..s grandma, who lives in a small town by the sea. We actually stood fishing when we talked about ending our careers as heavy rockers, and start a more electronic band instead. We then called Paal, who Ole knew from before, and asked if he too was keen, he was.. When we returned a couple of days later, we had our first rehearsal.

S: Where is the name of the band coming from?

Ole: Why is Bruce Springsteen called Bruce Springsteen?

S: How and when did all begin with music ?

Paal: I’ve been into music as long as I can remember. My father is a musician so our house was filled up with instruments. I mainly started getting into electronic music when I was 10 years old and started listening to The Prodigy. One of my best friends father had at the same time a studio with synthesizers and programming equipment, so I started playing around with it, although I didn’t understand much of it…

A: A friend of my father had a red Cort guitar and an amp (which at the time seemed awfully big to me). I couldn’t play, but posed with the guitar listening to G..N..R loud, and imagining a big crowd outside on the street. I asked my mom if I could have a cheap guitar for Christmas or something, she said if I learned some tunes on her classical guitar, it might happen. It did, think I was 12 at the time.

O: I’ve always been in love with music.
I played the violin as a kid. Until I borrowed a Metallica tape from a guy in my class, and I discovered rock music. That changed my life. I wanted to be around that music all the time.
So I picked up the guitar and it went from there..

SWhat are the positive and negative sides of being a musician in Norway?

O: There is no negative side about being musician in Norway.

A: We’ll imagine it’s harder to be a musician in a country where it’s illegal to play music, so we’re in no position to complain.

P: There is a lot of council fundings for artists and we’re free to play whatever music and write whatever words we feel like.
 
S: Do you feel anxious before a show ?

O: Yes, always! The backstage toilet is the most popular hangout before stage time.

S: What musicians or artists had an influence in your life and in your work?

P: biggest influences are definitely The Prodigy and Depeche Mode.

O: Influences is the hardest things to talk about for me, because I never quite know what influences what. I think what I listened to at a very early age, made the deepest impact on me.. Like all that melancholic eighties music. I always fall back on that. That’s where my heart is.
So it would be a lot of a-ha, guns n roses, Elton john, and that kind of stuff..
I don’t think what I now days listen to influence me that much.. It would be more music production influences and hair style influences.. you know..
But in life it’s different. A lot of poets have influenced me a lot in life.. making me see the world differently.. like turell, lorca, Valejo, and Kirkegård..
And I was influenced by the movie Rumble fish I remember.

A: In the early years, I guess my big heroes were Kurt Cobain and Jimi Hendrix, they’re still some of my favourite guitar players, all vibrant and energetic. Later I got into the more static playing of David Gore and Bernhard Sumners, and became a big fan of Stone Roses and the Smiths as well. Now I listen mostly to British punk rock like S.L.F, The Buzzcocks, The Clash and The Damned. I also get a lot of my input from dub reggae. I’m also a big literature consumer, I especially like the 60-70..s west coast writers. I think Bukowsky..s my favourite, love the down to earth and raw expression!

S: Do you remember what was the first CD you bought ?

P: The Prodigy “Experience”

O: I think it was the 4 Non Blondes single” What’s going on”

A: I think it was some Queen compilation album, blue cover wit gold print. But it didn’t have as much an impact as the next album I got, TNT by AC/DC.

The prodigy - Experience  4 Non Blondes - What's Up  Queen  AC/DC - TNT

SDo you think the emotion is different between a song in English and in Norwegian?

O: There might be a higher tolerance for pathos in the Scandinavian languages.

S: How could you define the music of Lorraine?

P: Epic, electronic pop with a “noir” twist. 

S:  Do you agree with Victor Hugo who said : "Melancholy is the pleasure of being sad" ?

O: Yes

S: When you write a song you follow your heart, your brain or your hand ?

O: It starts off with the heart.

A: then the brain and the hand starts kicking in.

S: What is your favorite song of Lorraine and why?

A: My favourite Lorraine song is “Saved”. I like it so much because it has this naïve-isch aura, and great drums and synths. I think the lyrics are cool and got a great vocal rhythm. It’s also slightly challenging to perform, which is good. I hope that is one of the songs we’ll be remembered for.

P: At the moment it’s “The Mess That We Are”. It’s hard to describe why, but it just has that feel to it that I’m into these days. Slightly dramatic.

O: That would be I FEEL IT.
Because it’s a beautiful song. And I think it truly sounds like us in all aspects.
And I think it shows the best of all of us..
And I remember the night in the studio, when we made it come together.
It was a turning point as they say………

S: As musicians, what are your feelings about Internet?

P: The Internet is just a hype and it’s not here to stay… no seriously, it’s the way forward and it’s changing the music business. It makes it easier to display your band to the world but it also makes it more difficult to get noticed in the masses of new bands. The music industry has been way to slow to acknowledge the advantages that comes with Internet.

 
SWhat are your hobbies aside music?

P: nothing really, maybe cars… But I can’t afford the ones that I want, so I’m stuck with the music. Which is good…

O: I never really had a hobby. Everything I do I consider work. And I love my work..
The closest I get must be red wine.. A nice bottle of barbaresco is a door out of the universe…

A: Music is still a hobby, exploring new genres and trying to learn more, and “reset” the mind for old patterns and things like that. I like reading a lot. My little dream is having a boat here in Bergen, would be fantastic to take it out fishing and listening to music whenever I would feel like it. I also like to go see bands live.

S: Are you venturesome persons?

O: Yes indeed. That is probably why we’re in a band. It’s all about travelling and experiencing new places and meet new people.

S: Is there a place in the world where you would love to play, can you "Tell Me Where You Wanna Go"?

P: There are so many places we haven’t played yet and would love to play. Places like Japan, USA, Italy, Spain, South Africa, South America and so on. Also we’re dying to play Paris again…

S: Are there any things, which you are afraid of? Do you have any fears?

A: A guy in Norway called “Uncle Travelling Smack”.

S: Would you prefer to spend "Twenty Years Under Water" or "Beyond The Sky" ?

O: Beyond the Sky!

S: What is the best moment and best place to listen to your music ?

O: On a Lorraine gig when we’re pushing the loudspeakers to the max.

S: As our website is dedicated to Manic Street Preachers maybe can you say some words about them?

A: Fucking great band!! Their music was quite important to us when we formed the band, and of course songs like “A Design for Life” and “If you tolerate this…” are true classics.

S: I know it’s a difficult question, but if you would have to keep just one album from your CD collection what album would it be?

O: Depeche Mode - Violator.

  Depeche Mode - Violator

S: What was the last song you listened to before the interview? And, if you know, which one will be the next?

A: We listened to “Bob Hund – Bob Hunds 115:e dröm” and next one up is “Depeche Mode – Useless”.



S: Can you tell me the name of one French song, or singer, or band?

O: Noir Desir, Jacques Brel and “Ne me quitte pas”.
   
S: And say something in French?

O: Oui.

P: Baguette camembert

A: Merde

S: What are your plans for the nearest future?

P: A tour of Norway and releasing our new album “Pop Noir”

SAnd finally, what’s the most important thing in life for you?

O: Lorraine



MANY thanks to Lorraine for the interview!

More informations about Lorraine:

- on their site:
http://www.lorrainemusic.co.uk

- on their Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/lorrainemusic


 
   


 
 


 
   

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