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..
S: What
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.
S: Do 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.
S: What 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.
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”
S: And 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