We Chat to Ålesund about their EP and Track Lightning
Following up on the 2020 release of their second EP ‘All Hail To Your Queen’, Bristol-based atmospheric Alt-Pop quartet Ålesund return with ‘Lightning’, the first single taken from their upcoming EP ‘A Thread In The Dark’, due for release Spring 2021. The increasingly expansive, hauntingly cinematic track is due for release February 26th, with the music video following soon after on March 5th.
After the untimely curtailing of their European Tour in Spring 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Ålesund travelled back to the UK. Alba Torriset retreated to her hometown of Hastings to try and reconnect with music in a positive way.
You released a track "Lightning" from the EP, what is the song about?
Lightning is about the feelings surrounding making a big life decision. Believing in what you love and trusting good things will come from it.
Your music sounds cinematic in a way, as well as the music video made for the new track "Lightning", where is the idea of the video from?
I really love Eadweard Muybrige and his Studies In Motion. They were essentially the birth of the moving image and I find them fascinating and beautiful to watch. I used this as the basis of the video concept.
How would you describe the EP to new listeners?
It's a hopeful collection of songs that should leave you feeling like your day has been made just a little bit better! It's got powerful moments, reflective moments and hopefully makes you want to listen to it all over again.
is your music influenced by things such as BLM, US Elections, or other political events. Is politics a key theme of your music right now?
Not really, for me, writing music is a way of healing, of celebrating, of seeing the wonder in the world. Not that I'm blinded to the bad things going on around us, but I think there is so much doom and gloom in the world right now, writing music is a way to escape to the good places instead.
How did you meet the rest of the band?
I had been struggling to find the right guitarist for the sound I knew I wanted to create when I first moved to Bristol. I had jammed with a load of musicians and nothing was sticking. I met Lloyd through friends of friends and we instantly clicked. The rest of the band formed organically around that really. We then met Jake a few years later who started producing us and it was like opening up a whole new chapter for us as a band.
What made you decide to pursue music?
I don't know if it's a choice! More an innate need. I've always made music in one way or another and I guess I always will!
How would you pronounce the band name Ålesund and why did you decide to name your band Ålesund? What does it mean?
Aww-lesund/Or-lesund...It's the name of a beautiful west coast Norwegian town. I'm half Norwegian and it was the town my Father was born and raised in. The scenery is stunning and incredibly atmospheric, it felt nice to celebrate my Norweigan roots in some way.
What is the process of music-making as a band? Do you usually write music together?
I normally make a skeleton of a song with chords on a piano, vocal melody and lyrics and then take it to the band to flesh out and decide on structure etc. However this last EP was written in isolation, so I demoed up as many layers as I could and then the rest of the band built on that. It was nice to try a new way of writing.
Are you all from Bristol?
Originally only Lloyd, our guitarist hails from Bristol. I grew up on the South Coast in Hastings, Jai our drummer is from Oxford and Jake comes from Devon. But we all met and live in Bristol now.
Alba, how have you found the music scene different between your hometown Hastings and Bristol where the band is based?
Obviously the size makes a huge difference - Hastings is only a small seaside town. However, saying that it is an incredibly happening place! There is so much creativity and lots of great events and festivals that happen throughout the year. It's small but mighty! But I guess Bristol being a City and a musical hub is able to offer that much more opportunity, which is why I moved.
It was a pity that your tour had to stop because of covid, when do you think it is likely touring will be allowed again, as some bands have made plans to start touring this summer.
Yes, it was pretty bad timing! We had actually rescheduled it for February, however, the new strain decided to come and ruin our plans a second time...!
I guess we have to see how things pan out this summer with festivals, if things go well I hope gigging will start to resume to some normality during Autumn.
What do you think of socially distanced gigs?
Can it actually be a thing?! I went to a sat down, supposedly socially distanced gig in October....it was fun, but I can't see it working for all bands - not all music is to be listened to, sat down. What happens when you want to sing and dance and get sweaty in a crowd?!
Has the pandemic influenced your music?
Surely it's influenced everyone's lives to some extent...I guess there will be strands of influence in the music we make, however, I don't want to dwell too much on what has been a pretty tough year for a vast majority. Let's look forward to the exciting things the world holds for us instead.
What's next for the band?
Fingers crossed getting back on the road! We have been tentatively booked for a few festivals, which would be so nice to play as our EP will be fully out by the summer. We can't wait to play to live audiences again.
Website: http://www.alesundmusic.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alesundmusic/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alesundmusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alesundmusic/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1rv6lF1OqYtS0xASKnprDY?si=eDTgn7ZcTAimoXvYBHbLxw
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX5pEFAPEwtnKMDxgqpIvsw
Interview by | Eva Leung