We Chat To MOUNTAIN BIRD About New Single + Music Video 'MODERN MAN' | A commentary on Modern Technology and Mental Health
Swedish singer, songwriter and producer has revealed a brand new song, ‘Modern Man’, a stark yet uplifting portrait of life today. The song is the first to be taken from a forthcoming EP, which focuses on mental health in modern technologically fast-moving societies. ‘Modern Man’ sees Mountain Bird capture the desolate zeitgeist of our times, the lyrics touching everything from capitalism to social media-induced depression and even comments on the prevalence of mass shootings in the US.
In defiance of its powerful message, ‘Modern Man’ boasts a euphoric soundscape incorporating elements of drum & bass with modern electronic pop.
The song is accompanied by a video, which Mountain Bird co-directed with Erik Ögnelooh. It is the first of a five-part video series that addresses how technology and being ‘plugged-in’ affects our mental health.
Mountain Bird (aka Adam Öhman) released his last EP in January, ‘DearBrainLetMeSleep’ was a detailed and honest insight into the life of someone battling with their mental health, a journey through lush electronic soundscapes and alluring synth textures. It marked the start of a new chapter sonically for the artist, who previously recorded either instrumentals or using guest vocalists. Now at the forefront of his own music, Mountain Bird has created the kind of moody, millennial pop which can define a generation.
What is your new single ‘ Modern Man about?
It's not a hate song to capitalism or growth, it's more of an acknowledgment that we need to stay informed and humble in order to prevent the greediness of human beings taking over.” explains Mountain Bird, “People with power need to share. People with anger need to listen. If we can get this conversation to flow on a regular basis, we can all see money and material privilege as something that we have created for ourselves...a piece of paper shouldn't decide if you get help when you're sick or not.
You’ve said that ‘Modern Man’ is about ‘mental health in a lonely, plugged-in world’. Can you tell us more about this?
Sure it is. I see it as a “This is America” but to the greediness of modern society and humanity. It kind of addresses the root of the mental health issues but also the cause and consequence of how we treat our planet. Jealousy, shootings, animal agriculture, transport and greediness. Always wanting more in a world that never seizes to produce. It’s a road to failure and a perfect recipe for constant dissatisfaction.
Why did you choose to set a dark lyrical message against an uplifting instrumental?
Because I think art is all about contrast. It needs some kind of power that constantly pulls you back and forth, that’s how our minds work and how the world is built so I wanted to portray that. I’ve grown up listening to a lot of post-rock so that instrumental climax will always be something that drives me. I also think of songs as film-scenes, therefore my songs are often built like that.
Tell us about working with Chris Zane, who’s worked with Passion Pit, and Friendly Fires…
So I went to London for two weeks in February with 8 written tracks, then we picked 5 of them that we wanted to finish. We clicked right of the bat and talked about how crazy this new corona-thing started out to be. He had this no-bullshit approach that I like. Produce first, feel later and that’s what I need since I always overthink my productions when it comes to finishing them, especially when I write for myself.
We put in a lot of different sounds and played around with his analog synths. Then we recorded all of the vocal-tracks after that! Lovely chap, looking forward to sending him even more songs now in the future J
You’ve stated that you wrote and co-produced this track right before Covid-19 hit earlier this year. Has this period of isolation since writing the song changed its meaning to you?
Songs always tend to grow in ways you never thought they would! I mean writing something that you really feel at the time then releasing it 6-9 months later has always been a weird thing for me when I then talk about the songs. I’ve read a lot of philosophy, also about pandemics and how our actions on a small level can have such a huge impact. So I think this song just have been growing stronger when we see how our reckless behaviour actually triggered a deadly pandemic.
How do you associate your use of music as therapy with the notion that in order to make a living from it, it has to be liked by an audience, especially in light of the messaging of Modern Man?
I’ve told myself multiple times this year that I need to keep the marketing side and the creative side as two separate jobs. I guess that’s the big challenge today when trying to break through as an artist. Because I know all about PR nowadays and do a lot of that stuff on my own as well when it comes to pitching and stuff. So sometimes off course it’s hard writing about something you really feel good about at the moment to realise an AI will judge if it fits in the world of music or not. But that is also inspiring and I feel like the world is always changing, you’re just a prick if you are so stuck upon yourself to not adapt.
As we increasingly rely on the digital world to stay in contact with our loved ones, especially during the lockdown. How do you think this has highlighted that these apps, websites, and machines, don’t meet our basic human needs?
I mean our machines right now are great in terms of doing practical tasks but we need to realise that we are not there yet. We still need to hear human voices but I do believe in 10-15 years that will also change. I mean people laughed at iPhone before it was in the making, now everyone has one and it can recognize your face.
But as always; technology right now is a tool to enhance our world not to exchange it.
You co-directed the video with Erik Ögnelooh. Why did you choose to work with Erik?
He has grown to be one of my best friends and when you have chemistry with someone that you also can work with you just don’t throw that away. We did a video for one of my older songs and he has the same taste as me when it comes to film so it just seemed so natural to just keep going. I never want to work with a big cool film team just because of the sake of it. I want to feel good and have a nice experience while filming as well, and if I can support my friends while doing great things then count me in. My dream is to just tour the world with a bunch of talented friends on the tour bus. I guess this is the start of that venture.
What is the Video about?
The video is me having a bad dream and being exposed to that backlash. You see me choking myself and dragging myself along since we think it's important to highlight that everyone is part of the problem. I also appear fighting with someone or something, but I've been fighting with myself all along. Because it's basically your own kind of intentions or goals with social media that makes it bad or good. Not the tool itself.
The video is the first in a five-part series that touches on this topic of mental health and technology. What can we expect in the coming four parts?
The video will be situated around a car but I won’t tell where the car is going yet J.
Anyways; the first video is about me sitting in that car whilst dreaming about how we treat social media and that we are all part of this technology that is going on. It’s neither good nor bad you just have to be careful with it. Hence I’m dragging myself into the dark, fighting with myself and so forth.
Did you approach this EP with this concept of a five-part commentary on this social issue, or did it arise naturally?
I knew that I wanted to take a step forward from just writing about my own experiences and I as a person is really interested in these kinds of issues. By the time of writing, I had listened to a lot of Twenty-One Pilots and The 1975. I got inspired by how a mainstream act could be pop but also talk about really honest problems in the lyrics. It felt so good because I’ve always kind of dragged myself a little bit from talking about it since it’s pretty serious stuff sometimes. But it feels so good taking the cap off and I just want to dig deeper and deeper into these issues. Mental health and technology and the way we live. I want to make young kids discuss this and be able to choose for themselves.
You’re now based in Sweden again but have spent time in Berlin. How did that experience influence your musical journey?
I gained a perspective on lots of things! It was important for me personally since I’ve been having social phobia back and forth. Doing that journey all by myself and gaining new friends and also wake up every morning and write songs; getting shit done without anyone telling me was a great hurdle to come over.
Also suffering from former mental health issues I feel like it was the last kingdom in my own mind to overcome. A lot of uncertainty around me whilst just being super chill about it.
I also now realise how calm Stockholm is and can enjoy that in a different way!
I think I’ll be back though!