So I like the way you perform yesterday - not in the way of music but in the way of your speech. The people was inspired like I heard when they was speaking to you after a concert. Do you have some actual philosophy now of what you want to share?
I wish I did. But no. The project of Unsongs and every song has it own philosophy of it, really. I am so thankful for this because is a cover project so I don't have to necessarily mean what I am singing. What about the hugest problem with singing a political songs is that you always change your mind week after you wrote it. So the great thing about the Unsongs is like singing tiny documentaries. I know these songs are just one way looking on reality. One way which has not been very welcomed at some point. And I take it for what it is. These twelve songs are like twelve glimpses to the world from perspectives that you don't usually get anywhere else. Therefore I am very thankful for that. The feel equally true everyday, equally write every night when we play a concert. None of them lost they power for two years since the project starts.
So the project longs for two years?
The main work was done year after. The research face for the album did not last so long it was probably four five month of collecting songs and starting to translated them. What has taken time is the after work. After the song was translated and the musical foundation has been laid, everything was ready to the studio. I could focus on all the other things - interviews, meeting with other musicians. That took almost as much time as the making the album itself and was way more expensive. And also prepare for everything to get the rights and approvals from publishers. And to be hundred percents sure that I translated this word correctly and that correctly and presenting this artist in a good way. To be journalistically rooted. To be hundred percent correct. And that looked some much time. The album was finished year ago.
So lot of office and law work about the songs was needed?
Yeah, I tried anyway. But the problem is that many of these people are still in prisons, many of them are dead so it’s very difficult to get the paper work right specially in cases where the rights owner… For example Mahmud Dervish the guy who write Oh my father and Joseph he didn't have any close family to inherit his right. So nobody own it. A lot of paper work was done.
The side of musician that most of the people don't think about.
What inspires me is the influence that you have like a musician when you perform. Do you feel it? Do you work with that?
I work lot with it. Not for this album specifically - we made so much videos and interviews with the people and I start to writing a book actually so I systemize this material so much already that now is feel natural to speak. I remember from my last album I would spend a day to write introduction to every songs and then memorizing it and trying to don't forget it and then reciting it in non rehearsed way. The talking is definitely part of a concert not just some bubbling as part of the songs really.
One of my friend said me before a year, you have a gift to be a musician and also with this you have the gift of word on a place - you have there attention.
Yeah. They are listening. You can actually make people listen.
Which is fantastic. They are many people who have first liked the music. First they listen to Unsongs and then they have started digging in the story songs and that’s the way I wanted to be. Basically I want people to get into the stories and get behind the message of the album. To rule them in by beautiful music and then captured with these lyrics which are incredibly strong.
Natural way to show the people the sense of the music. Most of the people who came yesterday, you mention it absolutely brilliantly. You said something most of the people today is here for…
Melancholic norway pop barefeet stuff. (laugh)
Yeah, they do. Some people have remarked the fact that I through singing this songs I am an extremely privileged position as a white man from Norway and well educated. And that’s right. That’s true. I don't see like a bad thing because in order to do a project like this you have to in a privileged position. Thats sort of the message of a album. There is also few people on a planet that have the privilege. Lot of audience yesterday was expecting the norway melancholic stuff. I have an audience. I released three albums I travel like an idiot I've been in Brno and pretty much in every country in western Europe and get audiences in every places nad It’s quite obvious if this was debut album nobody would listen to it. Even though it was good I don't think people will listen to it.
The last question - through your songs I realized that are lots of stories we can experience in the same way. You realized that can be part of your life. For example the war. Most of the people are living in their bubble. I feel by your singing that the bubble was starting to shaking or little cracking.
I hope that. The music has to power bursting bubbles. Also have the power of maintaining them.
And don't know how it is here in czech but back home in Norway political music died out in the 90's with the post modern ironic generation and even today being political musician or even a musician who tells real stories is (???) doesn’t get the huge audience. But I am thinking and hoping that is about a change. At least a bit. Thinking and hoping that musicians can inspire change. It’s just when ninety nine procent stuff what you hear in radio is completely crap you can lose faith in humanity. But if that one procent get through… I hope it bring something good.