A Chat with When ‘Airy Met Fairy (23.05.18)
Taking a moment from their busy lives, the insatiable Thorunn Egilsdottir and Mike Koster from When ‘Airy Met Fairy chat to OSR’s Nicole Mendes. Here is what they had to say:
OSR: Hello and thank you for chatting with us. Shall we begin with the question?
MK: Absolutely.
OSR: The first question is how When ‘Airy Met Fairy was formed? Thorunn, you’re from Iceland, while Mike is from Luxembourg – so how did you come together?
TE: I live in Luxembourg, and since Mike does too, it was only a question of time ’til we would meet – Luxembourg is a tiny 2500 km2 country.
MK: We met at a festival. Thorunn was playing with another band. I loved her show and went backstage to tell her. We had a beer, and two weeks later we were playing a gig in France; that was the birth of When ‘Airy Met Fairy.
OSR: In research, we saw that WAMF was originally a trio but is now a duo. What happened to your third member?
MK: After our last tour in Japan he left the band. We’re still drying our tears.
TE: But now we’re more electronic than ever, and that is what we always wanted. One door closes, another opens up. The story of our lives.
OSR: How did you come up with the band name When ‘Airy Met Fairy?
TE: You don’t want to know! Four girls, sushi, saké and a lot of nonsense!
MK: The apostrophe in ‘Airy is for the French H which would make it a hairy fairy, and I heard that means something really nasty. Insider info from a friend in London.
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OSR: Your songs are very emotional, particularly the latest ‘Until Your Season Dries’. Where do you gain inspiration for your songwriting?
TE: Heartaches seem to be the best motivation to write a song. When we feel happy, we ride our bicycles and play tennis; but when we’re sad and down, we get our instruments and play.
MK: That doesn’t mean that we’re depressed, though! Our instruments can express things that our bodies can’t. That is poetry to me.
OSR: What is your songwriting process? Do you write lyrics first and then melody, or is it the other way around?
TE: Songwriting is still a mystery to me. I can’t control it; the melodies find me while I’m driving or when I’m falling asleep. When this happens, I record the idea, and as soon as I get the opportunity to sit down at my piano, then I write it down. Lyrics are a different dimension. Some just come pouring out of my mouth, others are written, then rewritten then thrown away, only to come back a couple of weeks later.
MK: To me, music is a higher force that uses musicians to communicate on a higher level. Of course, that doesn’t mean that all songs are great.
OSR: You recently released a music video for ‘Until Your Season Dries’. What was the filming process like?
TE: The long underwater scenes were quite difficult because we were not allowed to breathe but had to look peaceful at the same time. It was a windy day, and I almost got knocked out by a giant mobile stand. I didn’t know what hit me until I was laying there on the floor. Luckily I wasn’t injured.
MK: I was impressed by Thorunn’s lungs. She could hold her breath for ages. I think Icelanders are half human, half fish. The video looks so peaceful, but I almost froze to death that day. I was shaking like a leaf even though Thorunn swore the water was warm. The crew was amazing, and the result was worth the pain.
OSR: What do you feel ‘Until Your Season Dries’ is about and do you think the music video is a good representation of the message?
MK: Love is like water, it will always find its way. In that sense, the music video represents what the song is intended to say.
TE: Love is like a swimming pool. Get in or get out. You decide.
OSR: You’ve toured extensively across the globe, as well as playing several festivals. Do you prefer festival slots or the regular gigs and why?
MK: As long as there is an audience, I don’t care.
TE: I’m a shy person, so the first two or three songs are difficult for me. My heart is pumping; I can’t breathe properly. Every time we perform, Mike has to cool me down. He says things like, “the people came for a show, so give them the show!”
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OSR: If this was your last day on earth, what would you do?
TE: I would go to the beach with my daughter. We would swim with dolphins, have ice cream and later listen to all my favourite albums, starting with So (Peter Gabriel), The Bends (Radiohead) and Violent Femmes.
OSR: If you could interview any band or musician, who would it be and why?
MK: Nick Cave.
TE: I sat next to Nick Cave last year while dining at Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles. If I could choose, Thom Yorke! Must be great having coffee with that guy.
OSR: What advice do you have for new musicians starting out in the music industry?
TE: Making music on an international level means doing a lot of stuff that has got nothing to do with music. The bureaucratic part is very frustrating because you never signed up for any touring organisation or social media and email marketing. But at the end of the day, James Brown said something very true – if it feels right, it is right. That is what music is all about.
MK: Whatever you do, don’t stop. It’s a long, hard, painful way and you will fall down time after time. If you get up every time you do, you’re on the right track!
OSR: Thank you for speaking with us, and I wish you all the best for the future.
TE: Thank you for the lovely chat. We too wish you a bright future.
For more When ‘Airy Met Fairy, check out their official website and Facebook. You can also see our review of their single here or read our feature of the dynamic duo as OSR’s June Musician of the Month.
