A Chat with BlackieBlueBird (23.05.23)
An infectious rush of pop music blowing from the streets of Copenhagen, BlackieBlueBird (BBB) is a melodic sensation with Danish wrappers. Featuring the talents of Nils Lassen and Heidi Lindahl, BBB is a kaleidoscopic rollercoaster of emotions from the first moving chord. Over the past few years, since 2018 according to Spotify, the pair have reached far beyond their Denmark borders to critical acclaim. We speak with Nils Lassen about the band’s new album A Symphony of Shadows, what always makes him laugh, future plans and more.
OSR: Cliché but how did BlackieBlueBird come about? What drew each of you to music and each other as a band?
Lassen: Well to continue the cliches it was magic at first sight! I saw Heidi Lindahl at one of her own shows and I was mesmerized by the sound of her voice. I invited her home for a session to see if we clicked, and we did big time. One of the greatest artistic joys in my life!
OSR: You are about to release your album A Symphony of Shadows. What can you tell us about the album? How did it come about and is there any theme or concept to it?
Lassen: This is our fourth album and on the third, we added drums to the soundscapes. We connected with Tomas Ortved – a well-known and respected drummer here in Denmark (and member of veterans Sort Sol). It worked out so well, that why not take some of the songs from the first albums and reshuffle them with drums and add a more orchestral approach to the mixes? So we took 5 songs from the first album and five songs from the second.
OSR: Over the past few years, you have released several albums. Is the production and composition similar in each case, or is every album a completely new experience?
Lassen: Of course, it’s a new experience every time, because time goes by and you still haven’t learnt anything from your mistakes. 😁 But at the same time, I’m a restless person, so previously I tended to make a new concept for every album. This time I tried to do the same vibe on each BBB album and, so in my book, that’s an achievement.
OSR: If you could change anything about A Symphony of Shadows, what would it be and why?
Lassen: Well a budget would always be nice. 😁
OSR: What does this album mean to you?
Lassen: Oh this is the pinnacle of what we are able to do, like every time we think we are on the top of the mountain, but I’m sure in a little while we discover another mountain around the corner.
OSR: What do you hope people take from A Symphony of Shadows?
Lassen: It’s like the adding of drums has really helped the music reach a bigger audience. The response has been overwhelming so far, so I just hope more people will pick up on the vibe of BBB.
OSR: Do you think this album is a good representation of BlackieBlueBird at the moment?
Lassen: Yes – half of an album is planned and the other half is just gut feeling, so the result can’t be any different right now.
OSR: Random questions: What is something that never fails to make you laugh?
Lassen: When we sit down in a session and start adding voices and inventing mermaids singing and stuff, we always end up in laughter, when we top ourselves. When we think we have reached the limit for the vocal track, there always seems to be space for one more.
OSR: What album can you listen to again and again without getting sick of it?
Lassen: Mike Newbury’s American Trilogy
OSR: What can we expect from BlackieBlueBird in the future?
Lassen: At the moment we are taking a break. There’s a few songs on the sketchboard, but there’s no hurry, so we’ll see. Currently, I’m working on a solo album, and I hope it will be released later this year
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
Lassen: Stay safe and ‘I hope you’re going nowhere, and that you are going to get there soon.’
Many thanks to Nils Lassen for speaking with us! For more from BlackieBlueBird, check out their Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
