A Chat with Temperature Falls (23.11.20)
Known for their unique trip-hop meets alternative-rock sound, Temperature Falls is a genre-defying duo from Norway. Following their well-received singles ‘Cut The Wire’ and ‘Don’t You Think I’m Shallow’, Oslo-based vocalist Camilla and multi-instrumentalist Ian Ward release their sophomore album I Want To Go Where You Go. We speak with Temperature Falls about the album, future plans and discovering new music.
OSR: Why did you enter the music industry?
Temperature Falls: We love this art form, this way of self-expression. Anyone of any age and background can connect with music, it’s truly universal and we love that. We know music is subjective and when you create music to be shared you’re gonna take some hits from people that don’t share the same opinion about it, but we like to stay true to ourselves in the music we write and record.
OSR: Is there any significance behind your band name Temperature Falls?
Temperature Falls: Ian had driven over to Norway in April 2018 with whatever he could get in his car – guitars, basses, mini-Moog, iMac Mini, pedals FX, vinyl and clothes. He set up a studio in a basement apartment in Jessheim and just started writing and recording music. It was one of the hottest summers on record from that April until October; Ian thought he was living in Spain!
He was hitting up a local bar most evenings, sitting outside listening to rough mixes of material he was writing while drinking and watching the planes come in to land at the nearby airport. The barmen would always laugh at this English guy who would sit there most nights outside in t-shirts and shorts and chill out. They would say to him, “wait until the temperature falls!” and it did. Three feet of snow in November was just the start of an epic winter for Ian driving in snow on the wrong side of the road in a left-hand drive car – very funny to see.
OSR: What is the backstory to the album I Want To Go Where You Are?
Temperature Falls: I Want To Go Where You Are is our second full-length album. It’s come again writing from our personal experiences. We seem to talk about death a lot this last year, not in a morbid sense but the actual realisation as you get older that the family you love will pass as we will leave our loved ones. So, there are a few songs processing that. ‘Cut The Wire’ is about hanging on in pain for as long as you can, but it reaches a point where you can’t go on and you wish for mercy that someone will cut the wire and let you drift away. This can be a mental pain you are trying to fight through more so than a physical one. This turmoil and fight lead into tracks such as ‘FLY’ and ‘Waves’. Maybe the stress of this crazy year did come out in the album.
Cam also came up with some songs which are much more positive. ‘Maybe’ is about meeting someone you fancy at a party, that butterfly in the tummy feeling. It’s very much more pop than we’ve done before but it was so much fun. ‘Don’t Think I’m Shallow’ deals with the other side of relationships and from the side of you breaking up with someone else; how that makes you the bad person even though it’s not always true. All in all, we try and keep the writing real, what we are going through, our experiences, our thoughts, etc.
OSR: Do you think being raised in Norway has an influence on your music and your career?
Temperature Falls: Yeah, I (Camilla) think so. I think I always felt like a non-typical Norwegian. I had problems figuring out how I fit in society. It’s been difficult for me and my music is based on stories about that, but at the same time how I feel more free of about being the typical Norwegian girl. A Norwegian girl is someone who has to do everything right – the best job, the best house, etc. You just realise it’s impossible and mostly fake. No-one has this perfection 100% through their life all the time, but many Norwegian girls try to adhere to and live this fake almost “Instagram” life.
OSR: Do you have a favourite and least favourite track on I Want To Go Where You Are?
Temperature Falls: I think we love the album as a whole as there are many different textures from the trip-hop vibe of ‘Cut The Wire’ to the indie-electronica of ‘FLY’. Both songs deal with the emotions of facing or not wanting to face death, but, musically, they are poles apart. We like that we can paint music with different styles and brush strokes.
OSR: Would you change anything about the album?
Temperature Falls: It would have been nice to spend a lot of money with a top mixing engineer, but Ian will have to do for now. ?
OSR: What is the most mischievous thing you have ever done?
Temperature Falls: We can’t even go into this. What happens on tour stays on tour! ?
OSR: What is your favourite smell?
Temperature Falls: I think we both said “freshly shaved pussy” when we read this question!
OSR: If you could meet any musician, living or dead, who would it be?
Temperature Falls: Camilla said Amy Winehouse. She wants to go drinking with her and talk about life – Ian didn’t think that was very sensible. ? Ian would love to hang out with Henry Rollins talking about the days of Black Flag and travelling the world.
OSR: What is the best way to discover new music?
Temperature Falls: Ian is obsessed with this! He just gets lost in YouTube for days, KEXP, NPR, KCRW, etc. all have live studio performances. It’s a super cool way to see and hear new artists.
OSR: Do you have future plans?
Temperature Falls: Lockdown just hit us again in Norway! We have had a few enquiries from record labels and publishing companies that we may explore. We are already writing and recording and could have an EP or even an album ready by March 2021, we will see! Apart from that, we just want to keep writing, growing, evolving and improving. Hopefully, our listeners want to join us for the ride.
Thanks to Temperature Falls for speaking with us! For more from the duo check out their official website, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Spotify.
