Jóhann Kristinsson interview
- By : Iceblah
- Category : Icelandic Music
- Tags : Headphones, Icelandic Music, Jóhann Kristinsson
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threw away almost 90% of whatever I had written and then I picked out
the best pieces of music and made them into songs. Only a few of them
were good enough and honest enough to get to be on the record which is
different from the other two records. They got released as soon as they
were finished and a lot of the time, the lyrics weren't even about
anything. Maybe just words that sounded nice together. Now, the words
mean something to me and I've also become a better songwriter in
general. Better with chords and better at recording. The quality of
everything is simply better.
The record took a long time to record, and I believe you used various locations – are you a perfectionist?
You
could say that I am a little bit of a perfectionist, if that even
exists but the most enjoyable location was at a 15th century castle in
Denmark, called Engelsholm Slot. That is an amazing place. The record
took this long to record because I wanted it to be so much better than
the other ones. I look at it like this. The two first albums were like
my own personal schools of songwriting and when the third one came out,
it was like my graduation piece. But I'll still be learning for the rest
of my life, hopefully.
feels like such a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. It feels
really, really good. I put together a band the other day to play the
album and it sounds fantastic. I can't wait to start playing it live.
You must have been delighted with the reaction to the
lead track 'No Need To Hesitate' last year, do you have a favourite song
on the record?
Typewriter, because that whole song was recorded in the castle.
Although, I have to admit that it's really hard for me to pick one
because it seems like they are all equal to me. It was really nice to
get the reaction to No Need to Hesitate. A good motivation.
Can you tell us about the artwork? It sounds like that was also quite a process.
Örn Sigvaldason is the artist behind this cover artwork. When I visited
him, asking if he could do this for me, he started showing me all kinds
of different things that he collected. Books and street signs and all
kinds of stuff. He showed me this guide book to sign language from the
80's I believe, and I opened it. The first sign I saw when I opened the
book in the middle, was the sign for ''Creating''. That was it. I wanted
that sign and that's what the cover of the album says. "Creating".
doing a release concert, probably in late July here in Iceland. I will
announce it soon but I'm playing a festival here in the Western Fjords
in Iceland, called Rauðasandur Festival in the beginning of July. Other
than that is to be announced.
