Interview with Ane Brun

Norwegian born singer/songwriter Ane Brun has one of the most unique voices of the year within the realm of indie folk and not surprisingly, she attributes much of that to her influences. Influences including everyone from Ron Sexsmith to Jeff Buckley, Ani DiFranco to M. Ward. For the record, she digs indie folk. In this discussion Ane discusses her aptitude for music collaboration, her record label Determine Records and the recent exposure in America stemming from her album A Temporary Dive.

CB: What is the difference between the indie-folk scenes in American and Europe?

AB: It’s hard for me to say, since I haven’t spent that much time in the US yet. But I think it’s more or less the same, but in a smaller scale.

CB: How has the American media exposure with A Temporary Dive helped the overall exposure of your music?

AB: So far I guess I’ve noticed even more interest from the European media, since they read the American music press. And I guess quite a few people in the US has found their way to my music through these articles and reviews. I notice an expanding interest from American music lovers on my webpage and MySpace.

CB: What are some of the main sources of inspiration for you when writing your songs?

AB: My lyrics are inspired by my own life; things I worry about, think about, wonder about. I usually write lyrics to explain certain situations, relationships or feelings to myself. The poetry kind of organizes and clears it up for me. Lately I’ve also been writing more about other people’s situations. The process of writing a song is kind of divided when it comes to technique. I write lyrics from an intellectual point of view, it involves a lot of thinking and contemplating. When I make the music it’s a bit more directly connected to the soul, it just has to feel right when I hear it. It’s a matter of pleasing my own taste in music somehow.

CB: Are there any new bands that you are courting for your record label, Determine Records?

AB: At the moment we are 3 artists on the label, The Tiny (SWE), Wendy McNeill (CAN) and myself. We have no specific plans at the moment to sign any other artists. We are all out touring a lot and we would not be able to take proper care of a new artist at the moment. If we would sign someone and not be able to make a 100% effort to get their music out there, we would probably put this artist in a bad situation. And since we started our own record company to avoid such a situation ourselves, that would not feel right.

CB: As you are on tour currently, do you find yourself taking solace in any books or movies. If so, which ones?

AB: I mostly watch movies on my laptop when I travel. Reading works in certain periods, but it takes a lot of focus to be able to read on the road. The latest movie I saw was It’s All Gone Pete Tong. It’s about a successful DJ turning deaf. It was really great, and heartbreaking. Other than that I’m a pathetic fan of romantic comedies. For me that’s the best way of killing time on an airplane.

CB: Are there any artists you’d like to collaborate with in the future, with which you may possibly create a follow-up to this year’s Duets?

AB: Collaborations like Duets were mostly products of spontaneous meetings. I hope and believe that in the next year I will get to know many talented musicians; that might lead to new musical meetings. For instance, I toured with Matt Costa in June, and we played a duet-version of one of his songs as an encore in the last 3-4 shows. These kinds of things make touring and this job very meaningful. I guess time will show who will be next.