Photo credit: Joanne Sørheim
Tell us about your tour vehicle. Any notable breakdown stories?
I haven’t bought my own van yet, so we’ve been reliant on rentals and train. The plan is to buy my first car come fall. I can’t wait. When touring with Courtney Marie Andrews we luckily haven’t had any break downs either. Both my wallet and I hope that this will be the case in the future too. Missing passports, car keys, guitars and wallets though – always a fun time haha!
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
I love eating according to which country we are in, and try to at least get one meal that’s a bit traditional. Although maybe not the healthiest, I for example always do one traditional English breakfast when I’m the UK. Fika when in Sweden. I’ve also been called two-coffees-Ole. When I know we’re going for a bit of a drive, I get one Cappucino and one filter coffee. I think filtered coffees tend to be really hot, so while that’s cooling down, I enjoy my cappuccino, and then go for the black coffee after. I like a good oat meal or granola in the morning – always a winner.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
I’m a gentle guitar player, so I don’t break that many strings. But it happens – especially when you play in different tunings. But I change my strings 1-2 times a month. My favorite strings currently are String Joy naturals phosphor bronze 11-gauge. They break in really easily, so you get that warm sound pretty fast. It costs around 14$ dollar to replace – worth it!
Where do you rehearse?
We practice at my drummer’s rehearsal space in Oslo. I wish we had a crazy story from there – but we usually keep it pretty organized. My band is pretty busy, so we try get down to business. Maybe that’s the place where we keep things tight, so we can be loose in other places.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
The first song I wrote I think was called “Mixed Signals” in 9th grade. “She’s giving me mixed signals…” Haha.
But the first proper song that I wrote was called “When Winter Turns to Spring”. It was about the passing of my grandmother, and I’m still very proud of that one. It showed me that music and songwriting could be a vessel for healing and processing.
Describe your first gig.
I started playing open mics around Boston and New York, and that’s where I started playing my first songs out. I remember my first open in New York. You draw a number out of a hat and that’s you’re place in line. I was last. I waited 6 hours to play, and got up at stage at 1am. Still loved it.
My first proper show of 30 min was at Pete’s Candy Store in Brooklyn. I was nervous, but I got through it, and was so stoked after that show. I love that place and what they do for the music community in Brooklyn. Every town needs a place like that.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
I’m lucky to have music be my only job. But I’ve been helping out my girlfriend who’s a chef at her catering gigs sometimes. I’ve been loving making food, and I’ve got a whole new perspective on that industry.
How has your music-related income changed over the past 5-10 years? What do you expect it to look like 5-10 years from now?
It goes up and down in periods – depending on if you’re touring or making a record. But I’m lucky that it’s going upwards. I’ve definitely learned that there’s more expenses always comes when you’re growing. I always have a goal to make it pleasant for the band who is traveling to the play my music. So if I can bring them out, and they feel good, get a proper pay, and I have some money left, then it’s a success in my eyes.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
That things takes longer than you expect, and not getting stressed from that fact. That the biggest hurdle to pass is just doing it for the first time, and that it’s the best way of learning. I’ve learned a lot from music school, courses, and books – but there’s so much you learn from just doing it and putting yourself out there.