Photo credit: Marthe Amanda Vannebo
Tell us about your tour vehicle. Any notable breakdown stories?
We are currently touring with a black 2003 VW camper. It is very comfortable with about 160,000 miles on the clock. The cozy back seat, which can be turned into a bed, with a table and a small kitchen, is probably my favorite feature. No repairs or break down stories to report (knock on wood!).
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
The camper has a fridge and mini kitchen, that would help us if stranded in a snowstorm, and that we probably should be using more. But, to be honest, eating healthy is probably something we focus upon when home; touring kind of brings an element of exotic “unhealthy” food with it.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
Close to none (knock on wood again!). A new set costs about 12-15 bucks.
Where do you rehearse?
Our rehearsal space is quite central in downtown Oslo. It has pretty much everything we need and is literally wall-to-wall with the studio in which I recorded my latest album When Words Flew Freely. It carries the “charming” smell of wet carpet, and has no air conditioning for hot days and sweaty rehearsals.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
Title: “Sitter her og spiller pÃ¥ en gammel gitar” which translates from Norwegian into English as “I’m sitting here strumming an old guitar”. I was about 5 years old and had no guitar. It also contains the interesting line “SÃ¥ hva gjør det, plopp, ha deg med en gjerne liten tur which would translate into something like “So what does it matter, plop, come and join me for a bit”.
Describe your first gig.
I was around 10 years old, singing at a very local happening for the elderly in our small village. I was singing “Twist & Shout”, but could not get passed the “come on, come on, come on, come on baby now” – part, there were just too many “come ons” for a 10-year-old, and I started laughing so hard I finally just had to give up.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
Customer service at a world-wide ticket vendor. Probably my favorite day job as well.
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?
My music-related income has slowly increased over the past years. 5-10 years into the future, I’m expecting it to be more sustainable and less hand-to-mouth.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
Don’t be so hard on yourself.