MR: Hi Lumsk; it is second time in a year and a half that I’m conducting interview with Lumsk and presenting your work for the Danish metal audience. How are you?
Espen: We’re great, thank you.
MR: What’s new in Lumsk camp, of course beside the release of an awesome album Det Vilde Kor? What is the latest news?
Espen: I think the latest new is that we got to know last week that we have been awarded quite an amount of money in tour support. That is actually tremendous news for us, both as a band and as band members. It will make things a lot easier. Or, actually it will make it possible to play both inside and outside of Norway. It’s not an easy “business” to be playing in a band like Lumsk. We seem to be on a total collision course with the commercial way of doing things, especially musically.
MR: I don’t know if you’re aware of the fact that we at metal-revolution have declared Det Vilde Kor to be not only your best and most complete album till this date, but also as the ‘album of the month’. What do you think of that?
Espen: Thanks a lot for the great feedback. It’s great to see that hours and hours of hard work pays of, and good response, even though it doesn’t make you rich, is a great way to be paid.
MR: What has been the reaction of the rest of the media and esp. your fans? Are they satisfied with the album as much as we and you as a band are?
Espen: Actually we were quite anxious in front of the release of this record. It’s quite different from the two albums we have done. We have been quite surprised to see that it’s the metal press that has given us the best reviews so far. We thought we had made a more “listenable” record this time, but the response we have gotten so far seems to be quite opposite. People say to us they have to spend some time listening to the record before getting into it, so to speak. And I think that is fantastic to hear. I really like that kind of music my self, the music that doesn’t get to you right away, but definitely have something to offer, and I mean really something to offer, after some rounds in the player. I think we have made our most personal record up till now, and perhaps that can explain the very different feedback and reviews we get, both in the media and from our fans. I think there will always be those who would like us to do more of the Folk Metal thing from the first album, and there will be those who would like us to do more of the things we did this time. All I can say is this: We did them both, or more correctly, all three of them, and we will be doing the next ones too. And I can’t give any promises, I won’t give any promises, on where we are going musically in the future, but we will continue making our best records so far. In our own eyes that is. If we suddenly were to think, “Hey, I think our last record was better than this new one”, then we should probably quit doing it.
MR: Who came up with this title Det Vilde Kor? Would you be kind and introduce it a bit further and esp. for our English speaking readers explain the main topic(s) and song titles?
Espen: “Det Vilde Kor” is actually the name of the collection of poems Knut Hamsun wrote in 1904. And all lyrics on our record are from that collection. Knut Hamsun only released one collection of poems, and it’s not very well known, even though Hamsun himself is one of the best regarded authors in Norway. We never translated the poems in our booklet this time, they’re only written in Norwegian. And there is no English summary explaining each poem. We have included a short summary explaining who Knut Hamsun was, and we have also translated a review of this collection which was written by Andreas Gynge the same year this collection was released. It’s written on the back of the cover, and perhaps it gives our English speaking listeners some idea of the themes in these poems. I’m not sure I want to say more than that. If I were to start interpreting them I think I would be on very deep waters, and I think that would have taken some of the mystique away from the poems. But I’ll give you English speaking (or whatever speaking) a smile and a “good luck” on the way.
MR: Why have you choose to write in Norwegian? Do you find it easier to express emotions in your native language or just to maintain the ‘mystique’?
Espen: From the very beginning the use of our own native language, in whatever form and age, is one of the things we have said is important for us. Not a lot of artists her in Norway, and I guess it’s the same for many countries (except the ones with English as their native language, of course), write or use lyrics written in their native language. I think language is one of the things defining different cultures, and it would be very, very sad if we all suddenly started talking English. At least that’s my opinion. Imagine travelling to China just to hear everyone speaking Oxford English. My point is this: I think it is very important to keep and preserve what makes us who we are. I’m not very fond of cultural imperialism. Do we want cultural conformity on the whole planet? I don’t. I love culture. I love the difference between cultures. I don’t want to travel to the corners of this world (whatever and wherever that is) just to find the same food, the same impolite people, the same values, the same music, the same twisted drinking culture and so on we have here in Norway (a little bit of a negative touch on that one I guess). I think it’s time we started appreciating who we are, and what makes us different from each other. We haven’t done that in a couple of thousand years, perhaps more (if we ever did). (Please don’t give me a grade on that historical speculation. I might be wrong. Very wrong.)
Got a little carried away here… I’m sorry. Back to answering your question.
I think is both a lot easier and harder to express emotions and feelings in our native language. I have no idea why all these Norwegian artists sing in English (except the fact that they might want to sell records outside Norway?), but I think one of the reasons might be that’s it is a lot easier to cover bad lyrics in a “foreign” language such as, after all, English is. I’m not sure if you feel the same, but one example is the phrase “I love you”. In English it’s a lot easier to say, and it doesn’t contain the same… honesty… as spoken or written in our native language. Hmmm… That was supposed to make sense. I don’t know if it did.
MR: Where and when was this album recorded? How the recording process did went this time around compared to last time?
Espen: We recorded the album here in Trondheim, and used the same studio as we did on our first two albums. We did all the recording in September, and sent it away to Mike Hartung at Propellerhead Music Division for mixing. This is the first time we didn’t mix it ourselves, and it was very exiting to have someone else doing it. And I must say Mike did an excellent job! I think the sound fits the theme and the music just perfectly.
MR: It is very interesting that you did choose Hamsun`s only poetic work, while he is much more known as novelist and play writer. What was the reason for this choice?
Espen: The reason is quite simple. It startet as a coincidence actually. Eystein was reading some of Hamsun’s work, and he stumbled across this collection. He showed it to the rest of us, and we emidiately fell in love with the idea of using these poems.
MR: The reason why I’m bringing the subject of Hamsun up is his ’dark biography’, at least some would argue it is. How Hamsun’s life and his Nazi tendencies are currently judged in Norway? Does it have some impact to the interpretation and reception of his work?
Espen: There is written a lot of biographies on Hamsun speculating in and trying to explain his political sympathies. We have chosen to do as most Norwegians today do: Concentrate on his literary works. The fact that Hamsun is one of three Norwegian writers who have received the Nobel price in literature can’t be overlooked. He is one of the best writers from Norway, no question about it. There might be some people who still remember the war, who lived during the war, and who can never forgive Hamsun for his sympathies and actions, but most Norwegians today choose to see him as an excellent writer. And just to make it totally and one hundred percent clear: Lumsk do not share, not at all, any of the political views related to Nazism, racism nor any other views related to human hostile or fanatic ideologies, political directions or religions.
MR: What’s your relation to Danish scene and Danish audience? I know you have growing fan base here and since I saw you at AMF in 2005 I’ve been a huge fan. In that sense I guess you feel more like a Nordic than explicitly a Norwegian band, right?
Espen: From the very first time we played in Denmark, it feels like ages ago (I guess it is too), the Danish audience have been absolutely fantastic. Denmark is definitely our second home (and sometimes we wish it was our home). I think that the Danish audience have shown an extraordinary interest in Lumsk, since the release of our first demo actually. As you say we have a growing fan base in Denmark, and we are very thankful for that. The response from our Danish listeners has been outstanding, and I hope we can continue this great and still growing relationship.
MR: I must admit that I’m the biggest fan of Stine, her vocals and her way of expressing the emotions (believe me her looks have nothing or at least just a little bit to say in this connection)?! I guess you must also be glad for her involvement and her work in the band?
Espen: Of course we are! Stine has done a great job in Lumsk from the day she joined us. Her classical background has really brought a new aspect to our music. The progress Lumsk have had together with Stine is just enormous. I think one could say that the Troll album was a kind of “get-to-know-each other” project, and at least I’m able to hear a huge difference from that album to our newest one. And I think Stine too has coped well with the challenges of being one of the front figures in a rock band. You don’t learn that when you take a classical education! But things are looking very good. We are really confident in what we are doing at the moment, and we are really looking forward to working with our next album.
MR: What’re your musical goals in general? How far would you like to go with Lumsk?
Espen: I think that is a very difficult question to answer. In my opinion we have already reach some of the goals we had from the beginning. First we managed to finish our first album, we got, at last, a great record deal and released the album, we have played some very good concerts and we have released more and better records, developing both as individuals within Lumsk and developed Lumsk as a band. As for my personal goals at the moment I’m not quite sure where I want Lumsk to go. I kind of find it quite interesting to go along and see what happens, but development is always important in my opinion. I also like the thought of some day being able to do this full-time, of course without any musical compromises.
MR: What are future plans for Lumsk? I know this album is still very fresh, but you must think of a tour or even collecting some ideas for the next studio opus?
Espen: I don’t think there will be a big and long lasting tour in the nearest future. There are some reproduction going on in the Lumsk camp at the moment, so it looks like this autumn will be spent on changing diapers and singing children’s songs. We hope to do some festivals this summer, but I’m not sure how many or where we will be playing. I can just ask you to regularly visit our homepage for updates.
The theme of our next album is already figured out, but we won’t go public with it until the formalities are in place. We have started to write some music, but it’s too early to say what musical direction it will take. I guess we won’t know that until we have finished the next album.
MR: Any chance to see you in Denmark and esp. Jylland this year?
Espen: As I said, I’m not sure. I really hope we’ll be able to play in Denmark and perhaps Sweden this year, but it will have to be done soon. I really don’t know. Again, look for updates on our web page.
MR: Ok, then I guess you also have a special message for your Danish audience?
Espen: A special message, huh? I can always say we’re really looking forward to seeing you again, but that would be somewhat a standard phrase, right? I should come up with something better than that. When we have visited Denmark I’ve had this strange feeling of “timelessness”. Time matters less when in Denmark. I find it difficult to point out exactly what I mean by this, but I think it’s something that should be taken really good care of. Perhaps it’s just the thoughts of a crazy Norwegian coming to the land of the free, hehe, but then again… There are some things in the Danish way of living, in the Danish culture, which is very special. I guess I’ve been fortunate enough to experience this Danish culture through the eyes of a touring musician, met with music loving people, seen the dedication of the same music lovers. So my special message… Cheers, and keep it going and keep it rocking the Danish way! See you!
MR: Thank you very much for taking your precious time to answer a few questions for our webzine. It was my pleasure…
Espen: Thank you…
Bato has talked with Espen
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