KBPS interview with Louise Lemón

Louise Lemón hails from Sweden and intertwines the dark, windy and cold Scandi ambiance into her music. Having recorded her debut EP ‘Purge’ in a haunted cabin with Randall Dunn we got to speak to her about the release and in particular the lead single ‘Appalacherna’.

How did ‘Appalacherna’ come about?

It was actually a song I wrote really fast. I wrote it when we recorded the EP; it just came about. The other songs are on a more specific theme [whereas] this song talks about a more general feeling that reflects the song.

It’s taken from your Purge EP; what was that like to record?

It was very intense. [My keyboardist and I] recorded it [quickly] in a small, small cabin, which was really secluded, by a lake. We did it 24/7 for a week. It was very nice experience to just be able to dive into it. I then went to Seattle to mix it, so I guess at first it was really [introspective] and secluded, but then we took it out far into the world. What we did also with the sound, was opening it up.

Was working in that quick way something you enjoyed and would you do it that way again?

Yes and no. You always want more time, but most of these songs had been with me for a little while, so we had played them live a lot and we had a clear view of how we wanted to record them. We recorded all the bases there and we also put on the drums in the studio, so we didn’t do everything [in the cabin].

According to reports the cabin is haunted. Did you see anything spooky during your time there?

No we didn’t! But it is a very special place. We didn’t have any cell phone reception so we could really just focus on what we were doing.

Did that seclusion help keep you focussed on the music?

Yeah. At that point, for sure. We would go for runs [though] and listen to music and get inspiration and then get back, to be in the zone. That’s important, for sure, to be focussed and in the zone. You create this other space, other universe, and it’s really good to just be in it.

You mentioned about playing songs live; how would you describe your live sound?

It depends. Sometimes I do shows with fewer drums but for my regular sets it’s more drums and more noise; it’s heavy, when we’re on the full set. But [my live set] reflects the EP; there are lots of dynamics. Even if we have the full band one minute it’s super hard then the next moment it’s just me and a piano. It’s very dynamic when we play live!

Have you got any live dates planned?

Not right now. I’m actually recording my full length album, so I’m writing and doing some pre-production on that.

Have you got any videos coming up?

We have a fantastic video for ‘Appalacherna’. It was a really magical shoot; we filmed it in a desert. I loved the song from the start but after filming the video the song felt like it had more depth; it had been enhanced as a song!

Finally what are your ambitions for the rest of 2017?

Working on the full length album. I have a real clear ambition of where I want to take the music and make this longer story!

Find out more about Louise on Facebook.