SMITH & THELL: THEIR FIRST INTERVIEW

Delicious fragile electropop from Smith & Thell (listen)

What does it feel like when your work finally takes flight and is out there so it speak?


It's great! This is what we have been waiting for. As an artist there’s nothing greater than finally setting your pieces free.


What are your inspirations?


The inspiration to our music comes from our life, thoughts and wonderings. We write our music

and lyrics straight from the heart and we think it's time to put more poetry out on the dancefloor.


What do you make of the Swedish music scene at the moment?


It’s incredible and we are so proud to be a part of it. Hopefully we stand out and is seen as unique amongst all talent!


From an outsiders viewpoint, it seems vibrant with creativity and unique sounds. Why do you think there is this intense level of musical creativity from Sweden?


Hm....We've actually been discussing this! Maybe it's because of the long winters, they make us nuts. Too much darkness, so we start being very deep and philosophical. Maybe it's because the typical Swede are very closed up, so we have to put music to our emotions not to blow up inside…..Haha. Tough question….


In the UK has become very open to electronic artists from Sweden in part thanks to Robyn. Was her music an important soundboard for you both?


Robyn is a fantastic artist and we enjoy her music a lot. So of course she's an inspiration, her latest music is amazing. She has taken the more electronic vibe into our popular music. Her music is great, but we have our own sound and our own visions with our music.


So, do you have any plans to tour and release in the UK?


And we would love to release in the UK and tour the hell out of the region… just book us!


Yay! Where did you both meet?


We met at a local concert in our hometown.




Both of your previous creative output might be described as folky and acoustic so this current synth-pop change is quite a turn-around. What caused the tidal-change?


At some point you get curious of new music and new ways to sound. We became totally amazed by the energy in electronic music and it was a completely new way for us to express ourselves. We needed it to move forward in our creativity. With the computer as your bandmate there were suddenly no limits.


There are shades of your earlier acoustic work within the current sound. Kiss and Tell is essentially a club track that shimmers with soft and delicate undertones. One has fused into the other....


Yes. We can't wash away where we come from, and we don't want to. The delicate sound is a big part of us.



When I first heard your sound I was immediately struck by the unique sound…


We make music from our heart and we guess this is what it sounds like. Our sound is influenced by non electronic music such as funk, indie, ambient and pop music. We're musicians head over heals in love with trance, electro, dubstep and house. We started cheating on the guitars, and this is the result.


I would refuse to even say that your sound is somehow influenced by a decade. Let me explain…It is not retro electro synth pop as one might say the latest Gaga album is utterly defined by the decades of 1980s and 1990s. Do you both have a Dolorean?


Hahaha… are you referring to the Back To The Future movies? As artists its important not to think or dwell too much over what you create and share with the world. This is us now and we might sound completely different in 6 months from now. We do not know… we are just happy that we right now get so much positive feedback and reactions and that in return make us more motivated and wanting to do more, more, more…


So was there a moment when you were both writing together and just struck gold and went down this path?


We have from the beginning enjoyed making music together because of the exchange of our individual abilities, we complement each other. It's more like a musical journey that we've made together. Perhaps we need to just stop for a minute and realize we´ve done something great but on the other hand we just want to go on and just become better and better… the gold can only become shinier…


I’ve often wondered where songwriters especially within the pop genre draw their lyrics from? Is it from your own life? Or do you imagine what it would be like and create a hypothetical situation which might allow for some fabulous lyrics for a future track?


We write our lyrics from our life, but it don't necessary have to be things that have happened. Lyrics can be wonderings, just an emotion or visions of what we want life to be like. So yes they can be hypothetical.


So when you do draw from situations in your own life have there been any moments when you felt, in the writing process, that those emotions would be too difficult to sing live and as such maybe had to be shelved from the album? Or do you allow the song writing process sooth the pain perhaps?


There are those moments, but the songwriting does sooth the pain and put emotions in place again. The song Drive is a very emotional song, and it was hard making. But we have never taken songs away because of them hurting, emotions is a big part of songwriting.


So would you say that songwriting is therapeutic?


Very much. Without the songwriting we would be nuts for real…


How eager are you both to perform these songs?


We want to play live and perform as much as possible, as soon as possible!



How far are you into your recording your album?


We are on our way and we are close, very close...


What will be the general feel of it?


Electronic, poetic dancemadness!


And when do you think we’ll get a chance to hear it?


If things keep on going this well, it wont take long….

***


Smith & Thell Soundcloud


1 comment:

Hannah Kromatz said...

LOVE THIS <3