Get your copy signed!

Hi folks!

Carl will be signing records on Monday February 28 at 5PM in Borlänge at Folk å Rock.

Take your record, and get it signed!

Love

'Owls Reviews Pt.2

Owls - Carl Norén

With 'Owls' Carl Norén created a successful pop album. From tender - fragile singer/songwriter songs over electronical touched songs up until up tempo songs underlined by strings. On the debut album of the Sugarplum Fairy singer the whole spectrum of the radio friendly pop universe gets sounded out. Carl Norén makes his looks to a suitable media showcase project: The bon blonde scallywags hair, the pearly-white Nutella boy smile, the unexceptional well chosen indie clothes…and if you make such music on top of that you don't have to worry about your success. 

Exactly this media suitability could turn out as brake shoe for the real big success. If you hear a song like 'Going Out Tonight' in the radio you will notice the powerful voice, the catchy melody and the perfect production but the depth of focus, the intimacy and the seriousness of the music of Carl Norén doesn't become accessible. 'Owls' is a classic example for a record whose force only becomes accessible if you listen to it completely. In best cases several times in a row. And in best cases with headphones. The first three songs outstand that much with their diversity so that you could accentuate musically half a day to listen to them on repeat. 

On 'Tired Of Running' whose second part closes up in an equal melancholic way Norén shows himself very personally. „Baby I am tired of running / I have got my clown shoes on me / Baby I am tired of running / My only holiday is to hide away inside / A guilty conscience feeds on a healthy mind at night”. Such lines cawed by a Jazz-singer scarred by life and the depression is within reach - Carl Norén however wears the clown shoes to it, the pain has got a nice trendy, lively surface with him and therefor the contrast is even more within reach.

The next song 'New York' is a soft guitar ode to the city which is being extolled as sanctuary and future place of a hurt man. I’m leaving / I’m on may way / To New York / The new born / Sails away“. Noren's gentle but not flat voice which by all means proves the blood relation to his brother Gustaf, who is the singer of Mando Diao sings so endlessly sad and lost of "empty apartments", "shattered dreams and "broken promises" which he tries to leave and forget in New York. 

'The Anger' is the musical and lyrical synthesis out of the 2 first tracks. A stamping beat gets accompanied by a violin, framed by grief and anger: „I get so tired of the anger / And the tears / There are no stopping them […] / Will you love me if I cry? / Will you say ‚Hi’ /The day I die?”. Pop cannot be more beautiful. Of course, with such odes to the inamorata, dashed down on the street up in her apartment, the sob-stuff is just around the corner. But the sob-stuff is part of the life of a guy in his twenties, which have it all and at the same time have nothing, who don't have to worry about money and clear this thoughtful space of doubts and discord for loving and pining. And eventually Carl Norén's record has positive and connecting things for the wrangling night owls of the world, from Borlänge to New York: And I’m going out tonight / I wanna feel her / Oh I wanna feel her / Oh I wanna feel her / No more tears to hide / Oh I wanna feel your arms around me“, Carl Norén sings on 'Going Out Tonight', representatively for the collective aspiration of a human being.

Even the weaker tracks of the album like 'That's The Way I Like It' with its happy dance melody and pretty flat lyrics („That’s the way I like it / That’s how we dance […] / And if you don’t like it / Get out of here”) keep the positive overall impression. You forgive Carl those space-fillers because he gathers a few pop-pearls on 'Owls' which will remain. 

source: crazewire.de

Owls by Carl Norén

 

Everyone is taking about Victor Norén, when they in fact should be taking about his older brother. Look, there we got an embryo to the title of a precocious autobiography. Carl Norén's, that is.

But of course that requires the P3 listeners to rate his delicate pop novels in favor for his younger brother's more coquetry (but sticky) electro pop.

 

For distant, the accessible teenage rock that was Sugarplum Fairys' signum, Carl Norén demonstrates admireble skills of telling stories. Fictional diary entries, nicely composed with either an acoustic guitar or a piano ('Owls').

 

All together stylishly produced in company of Mats Björke from Mando Diao. This is not an album with a goal to reach Tracklistan (as if it still would have existed), although the qualities to get there are there. The singles 'The Anger' and 'Going Out Tonight' are irresistible P3-pop, spiced up with beautiful violines, but the fact is that the latter sounds better in the acoustic version that you could find as a bonus song on one of the singles. If it would have been on the album, it would have been the best track of the record.

 

From www.trelleborgsallehanda.se, translated by Celine Jacobs

 

Carl Norén - Owls

Contact the responsible health authority. The rampant solo virus has reached Sweden. Tiny all-clear signal: Only musicians of known bands are being hit by it. After USA (Casablancas, Flowers) and Great Britain (Smith, Healy) had to overcome an epidemic the north of Europe is now seized with it. The main symptom of the victim: Release of a record on which optionally a) the time between records of the main band is being bypassed or b) music, that (apparently) cannot be realized with the band is being worked up. Most of the time the record of the virus victim doesn't reach the quality of the output of the actual band and bribes with indifference. Sweden's youngest victim: Carl Norén of Sugarplum Fairy.

With his debut he says goodbye to the Rock'n'Roll of his combo and backs on quieter respectively more electronical moments. On the opener it's a computer beat and funk blowers, which surprise, with 'New York' follows an acoustic guitar piece. The songs on 'Owls' take turns in this regularity: first there's the song with the electro beat and/or funk influence after that the acoustic guitars, relatively the piano dominate. But to exactly the first category the slightly rough voice doesn't want to fit in. What works really well in the acoustic context, doesn't really fit in the funk costume because Norén lacks of the other- worldliness or actually the soul in the voice. In addition a really excellent song cannot be found even after several listenings. Neither a really bad one, for that the songwriting is much too accomplished of the man from Borlänge and the production of Mats Björke (Keyboarder of Mando Diao) too versed. You are neither being left flat nor disappointed, neither of the ballade 'Dawn' nor of 'The Anger' which somehow reminds of Gnarls Barkley. Therefor Norén shows a classical course of the solo virus. And proves one more time that band musicians work better with their band, than alone. 

source:soundmag.de

Carl Norén - Owls
Carl Norén is especially known to music fans as brother of Mando Diao frontmen Gustaf Norén and as singer and guitarist of the band Sugarplum Fairy. Now he delivers with 'Owls' his first solo record and diverges himself from the typical rock style of his band. The album, for which he wrote all songs by himself and produced all songs together with Mats Björke (Keyboarder of Mando Diao), opens with the disco - suited 'Tired Of Running'. But the bigger part of the record consists of acoustic songs which got played in mostly with acoustic guitars and soft piano sounds. His hymn to 'New York' could also come from Ryan Adams. Next to several ballades there's also room for a few songs that could be imagined in connection of a band. ('Going Out Tonight', 'That's The Way I Like It'). Friends of scandinavian rock music will feel at home pretty fast and could also get along with the quiet songs, which include many beautiful melodies.
source : allmymusic.de


Carl Norén's record is much about love. He found the inspiration at Ikea for instance. "To see a couple choose between different beds and fight about it, such things inspire me. If I would only take from my own life, it would get boring."  

New sides of Carl Norén

Carl Norén makes a solo debut like his brother and band colleague Victor Norén of Sugarplum Fairy. The record is called 'Owls'.

Now both the Borlänge brothers of Sugarplum Fairy go for their own solo careers. It is because of little brother Victor Norén, 25, is doing his own music under the name Viktorious, that Carl Norén, 27, last Wednesday released his solo debut 'Owls'.

- The record company rather wanted Victor solo than him doing another Sugarplum Fairy record. I got tired of the commercial and wanted to start writing my own songs, Carl Norén tells us.

- But I wasn't ready to go solo yet. If I would have controlled it myself, I would have waited a few more years.

Is there any competition between you and Victor?

- Yes, definitely. But it's more about attention from parents and grandparents. I'm on plus at grandmother and grandfather. We inspire each other to not be the one who end up in the shadow.

Last year Carl Norén went on tour as support act for Johnossi and big brother Gustaf Norén's band Mando Diao on their tours in Germany and played on big stages.

Now he wants to enter smalle stages.

- There's a gap between troubadours and signed artists who play at clubs I want to fill. I would like to play at cafés together with other bands, like the open scen you can find in New York.

The brothers' solo careers doesn't prevent a new Sugarplum Fairy record. But it will take some time.

- Me and Victor have talked about it. We've gotten a studio together and as soon as we got some time we'll write songs to Sugarplum Fairy. The other guys are studying.

And next year at this time, Carl Norén is counting on releasing solo album number two.

- I've already written four, five songs to it.

Published: in Swedish metro, translated by Celine Jacobs

On The Couch with: Carl Norén

Hi folks! Here's another interview with Carl from sallys.net! Enjoy :)

For years he has been the head of the band Sugarplum Fairy, who with their pleasant Sweden rock unleashed a concert hysteria in best Beatlemania manner. Now the fair-haired guy Carl Norén presents himself with his solo record from a surprising calm and emotional side. In the following conversation we try to find out how well the sensitive singer can stand on his own.

Were you sometimes scared of your own courage to dare to take a solo step? 

I think as long as you do what you want, it doesn't matter. With your first solo record it's not yet about fulfilling expectations. There is a comparison but maybe not to Sugarplum. That was probably the only thing I was a little scared of. At the moment I have no clue who actually will listen to the record (laughs)!

Are you rather a team player or a loner?

I think I really am rather a loner. I mean I was the front singer of a band, it's difficult for me to follow orders. I I like to do what i want to, make my own decisions and rather don't owe anybody.

How well can you handle criticism?

That's a hard question. It depends of course on who stated it - if I hear it from people I know and that I am close to, whose advice I appreciate or from unknown people. There are many people whose opinion I don't care about at all. You always have to remember that music is an abstract art form. Mostly it is connected with very personal emotions and therefor is very subjective. It's difficult to say what is good and what is bad.

You're the one in the middle of three brothers - did you ever have the feeling that you'd have to prove something to someone to get attention?

Definitely, it was much easier for my brothers to get attention from our parents, I always had to fight for it. But on the other hand I learned to get my own way and especially to go my way in difficult situations. Now that we've grown up it isn't really a topic anymore and I see myself as independent person for a long time. 

Is independance also a reason why you're working in a restaurant in Stockholm? 

Yes! But most of all to get out once in a while. The most people you're dealing with in the every day life of music are managers, your booker and in the best case with a bunch of other artists. Sometimes i just need a change of pace and have to meet "normal" people. In addition it is very inspiring to do everyday things. 

Do you next to all of these things have time for yourself?

Yes this works somehow, I don't see weekends as free time anymore but I am trying to take breaks in which I go on holidays or just do sports in the night. But I really like to work. It helps me to avoid that I go crazy. And it's important to keep the connection to reality. I do what everyone else does as well. I am one of them. 

Let's say you didn't start to make music this early would you be somebody else today?

No! I've always been a little crazy and i would definitely still do something creative. Playing theaters or writing books. I am also studying literature and will soon start something completely different. It is a lot of fun to try out things. I've always been like that and will always be like that. Curious and happy to try out new things. 

source: sallys.net

Big Day for Carl

So, today the record 'Owls' is being released in Sweden.
Hear what Carl has to say about his Big Day! (just click on Lägesrapport med Carl Norén)

Apart from that, "The Anger" is on The Vogue's playlist as song of the month amongst others. Awesome news!!!

Stones are rolling, things work out for 'Owls'. General mood : Nothing but pure happiness!!

Love Sophie

PS. You know which song woke me up this morning when my radio alarm kicked in? ;-)

Carl Norén - 'You have to see and read new things to do things'

You have to see and read new things to do things.

You rather know Carl Norén as singer of the swedish Band Sugarplum Fairy. As they don’t have anything new in motion Carl decided to record his own album ‚Owls’. He talked to us about the influence of HipHop, Dr Der and classical music of Chopin. 

Farrelmagazin: Why did you decide to record your own album far away from Sugarplum Fairy? Is this album in addition to the band or apart from it? 

Carl Norén: I started to write songs without thinking about if I would use them at some point. When I realized that there isn't another Sugarplum Fairy CD in the making, I decided to do something on my own. I called my brother (Gustaf Norén of Mando Diao) and asked if I could come along on the german "Give Me Fire" tour. When I landed in Germany I asked a friend to mine to create a Myspace page and to upload a few demos songs for me. I didn't have a record deal or anything. After getting a lot of support from fans and worked hard I finalized the record and got a record deal, with which I was content. This record is a new beginning for me as a songwriter and concerning Sugarplum Fairy. I think that we can do whatever we want in the future. Nothing has been decided for the future of Sugarplum Fairy. 

Rumore say that your literature studies have inspired you to write new songs.

I read a lot. I spent a year reading in in the library eight hours a day every day. At the same time I studied literature, read classics and many russian writers. It inspired me to new ideas how to express myself. You have to see and read new things to do things. The guy who built the first castle must have seen a house first before he started building a castle.

How do the new songs differ from the typical Sugarplum Fairy music?

They base on my personality and not on Sugarplum Fairy's. I am a restless person with a passion for romantic and this influences the music. It's more restless and more romantic. I also tried to avoid the instruments we use with Sugarplum Fairy during the recordings and to produce it in a different way.

Does it feel freeing to be able to do your own thing without having to care about your band mates visions? 

Yes, it does. I still love them, but on this record I had to keep them out of the music, to make it sound different. I still play live with them, but on this CD I had to play the instruments myself or have them played by other friends. I used classical educated world class musicians on this cd; I love classical music, that is why I was very happy to have included a concert pianist (who usually plays more Rachmaninov than pop).

Does "Owls' give you a chance to show a different side of yourself?

It is a different side of me, yes. A Moore down-to-earth, Moore modest side. Butt as I am a restless sohl, I will never succeed to end up in a certain Genre. The music is the Thing that will always change. ADN the personality Shows itself Moore in the lyrisch and in the Emotion.
What do you want to express with your music?  

I wish that pople dream a little. I want to make music which finde itself Outsider of time and Trends. I want to bring back some real Emotion to the music, so the soul can bleed a little. I want to make music that Gould be the soundtrack to a David Lynch movie. Nicht music.

Do you think you adress different fans with your new record than those of Sugarplum Fairy?

I hope so. I know that. People will see a different side of me. The old fans will recognize my music but at the same time people who don't like Sugarplum Fairy will understand this music. The inspiration comes from all genres, Rap and classic. I listened to a lot of Nick Drake, Dr Dre, DJ Shadow and Chopin when I was writing the record. 

What are other personal influences? 

As I said, I like to listen to different kinds of music. Music that reaches me and gives me the feeling that music is the only important thing in the world.

I like to listen to HipHop, because I feel more confident then, and I like to listen to John Lennon and Nick Drake because they move me to tears. I like to listen to classic and opera music because I can dream along and I listen to DJ's and Techno, because it is hypnotic. 

What is up next?
An 'Owls' tour is coming up and after that I will record my next CD "Wolfs". I am also planning a documentation about a band from Sweden called "The Local Dealer". Then I will also do a record with my cousin "Prop Dylan" who is a really good rapper. And I also hope, that I can make another Sugarplum Fairy record sometimes. 

source: farrelmagazne.com

The Re-Birth Of Carl

I just made the songs, one after another – and allowed myself to do whatever I wanted to do with them

So here is the promised interview with Carl Norén. You know each other. From several interviews and generally the Sugarplum/Mando connection. It’s very easy to talk about Carl’s very successful solo record ‚Owls’. A conversation, in which Carl expresses himself in a very open way about the future of Sugarplum Fairy, and doesn’t hold back with his opinion about his brother’s „Viktorious“ – solo project. 

Hello Carl, what have you been doing lately since one saw you the last with Sugarplum Fairy? 

Well I practically worked the whole last year – When was the last time we saw each other? 2 years ago?

Yes I think that’s right. 

At our last show in Munich? 

And again, when you supported Mando in the Olympia hall. We missed each other when you were touring with Johnossi. But I saw you at the concert they had to cancel, because John was sick. 

Oh right – yes I was sick back then too. Those have been bad days for everyone involved. 

You after all went through with your show. 

Yes, I never cancelled one single show. 

You don’t have to scream as much as John does. 

No, of course not, it’s much harder for him. He also parties more than i do, hehe. But I practically worked the entire last year, and just since January I have a little time and take each day as it comes and look for new inspirations for new songs. 

Did you work that much on your solo record, or did you also have a job?

Both. I worked on the record at night. During the day I started to study and also worked in a restaurant. I was in action 7 days a week. 

I read about the studies. Literature, right?

Yes, I started with this now. I am doing it for a year and I really want to focus on it. But we (Sugarplum Fairy) want to first of all meet again and plan our future. How to continue. The solo record was a good thing to pass the time, maybe a little obvious but I don’t mind. The literature studies were more to kill the boredom. To have a little fun, and literature is perfect fort hat, because it’s interesting and not that hard. 

Who are your favorite writers, and do you write something else besides songs? Short stories maybe?

I concentraded on russian writers, my first class was about russian literature. I just like them most – although I also like Camus, but besides of him I practically only read books from russian writers. My favorite is Chekhov, he is really good. I don’t write that much myself. I write my blog, my songs, from time to time poems but those only in swedish. I would like to write longer stuff, but for this I am lacking the inspiration and attention span. 

Maybe the whole pop – song shape is the right thing for you. 

Yes – or it made me incapable to write longer things. It’s pretty easy to write a pop song, and this probably makes you as writer impatient and lazy. A pop song is much easier to write than a novel.

When you write poems in swedish – it wasn’t planned to write the solo record in swedish? There are many examples of swedish frontmen whose solo records are in swedish. 

No, that would’ve been a too big step. I never really thought about that. At the beginning I didn’t want to go on tour solo, but there I was on tour with Mando Diao. And there on the other hand it would’ve been weird to sing swedish in front of a german audience. Eventhough english is not your mother tongue, english ist he language to which you have a connection. And since I played my first solo shows in english, it was clear that the disc would be in english. I have in mind to make a swedish record one day. This should be a classical, traditional swedish folk disc. But it’s not an easy language to write in. It can be very naive – I think you have to find a middle way between pretentious and naive.

Your Sugarplum – drummer Kristian Gidlund writes  screenplays. Could you imagine doing something completely different than music? 

Well, writing screenplays, writing in the first place that is not that far away from music. If i wanted to do something else I’d probably start to study Biology or something like that. Because I think...if you do something creative it is hard to judge yourself if it’s good. You try it but you don’t know if you after all just waste your time. I wouldn’t dare to sacrifice a year of my time to write a novel or screenplay. It would be more safe to get a good education, so you study for three years but you get a job afterwards. But on the other hand – you never know if inspiration kicks in. 

Your solo records differs from Sugarplum Fairy in so far that the music is calmer. Is this simply because there is no band behind or were you just calmer/quieter during this time? 

Unintentionally maybe. Three years ago I was in phase in which I mostly listened to loud pop hits from the 80s. After that I had a phase in which I rediscovered the songwriters of the 70s, like Leonard Cohen, Neil Young and Nick Drake. After that I was in a hard hiphop phase. Meaning: When I recorded the record I mostly listened to hiphop. When I was writing the songs however, i was listening to 80s pop and to 70s songwriters. And somehow all of this has found its way to the record. 

It is of course something completely different if you have a band around you, but it’s nothing i thought about in the studio. I just made the songs, one after another – and allowed myself to do whatever I wanted to do with them.

I ask of course, because what you’re doing generally runs in Sugarplum – direction. Your brother however makes solo music (as Viktorious) which is the exact opposite of Sugarplum. 

Hmmm.

What’s your opinion on this? I find it..bold? But I haven’t wrapped my mind around it yet. I mean, respect for having the guts to try something completely different but he will snub many Sugarplum – fans with this.  

Yes, yes. But I think it’s not really HIS thing but a record label thing. He writes those songs with professional songwriters and different producers. It’s not his sound, it’s the sound of other people. If he went tot he studio alone, his record would’ve sounded more like Sugarplum than it does now. So it’s the sound of someone else but with Victor’s voice. That is why it sounds so different if you ask me. Someone tries to make modern music – for him. Victor writes with other authors on this record – with Sugarplum Fairy he only wrote for himself. That’s the difference. 

Do you think he’s not happy with this? Does he let someone push him into a direction to which he doesn’t belong? 

I don’t know. I do believe that he does what he wants to, but that he might regret it later – or maybe not. It’s not easy in the music industry at the moment. Even if you’re part of a successful band like Sugarplum you can’t keep up your income. You have to tour a hell of a lot and if you divide every dollar in between five people there’s not much left for anyone. You have to come up with something new, if you want to remain in the game. The music changes. When we started with Sugarplum Fairy, The Strokes scooped the market and rock music was the new thing – yet again of course, but guitars were in. Near our end, barely a person on this planet made such a sound. A few bands were left but rock became smaller – especially in Sweden. This will change again, but it’s just hard to keep a band up and running when you get older. 

Now you just said: „near our end’ – is Sugarplum Fairy history? I thought you were just taking a break? I thought you wanted to meet again?

 Yes.But it is the end of an era. Maybe we come back but you don’t know how we will sound like. I think we will come back as Sugarplum and not as Sugarplum Fairy. Sugarplum Fairy are over, but Sugarplum could still exist. I think it’s important to find the right music for your age. We have to see to where a new record could lead us. 

Concerning Victor’s music I prepared a hobby-phychology-thesis: Victor maybe has a sort of urge, as he is the youngest of you Noréns, to distinguish himself. Sugarplum was standing in Mando Diao’s shadow – maybe it was more important to him to emancipate himself and you can handle this better than he can? 

There could be truth in it – but on the other hand I think you really shouldn’t read into Victor as person based on his music, because he doesn’t write nor produce the songs himself. It’s somebody else’s imagination how it should sound. Naturally he was the one who agreed on this. But he still listens tot he same music and wears the same clothes. 

Do you talk to each other about your music? Or is this something you don’t talk about?

Exactly. If it’s just the two of us we do different things and don’t talk about the music we’re making. I mean let’s just see where it leads him to, and if he has fun with it. We just developped into two directions. When I started with the record I didn’t have a record deal. I wanted to hold it small and indie and just do whatever I wanted to, to not depend on Hits or record companies. With hi mit was the other way around, a label was there right away, so you approach this differently. Well, we don’t talk that much about it 

When you wrote your solo songs – did you also reserve some for Sugarplum? Is there a difference between solo songs and band songs? 

Yes, there is a song on ‚Owls’ which was meant to be for Sugarplum: „That’s The Way I Like It“. But then i thought that this ne would be good fort he record, if there is a song  on the record with some more peppiness – especially because it wasn’t clear if and when there will be another Sugarplum record. If I think of Sugarplum, I think of faster, happier songs – on the other hand there were songs like „Caroline“ or „In Berlin“ on the last band record, these could’ve also been solo songs. 

Will you have a backing band for presenting your songs live? As support of Johnossi one has only seen you with an acoustic guitar. 

I want to try to mix it. I am just setting up a band, we’re rehearsing and played live twice, but this has only been three, four songs. On the other hand the plan was to do it alone. I like the little frame and it’s also a different feeling when you’re on your own while playing live. I want to keep that feeling and just see what I can do with it. The record however sounds very ‚bandish’ so maybe I do need one. We’ll see. 

I’ve seen you as support act of Johnossi – there the audience waits patiently for the main act and isn’t really in the mood to let the guy with the acoustic guitar in. But you didn’t have it easy this night. 

Yes this was pretty hard. Being support act of a rock band like Johnossi. Their audience consists of much more guys than girls. They almost come from hard rock. And then i show up with my ballads – that was hard. But you have to go through this. It would’ve been much harder to play after them. It was definitely harder as support of Johnossi than of Mando.

Maybe more have recognized you there. 

Definitely - but I think almost every Johnossi fan started up as Mando fan. And the Mando shows were so huge so many people didn't recognize me. There were 8'000 people at every show, with Johnossi it has only been 300-800.

Let's talk about a few songs of the record. The two singles "The Anger" and "Going Out Tonight" you for sure picked out with motives.

Yes - both songs first existed as a ballade just with an acoustic guitar, so there are two different versions of'em. 

Yes I saw that - the acoustic version is a B-side of the other single..

Those two songs were practically the first ones, I wrote for the solo record. They were easy to write, although such simple songs are usually the hardest. The songs that just come to you - but you never know when! The lyrics of the songs are very honest. This is also hard, because you want to change them later. Because they reveal too much, because you feel completely naked. So you sit in front of the lyrics and think: Shit, i now need some 'Dylan-style' metaphors with which I can overpaint this honesty. But the lyrics are so good, because they are so honest. I wrote "The Anger" when I was sick once. It still has some sort of groove but a dark mood. The lyrics - it's very honest as I said before. I had many fights with my friends during this time, I didn't talk to any of them at this time. But I was tired of this so I wrote this song about the feeling of having enough of all these fights. 

You wrote those songs acoustically and then arranged and recorded with Mats(Björke, Keyboarder of Mando Diao). How did the process go? 

Well Mats was the Sound engineer, I was the producer. The arrangements base on my ideas but I always went to him when I had a question. Mats is really great to work with, because he's very positive and is always honest. Of course he was also in for a creative idea exchange, but it's my ideas on which the record is built up. 

So I must have been informed falsely.  I read that Mats was together with CJ (Fogelklou bass player of Mando Diao) the producer.

CJ was involved at the beginning, he played bass on the entire record. And there was another sound engineer helping out, we were a good team. But the songwriting is an important part of producing especially when you rewrite the songs again. And this was my part.  

Slowly we come loser to the end of my 30 minutes. Some simple questions: What are you looking forward the most in 2011?

I look forward to keep on working a lot. To just let the things flow and see what happens. I am looking forward to the summer to play live. 

Which is you favorite record at the moment?

I really Ilke James Blake. I just listened to the record again this morning. It sounds really good. But in general I try to listen to something else every day, keep my ears busy. 

… and I always end my Interviews with an anekdote. Did anything funny happen during the recordings? 

Ach, it's always hard for me to answer such questions. When you're done with a record you can't really remember a thing. 

But sure - there is a story! We were mixing the record already and were done with a mix for "The Anger" which sounded really good. I had to master the song and called Mats: "Can you bring over the mix, it's on your hard disk." And Mats said: "Oh dear God, I hit the data processor today. It fell down and since then the hard disk is ruined." Me: "oh man, this was the only copy, we have to save this hard disk!" Mats said: "i will clear that!". He went online and googled "hard disks repair service". He called the first adress he found. He couldn't hand in the hard disk there - these people came by car to pick the disk up. Even after Mats couldn't come over or email the firm, he could just call. It turned out that it was a top secret firm which only works for the government. Mats either had a russian girl called Olga on the line or a british guy called Mike. This firm had a cleaning room and when they were in there, he didn't catch them either. Those people worked 48 hours on repairing the files, i slowly got really mad at Mats - but then they finally were done and delivered the Mix just in time. And then the bill came: 3'000 Euros! Mats didn't check the prices before. Man, we were so exhausted. That was the entire budget for the record! So: You should inform yourselves about the prices first. And you shouldn't hire a firm that usually works for the government!! It's a given that they are expensive!

Man, that was a really good anecdote - although i am sorry for you of course.

Seriously. We were handling the money so carefully for the recordings and then on the last day something like THIS happens! Well, anyways it is the most expensive track on the record.

Now my time is really over - Thanks a lot, and see you soon and good luck with the record!

Thanks,take care!

source: http://hennissey.piranha.tv

Good News + Mission

We must say, we're surprised how often 'Going Out Tonight' gets played and also requested by people in Switzerland. I suggested 'Going Out Tonight' on the big radio stations in Switzerland, and got an answer, saying that they would play it and if the request from other people was there, they might even add it to their chart lists. Today I got another mail, saying that many people keep requesting the song and this makes me happy!

Anyways, what we want to know is, how does it look in Germany, Austria, Sweden? We would like to start another requesting the song on the radios campaign, just to get the word out. It will be much easier now, as the record is released. So if you have any radio suggestions, comment it either here or on facebook.  And we will present you a new list of radio stations where you can help out Carl and his music.

Good things are coming their way!!

Love
Sophie

PS. Unforunately the pic is not readable, but check out facebook! ;-)

Carl In Falukuriren Today

On Wednesday, Carl Norén will release his first solo album. But it wasn’t for sure if there was going to be any more records: He almost let go of the music.

The lust and the creativity came back thanks so book pages.

- I started off modestly with trying to create my own music and I played small gigs almost everywhere. Actually it started at Café Peace & Love two years ago. Short after that I got the chance to go with Mando on tour as support act, he says.

For Carl Norén, the way has been long and winding to the debut album Owls. With Sugarplum Fairy, he was used to have a big label behind him, but now he was all alone.

- It ended up a bit like in ’bad blood’ between the label and I, I didn’t like Universal in Germany. They had destroyed a bit of the happines with Sugarplum and went on with their way to hector. They wanted something else than we did at the end, the atmosphere in the band got worse and it felt natural to do something else.

There was even a thought about not playing music at all and he started studying Russian literature at the university.

- It felt strange to feel like that at the age of 25, but I started to read and wanted to be good at that instead. I sat at the library for ato year. I had nothing to do, no job. I fooled myself, but instead of being at home and feel depressed, I went there to read. After a while it started to come song without a destination.

What did the reading mean for your lyrics?

- I liked the symplicity I found in the books – the more simple it was, the better it got. There were no nice words or anything like that, it was more like a friend from Borlänge talking about love problems on the pub. That was where I realized Dylan’s metaphors weren’t the only ones. Before this point, I had stared by eyes blinde on his lyrics.

You never feel like writing in Swedish?

- I’d love to do that, but my way to express things has always been in English. When I write stories it’s in English as well. My Swedish is still  stuck in a primary school or high school level, a bit poetic in a naive way.

He usually writes the songs in storms of feelings and emotions, sometimes in a delirium. And the songs often get to lie for a while.

- When I write the lyrics it’s different. The first sentence set the emotion and after that it just goes on.

To get to try the lyrics live on the tour with Mando Diao suited Carl Norén perfectly. When it turned out well, he created a Myspace account out of panic. The site could both show his music and be a direct link to the fans.

- The blog at Myspace was very important. In a way it was the only way to let the fans know that something was going on, but also to get rid of the preconceptions that was hanging over us in Sugarplum and Mando. It’s a a point of view I don’t want to be associate with – the part where you’re a rockstar, special and cocky. I felt more like showing that I’m a human.

Eventually an album started to emerge and he took a job at Rosendahls garden café to be able to finance the album. The album was recorded together with Mats Björke of Mando diao in his studio. After a while, another big label, EMI, got interested and a contract was signed.

- I’m lucky to have good friends like him and that I could borrow the studio. It tore both of us out, but it was a journey. We grow together. Mats is my brake, he’s very calm and patient. I’m a little too creative sometimes. He sits next to me and tells me when I’m way off and when it’s good.

From the beginning, almost all of the songs were calmed and acoustic, but they have gotten more and more orchestrated on the album.

- The acoustic versions are also there, as b-sides, bonus songs and so on. I was working out a lot and was listening upbeat songs when I was running, a lot of hip hop. That’s why it turned out the way it did.

He recorded a video to the song ‘Going out tonight’ recently, produced by Mats Udd from Falun. A reunion between two former rivals.

- We were a part of two different demo bands, he played in a band called High Heels. It was the Borlänge-Falun thing. He then began to do videos, and I didn’t think about it being him until I met him. I sang a High Heels song and we talked about memories.

To be the middle child of three brothers, how has that influenced you?

- Hard to tell. You either get to fight for attention or step back. Gustaf demanded quite a lot of attention and Victor was very independent. I was both a diplomat and a troublemaker. I’ve always been a bit different and chosen my own ways. We’re quite different, they’re more into sports.

So what happens now?

- I’ll continue doing things with my solo project. I’ve written songs and I’m about to sit down at the computer and produce. At the moment, it feels like I want to do more records.