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.