Stina Nordenstam - With the fiction filter on...

by Henrik Strömberg
Published: Groove, Volume 6 - 2004-06-09

A shy music artist who prefers rather to draw herself away than use the spotlight seems more interesting. What are her thoughts? Are they awkward? Groove's Henrik Strömberg got an exceptional occasion to a chat with Stina Nordenstam, Sweden's shyest star, before the release of her new record The World is Saved.

Setting: a hotel lobby in Stockholm. Stina Nordenstam wore a checked pairs of trousers cut short and a hat that concealed her black hair. The record company representative asked us if we wanted to have something to drink. I asked for a glass of water while Stina requested for a glass of champagne. As we sipped on our drinks, our conversation commenced.

Stina Nordenstam released her debut album Memories of a color in 1991 when she was just 22 years old. She got a lot of attention for her version of jazz and her stubborn and light voice. On album two she took a departure from jazz, and when the single Little Star was included in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo+Juliet the world took notice. In her career, she has collaborated with musicians such as Suede's Brett Anderson, Mew, David Sylvian, Fläskkvartetten, Vangelis,etc. She has not sold tons of records, but she has a steady audience around the whole world. She also took lessons in belly dancing before the shooting of Get On with Your Life, which was directed by Amir from Infinite Mass.

Your previous album had an accompanying DVD featuring videos for each song on the record. Why was it never released?

- That was a record company decision. It was one whole large mad project, and an awful lot of money was involved. I often think that the record company were weighing costs versus profits... the video costed much more than the production of the record or atleast as much, I beleive. They knew anyway that it was going to be a massive project.

Was it cool?

- I was not wholly participating, ... I approved manuscripts, and oversaw production before they were all completed.

Were they good?

- No, they all varied in quality, some were OK, but my overall impression was not so great. I knew that the idea did not work in order and it became quite fragmented. If I had done this or had been more involved, I failed many of those angles of approach and took part in something that turned out to be too ambitious.

This video that you've just done, how involved were you there?

- No, this is the first time that someone else had a complete control on the project but I did have some input on the ideas. Amir was interesting to work with. I am hugely sceptical of doing videos, I do not watch TV. I think the messages or feeling conveyed by videos aren't as strong.

But you've still done good videos.

- But nevertherless they were done in the past. It's dated now and belong to a certain period. When i look back at them, I think they are good but I'm not excited about them.

Have you done videos by yourself?

- Two, I beleive. Three, actually. No, I've done four. I have done two for myself, one for Souls and one for Koop.

Which were the ones you directed for yourself?

- This Time, John. About John Hron-historien.

That song touches me.

- Yes, it's very simple and objectionable.

Is it cool to do videos?

- [Stina pokes about in her bag] I applied for DI. I applied for directing films and documentary, but nothing came through. I have quite the determination to do a film sooner or later.

There are however directors younger than us?

- That has nothing to do with it though. I know that I need to go a step back, so that I can fulfill the ambitions that I’ve put myself into. I am a bit short-sighted in my outlook on life.

What type of film would you do?

- Haha… That is a difficult question, I really don’t know… Stina has been thinking for some time. “ Drama-thriller, perhaps?” comes as an acceptable compromise.

I feel that you do not often write about actual events , but on Dynamite, you wrote about John and Mary Bell. How did that come about?

-I donot know acutally. Well they each deal with violence in one way or the other and they felt current and they meant something to me.

When you write, do you draw from your experiences? Many of your lyrics seem auto-biographical.

- Alot of it is fiction in some way, although alot of it can be biographical as some experiences turn up in un-expected parts of a song. I feel it is quite difficult to write something that is entirely fictious... not that i'm trying to protect myself. When I write it becomes a desire to write about something hidden.. a particular condition, feeling or issue. And if one were to write something entirely auto-biographical, the song is left to very few interpretations.. so I feel it's best to write something that is open for interpretation.

Do you write in order to describe a feeling?

- [long thought pause] not feeling, more about conditions.

Did you know that you could make People are Strange your own?

- Yes, though on another level. There exists something individual, but it's quite difficult to try describe the process.

I imagine that can be difficult.

- One can see that Purple Rain is nothing like Prince's version. I tried to make a more genuine version than what he had done.

I can agree with you on that as when I heard your version, I went back and forth listening to your version and Prince's version and couldn't find anything similiar

- right on!

How do you decide how you want your songs to sound?

- As I said earlier, most decisions happen unconsciously. On Dynamite, I had never played an electric guitar, actually i'd never played a guitar, so, I went along with a guy who lent me his guitar. I sat and the played for days and did my recordings on an early generation digital tape recorder. I had no idea at the time that this would turn out to be my next record.

On the new record, the songs are all about breaking-up.

- Yes, it feels like that at a certain point.

This song, "The End of a Love Affair" gives the feeling that nothing lasts for ever...

- i suppose so.. so?

I got that feeling.

- I can agree with you. But it can also last, one can have various attitudes about it, for example, what I chose in the song. But nevertheless one can hope - I don't say that I don't have it, but ofcourse it can exist. Therefore, a song does not necessarily have to describe an entire state of mind. It can be done in a way just to examine a certain aspect.

So when someone reads your lyrics... it's not necessarily your life in a box?

- No, not even close. I've often got questions about my songs that I do not have a pre-sentiment about. And then, I am suddenly forced to go farther in history than what I had initially intended to. At the start of the year sent Stina sent out an inquiry to the general public to send in sounds and beats to her, that she would perhaps use in her seventh album.
- I got good submissions. I didn't think it would work. Sometimes, I had a desire that I would work better this way. And I thought little of depending on my manager to help me meet with interesting people. When I try to do a project alone, I feel that I can only take it to a certain stage. I thought that would be a brilliant idea.

Do you listen to electronic music?

- I donot listen to alot of music in general, but I've listened to quite a lot of electronic music in the past few years.

How come you donot listen to music?

- when do you listen to music?

All the time. But mostly oldies and instrumental.

- Yes, I have huge dificulty listening to vocal music. Nine out of ten times I prefer music without vocals. There are many things odd in the way that I sing. I donot even listen to my own songs. But that doesnot happen in so many everday situations when I listen to music.I have listened to quite a lot of hiphop when I've danced and exercised, but it's the same thing there.It is so seldom that you get to hear good lyrics.So one tries to disreagard it and just listen to the beats.

Have you ever thought of singing differently so that you can climb up the charts?

- I will not sing differently and thats the hitch. Nor do stuff like the Eminem thing, where you intermix stuff.

The one with Dido? It was just horrible.

- Yes, but it had a good catch. I thought neither good or bad of it, but it made them each successful. It shows a possibility of being succesful with such a venture but its not something that I would do.

You have done some collaborations. Do you choose your collaborators or is it the other way round?

- Most of the time I choose, but sometimes they choose as well.

So did Danish band [Mew] call to ask you if you would be on their record?

- I got to know them via my boyfriend. Otherwise its always been via my manager.

How do you react or respond when they call you?

- With both Vangelis and Yello, I had no idea as to who they were. Although I slightly knew about Chemical Brothers.

What did you pursue with Chemical Brothers?

- I didn't do anything with them. They sent me material but I didn't feel inclinded. With Yello, for example, i was going into a new frontier and that interested me. But I have never thought "Wow, my idols, this will become exciting, and fantastic music." There can actually be a bit counter-attacking when working together. I am now working with David Sylvian (and Steve Jansen.)

You did the song I Could still be an Actor with Anton Fier. Is it something you would like to do?

- No. I've never wanted to be an actor, I'm more inclined on being a director. It's like playing live, which i don't do either. I want to be the last person seen or not seen at all.