Sofia Talvik at SXSW

Sofia Talvik live at SXSW 2010 photo by Womens Radio
Sofia Talvik live at SXSW 2010 photo by Womens Radio
Sofia Talvik live at SXSW 2010 photo by Womens Radio

For the fourth year in a row I’m officially invited to play the SXSW festival in Austin, TX in March! I really look forward to coming back to Austin, as I couldn’t attend last year and SXSW is one of my favorite festivals. I have plenty of showcases so I look forward to seeing you all there. Here’s the current list of my gigs, stay tuned for updates:

Sofia Talvik @ Red Shed Tavern (part of Indie on air! Ascension Tour)
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 at 4:30pm

Sofia Talvik @ Hyatt Regency Austin
Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at 6:00pm

Sofia Talvik @ Backroads Austin
Friday, March 16, 2012 at 2:00pm

Sofia Talvik @ Stephen F’s Bar
Friday, March 16, 2012 at 12:00am

Sofia Talvik @ Wyndham Garden Hotel
Friday, March 16, 2012 at 6:00pm

Sofia Talvik @ Wyndham Garden Hotel
Saturday, March 17, 2012 at 6:00pm

New album pre-order!

The Owls Are Not What They Seem
The Owls Are Not What They Seem
The Owls Are Not What They Seem

“…Not dread but a connection with our past is what we feel, a thread running back to the artless creatures we once were when we first heard the oboe-like notes from the Great Horned Owl. In Paleolithic times, we suspected omens in its voice, heard in it questions we were unable to articulate, but which have stayed within us, incomplete and taunting. We are certain that ancient, taloned bird sees what we do not, knows what we never will. And some night, silent as a gliding feather, its immensity will engulf us at fireside to tell us things we want to know as well as those we don’t. In the shadowed forest we’re pulled by that lurking and alluring ghost and we are enthralled.” Welcome to Twin Peaks: Access Guide to the Town

2011 was a busy year for me. I worked hard to get an artist visa to the US, preparing for a tour that might go on for as long as two years. At the same time I wrote and recorded a new album. Now that I’ve landed in my tour in the US it’s also time for my new album to land. “The Owls Are Not What They Seem” is a collection of 12 new songs. My musical journey started out in 2004 when I recorded Blue Moon and me and my musicians all gathered in a basement studio in Stockholm recording acoustically and almost all the instruments at the same time. After that I tried a more common way of recording in layers, adding instruments upon instruments. For my third album I hired a producer, Tobias Fröberg and for my fourth album Florida i experimented with a bigger soundscape with more drums than I had ever used before.

For “The Owls Are Not What They Seem” I went back to basics. After having done an acoustic solo tour for my album Florida Acoustic in 2010 I felt I was in my best element when I was playing and singing at the same time without the restrains of headphones and click-tracks. So I decided to make an ablum that was the essence of that me. Just something I could record in my bedroom without the pressure of a big production, time and opinions from others. All the songs on “The Owls Are Not What They Seem” are recorded that way. Me – playing and singing at the same time, then sparsely adding other instruments to enhance and highlight where I thought it was needed.  My goal was to keep it down and make an acoustic album with a live, organic feel to it. I had no interest in changing the world or inventing something new. I just wanted to make a beautiful acoustic album. And here it is: “The Owls Are Not What They Seem

You can now pre-order the album here. You’ll get a free track straight away. Physical signed albums will only be available through my website until the release. I also have two special guests on the album; Martin Hederos is playing the piano on “Nothing quite so gentle” and Pontus Borg has lent his voice to “7 miles wide”. Please hit the share button to tell all your friends.

On the Road

We’ve been stuck in San Diego for a few days. Not that I’m complaining, we’ve been mostly sitting in the hot tub with a beer, but we’re all longing to do more concerts. We played at Acoustic Music San Diego which kind of left us with mixed feelings as the greeting from the manager there was less than pleasant. But we’re all looking forward to our gigs in Austin. As we’re actually staying for 2 extra days after SXSW is over we were talking about maybe getting us another gig, like a SXSW after party kind of thing. That would be fun!

Tomorrow we’re hitting the road again and to make the days pass and spend less time in the car we’re cutting the trip into a 3 days drive instead of 2 days of loooong hours in the car. We’ve mapped our route on roadsideamerica.com and have a few funny things to see on the way to Austin. I’m looking forward to Shakespear’s Ghost Town, and the guys want to see the Bush Gallery of the Pacific War.

I’m not in Texas yet but I did manage to buy myself a pair of seriously cool cowboy boots today! They’re blue so I’m feeling like sining “blue suede shoes” only I have to change it to “blue suede boots” haha.

For all of you that want some free music as a special treat for SXSW, text SXSW2010 to 41411 (US only).

See you at SXSW!

New Album 2009: Vlog #5

“The closet recordings”… that’s a nice name  for a new album, but I’m not sure I’ll chose it for my upcoming one, although I have moved into the closet to continue my recordings. I’m doing some more vocal takes at home and ordered a mic stand from musiciansfriend.com much cheaper than Guitar Center which I basically live on top of. Being alone in the closet gives me the comfort of having no one listening, being able to try out different stuff even if it might sound weird or wrong without a clock ticking away in a studio session. So I’ll probably do most of the vocals in here. Welcome to the tour!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgZEBBynK1c