acoustic instruments Archives - Sofia Talvik - Americana / Folk with Swedish Roots

I’m so happy to announce that we met our goal in the pledge and thanks to all of you who pledged we will be able to release the last part of L.O.V.E next week. If you haven’t pledged you can still pre-order the physical CD, T-shirts and other goods up till November 1st. After that the EP will only be available as a digital download.

For this update I thought we’d grill the producer a little bit, so I tied him to his amplifier and made him answer all these questions…

Marcus Högquist, you are the producer of “E – Part Four of L.O.V.E” and you are also the guitarist in Sofia’s band since many years, how do you think this recording was different than the others you’ve made with Sofia?
More guitars 🙂 The previous recordings I´ve done with Sofia have all been different from each other. For example, the first one we recorded almost completely live with just two microphones. All of us sitting in the same room and playing together. And for that one we used mostly acoustic instruments. For the following records we have been doing more and more overdubs, recorded separetly and used more electronic sounds. This time I’ve tried to capture the essence of Sofia’s songs and let them guide me toward where I was going. Maybe in some cases I’ve put them in a slightly new context, soundwise.

What’s your favorite song on the EP and why?
I like them all. But if I have to pick just one I’d say If I had a man. I’m really pleased with how it came out.

If you would describe this EP as the love child of two bands/artists, which would that be?
John McEnroe and Mats Wilander 😉

If you would have had an unlimited budget, is there anything you would have done differently?
I think I would have recorded the songs live with the band in a big fancy studio somewhere in the countryside. We would stay there for a few days and be totally focused on making the best record ever. For relaxation between the sessions some of us would play some tennis, Christian would go fishing in the lake just outside the studio and Sofia would probably get a nice massage.

How come you chose “Lower Case Letters” as your re-make song?
Actually the new rhythm feel of that song came out of a mistake during a rehearsal that Sofia and I where doing for a promotion tour a few years ago. So for the following tour we decided to stick with that new rhythm arrangement and we did on our last US tour with the band as well. Then, when I was asked to pick an old song for this recording I just thougt it would be nice to record it that way.

What was your biggest challenge as a producer?
Because I recorded a lot of the stuff myself, I’d say being the the producer and the musician at the same time.

Exactly how many guitar tracks can we expect on “E – Part Four of L.O.V.E” ? 😉
Billions!!!

What’s your best words of wisdom when producing an album?
Keep an open mind. It might be good to have a plan for how you want the songs to sound. But be open for new ideas during the process and let them inspire you.

Thanks Marcus! We look forward to hearing your awesome creation!

“E – Part Four of L.O.V.E” is being released November 1st.

For the 4 EPs I’m releasing this year I’m using 4 different producers. And not any producers but the 4 guys in my backing band also known as The Tallboys. The producer for my first EP “L” is Christian Hörgren. Christian has been with me for more than 5 years and can be heard playing cello on all my previous albums. Here’s a little interview with the man in charge.

Hi Christian Hörgen, producer of the first EP in the L.O.V.E saga! How does it feel to be the first of 4 producers involved in this project?
– I’m pleased, honored and very excited. I think this is a great idea to let the members of the band take care of one recording each. It forces you to really make a statement about the song, not only your single part.

Is this your debut as a producer or are you in fact a veteran?
– I have produced several albums with my own bands and projects, but never for another recording artist.

How come you decided to do this and are you excited about the EP?
– How can I say no to such a flattering offer, Ha! To be honest, It was a tough decision to make since I’m on a parental leave with two kids. It’s always hard to make everything you dream of doing actually happen. But this time, together with some help, support and understanding from my wife and kids, we actually pulled it off.

What’s your main inspiration as a producer?
– I like to work with acoustic instruments, and I like weird instruments. I also like clear and simple ideas, and how you can question those ideas by making small changes in the arrangement of the song. I’m no big fan of an artificial studio sound in the Phil Spector tradition. I’m more into traditional, or even vernacular music superimposed with art music, like the things Jimmy O’Rourke is doing. Or Wilco.

What do you think will be different with this EP from Sofia’s previous albums?
– It’s really hard to tell. It’ has the airy and clean sound from the first records, paired up with the sweet americana vibe on the recent ones. I have tried to do it my way, not Sofia’s way, Ha!

You have played with Sofia for many years, how does it feel to be the producer as opposed to a musician working with a producer, and will you be as hard on yourself as you are on the other musicians?
– It’s a big privilege to help Sofia develop her great songs in my way. It has been so fun, yet difficult and very challenging.

Which instruments will you be playing on the EP?
– I play the kalimba (african thumbs piano), autoharp (American folk zither), electric and acoustic cello, piano, Fender Rhodes, hammond organ and I also made some field recordings.

Do you think that you and the other producers will create very different EP:s or will they sound alike?
– My friends in the band are so talented. I’m sure they will do it in their completely different way. But I have no idea what it will sound like, Ha!

If you had an unlimited budget, what would you do?
– I would hire Brad Mehldau, Bill Frisell, Steve Gadd, Anthony Jackson to do the instrumental parts, playing Sofia’s songs together with the Brodsky String Quartet. I would ask Danny Elfman to do the arrangements, or perhaps Stephen Sondheim. To be honest, that sounded more like Brewster’s Millions. There is no clear connection between budget and quality. I would rather have unlimited time than budget.

We thank Christian for the chat and look forward to hearing the result of his hard work!

Tag: acoustic instruments

E – Update #6

Exclusive interview with the producer!