New summer single for free!

Any day now I’ll be releasing my new summer pop single! It’s specially written for summer 2007 and all subscribes to the newsletter will be able to download it for free ahead of everyone else. So sign up if you’re not already a member.
For you who know me from last.fm you know it’s already been scrobbled and some of you have been nagging me on where to get a hold of it. It’s called “Blåa Linjen Hem” and is unusually enough in Swedish, but I’m sure all you english speaking folks will enjoy it anyway. So it’s pretty different from all my other stuff, but don’t be afraid that I’ve all of a sudden swopped genres.
This is simply an outburst of summer joy!

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December – mp3 of the month

Salvo Magazine appoints December their mp3 of the month in their upcoming issue. Read it first here!

MP3 of the Month
Sofia Talvik – December

It’s not very often I come across Folk music that’s to my taste. Maybe it’s just a genre that doesn’t really do that much for me, I don’t know. Now, before all Folk artists out there get all defensive and start writing in complaining that I’m dissing them as a collective, please, save your venting, you couldn’t be further from the truth.

You see, although I’m not the biggest lover of Folk music in general, when it’s done properly, like pretty much any genre (especially Classical but that’s a totally different story), it can be stunning.

Look at artists like Gemma Hayes, Kathryn Williams, Nick Drake, Tom McRae or Cara Dillon, with the latter especially being truly sublime. Folk absolutely is a genre that’s both under appreciated whilst also being a backbone to music as a whole and one we must all embrace ‘for the greater good’.

That’s what leads me onto Sofia. We decided to choose December as our MP3 of the month above all other tracks off her most recent long playing effort Street of Dreams as it would be too easy to choose the single It’s Just Love based on the facts that 1 – it’s a single already and 2 – it’s a duet with one of my personal heroes, Bernard Butler, now, that would bias the vote ten fold.
No, what sets December apart from the bunch is that it’s just so much more delicate than the others.

With a vocal range tinged by echoes of Dolores Mary O'Riordan Burton from the Cranberries blended with a light heartedness that in some ways isn’t too distant from Joni Mitchell in her heyday all those years ago, December has managed to remain on constant replay for a good while now and will continue to do so until another track off the album takes our fancy.
Featuring an accent that does at times sound Irish it’s almost unnoticeable that she is in fact from Sweden. Don’t worry. We’ll keep the Abba references to a minimum.

Sofia has obviously been working as a solo artist for long enough now to realise where she wants to get, it’s abundantly clear that she’s working with people who are on her wavelength and are helping her do that

If there was ever a time for artists like Sofia to be in the forefront it’s got to be now, we’ve got others Acoustic Soloists like James Morrison and Blunt pushing acoustic based song writing into the mainstream and whilst we really shouldn’t pin all of our hopes on artists like these, god help us if we did, it is great to see that every now and then artists like Sofia do get the spotlight shone in their direction. 2007 should be the year that spotlight gets turned to face her and we wish her all the best when it does.

I am also green with envy that she’s worked with a hero, but I’ll get over that so don’t worry too much..

www.myspace.com/sofiatalvik

Duncan Buchanan

last tracks recorded!

I'm counting days til the 8th of november. That's when the album should, and hopefully will be, mixed and finished.

Today we added the last instrumental parts, a wonderful arrangement for three saxophones written by Hanna for the song "will you call me when you're sober". Now hold it, I know what you're thinking; "hmmm…saxophones, you mean like early Sting or perhaps that funky sound of Tina Turner?" But I promise you, it's nothing like that at all. Actually the saxophone parts on this album has sort of become my favourite sound. You rarely hear it in popmusic today, at least not like this.

Hanna (who plays the soprano saxophone) brought her friend Nis (who plays the baryton) and I barely had time to say "saxophone" before they were finished with the recordings and out the studio door. I'm so lucky to have such talanted musicians playing on this album, but then again, they're so lucky to have such a great producer (me!) hehe. Just kidding, but it's coming out just wonderful som I'm very happy with it.

Now, it may have been a quick recording this afternoon, but you will have all the time in the world to enjoy it as I'm posting a sample for you to listen at.

And that's all for today folks!

"Will you call me when you're sober"

desperate daniel

I didn't intend this blog to become personal but I have to make a small exception and judging by the loooads of comments on this blog I suppose not that many people read it anyway.

I just watched "The Devil and Daniel Johnston". What a fabulous documentary! If I felt at all broken, insane and raging before I saw that movie it has all disappeared by now. I'm nowhere near as fucked up as Daniel Johnston. Probably not near Daniel in any other way either, genious or madman.

Anyway. As long as you have to deal with other people and especially if there's money involved things always become a drag. As fun as it can be sometimes making an album, for me it's mostly hard work and disapointments. I guess to feel entirely happy I should do what Daniel did, record a tape on my own and just hand it out to people. Be free of the business and the demands. At some point quality seems to become more important than the feeling, the songs and everything. I want it top of the top and truth is today I just woke up wondering where all the fun had gone. Noone tells you this before you start making an album. I did one before and it was hard at times but not like this.

I suppose if you have a backing label, manger, publicist whatever, things can get alot easier, but I make it all by myself and it's starting to eat on me. I'm lucky to have such an involved, supporting husband or I don't know how I would manage. Inspired by the book I'm reading "Hotel California", Daniel Johnston and my bad moods I wrote this little piece.

It won't be on an album, at least not on this one so feel free to download the lot of it.

"Circle of Friends"

 

g'night folks

Pop art

A loooong day in the studio.

We started 3 pm and finished 10 pm with ALL the guitar to ALL the songs recorded. Will add some sound samples tomorrow after recording Cello. 'Til then enjoy this little gallery! g'night folks.

Pop art candybox

Yes I love the sepia function on the camera!

Yeah baby it's groovin'

Love is an important ingredient when you record an album. (No this man is not my guitarrist!)