The big 100

Sofia Talvik is doing her 100th gig on the tour tonight
Sofia Talvik is doing her 100th gig on the tour tonight
Sofia Talvik is doing her 100th gig on the tour tonight

Today May 29th I’m doing the 100th gig on the Drivin’ & Dreaming tour! We’ve had such a journey, been all through the deep south, in Texas for SxSW and back to the east coast, and now we’re hitting number 100 in New York City tonight at Pianos (7pm).

The tour has been amazing so far. I’ve experienced so much and met so many wonderful people. But it’s by no means over. We’re fully booked until August in NY, MA, ME, CT, PA, OH, IL and IA and we will keep on trucking towards the west coast. I hope to see so many more friendly faces and keep spreading my music like a wildfire over the US. If you haven’t got my new album yet there’s a limited amount of physical CDs for sale here!

Tonight only there will be free Drivin’ & Dreaming t-shirts for everyone (first come first served) so don’t miss out on celebrating my 100th gig with me at Pianos in NYC!

Here’s a selection of what people has said about my shows so far:

[quote] Of all the voices – and man, they seem to issue them at birth to Swedish women – Talvik has the most faith in hers in an “I don’t need a theatrical gimmick” kind of way.” [/quote]

– Austin Chronicle

 

[quote] Listening to her music, an otherworldly edge, surprising twists and powerful, haunting vocals make her much more than just another pretty folk-pop-acoustic performer.”[/quote]

– Atlanta Retro

 

[quote] Sofia Talvik is absolutely freaking gorgeous, and her charming stage presence drew me in, all the more. Not only is she a great singer, she fingerpicks her acoustic flawlessly, reminiscent of the steady subtle perfection of Nick Drake’s Pink Moon. [/quote]

– RVA Magazine, Richmond, VA

Acoustic video from TOANWTS

The Owls Are Not What They Seem

Here’s a little video from Birmingham Sloss Furnaces where I play the song The War from my upcoming album “The Owls Are Not What They Seem” (TOANWTS). If you haven’t already ordered your copy you can do it here! Signed physical CDs are only available until the release date January 31st.

 

E – Update #6

Marcus and Sofia playing live. Photo: Jonny Andersson

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 recording some guitar
Marcus Högquist recording some guitar

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.

Marcus and Sofia playing live. Photo: Jonny Andersson
Marcus and Sofia playing live. Photo: Jonny Andersson

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.