Creating in Isolation: A WNYU Interview with Soleima
The Danish musician on art in these difficult times.
By Bridgette Kontner
Just about a month after dropping her album Powerslide, Danish artist Soleima talks about the creative process, writing in isolation, concert cancellations, and what she’s looking forward to once we get on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic.
That was “Hustlin’” that you just heard by Soleima, and she’s actually here, sitting down to chat. Soleima, thank you so much for being here! How are you doing today?
I’m so good! I’m so excited to be here!
Thank you so much for coming! This is a super exciting time for you because I know your new album Powerslide just came out on March 13, which is super awesome.
It did!
What was your favorite song off that project?
Oh my God, that’s a mean question! They are all my babies! (laughs) But there are obviously some songs that I’m really proud of. Like, I’m proud of the whole album, but there are a couple that I really enjoy. The song called “LuvULuvULuvU” is the title song of the album, it’s where I kind of use the word “powerslide”, and it’s a song I’m really really proud of. It’s about self care and self love, and it’s also where I feel like I mix my loves for indie music and hip hop music in a pretty nice way.
Yeah, awesome. Thank you! So I’m sure your creative process was different while making the album Powerslide. So how exactly did it differ compared to your other projects — your first being NO.14 in 2017 and then Bulldog in 2018?
I think, actually, a big difference between those processes was that with Powerslide I worked very much with, especially, two producers only: being a guy called Jonny Coffer who’s based in the UK and then Kelvin Valentine, who I did the song “LuvULuvULuvU” with. And also I wrote a lot of it on my own, actually. I had just come out of this kind of time in my life where I was travelling a lot and writing a lot of songs in sessions where you are like — a lot of people who meet up and try to write a song — in new rooms every day. So I think Powerslide was kind of like a reaction to that and I needed to be more on my own, write more on my own, and be with fewer people simply. Not to say that — both these ways of writing, I think, are amazing, but I think I had just had too much of the other thing and needed to — I don’t know — needed some isolation, which is very weird to say right now.
Yeah, now you have a lot of isolation!
[laughs]
That’s so funny. So “Roses” was one of the singles that came out before the full album did. I love this song, I think it’s so much fun. I actually saw you perform it live at Webster Hall!
Yay!
It was awesome, I loved that show. So what was the inspiration behind this track?
So actually it’s a song about, like… I think there’s an aggression in this song. It’s towards someone else. It’s like “so did you think you could change me?”, it’s almost asking. But for me, it’s very much a song to one’s self-being like “hey, remember your own boundaries, remember why you…remember to say no when it’s time to say no.” So, in that way, it has been a … song about respecting yourself and respecting your own boundaries. And I thought it was fun that, as you say, it is a fun song. And I kind of thought it was fun to wrap this kind of heavy theme in … like a children’s melody almost. So, yeah I guess, somehow it’s something so obvious. Like, of course, you should love yourself, you should respect yourself and your own boundaries, but it isn’t always like that.
Right.
S: You know it isn’t as easy as just when I say it out loud.
Right!
So that’s very much what that song is about.
Right, you need to push yourself towards that.
Precisely, and also it’s on the lighter side because it’s someone who’s on the other side of these things. It’s someone who’s like — and I think that’s also why it can have this fun energy because it’s like “oh my God, what was I doing? Ha ha ha” — now I’m understanding everything, you know what I mean?
Yeah, totally! Wow, well I mean, now I’ll definitely think about that when I listen to that song, so thank you!
[laughs]
So you said you’re originally from Denmark and you’re there right now: what would you say your favorite part of being back there is?
So yeah, right now, I’m getting a lot of Denmark and it’s wonderful, of course, and also very weird to be stuck here like that.
Yeah.
But… I love a lot of things about our country. Now it shouldn’t be too heavy, I guess, but I do really enjoy our welfare model. Our political system is very unique, and that’s something I’m very proud of with our country. We have a strong and very inclusive democracy. That was the heavy side.
[laughs]
On the lighter side, it’s becoming summer here.
Oh!
Like, everything is blooming and it’s just about to — I don’t know what you say, like — pop. [laughs] And that’s just, actually exactly this time, like early spring, everything blooming is something I really really admire and adore about Denmark. So if anyone is thinking about coming, they should come now.
Yeah, for the government and the flowers!
Well, next year! 2021!
Aw, that’s so fun. So, what have you been doing in isolation to pass the time?
Oh my God, yeah, it’s so strange. Like, I guess I’m still finding my feet in all of this but I think it’s going to be a period of deep work, of creativity, and really writing a lot. Yeah, actually, I was supposed to play a lot of festivals in Scandinavia this summer, but our Prime Minister just cancelled all festivals until September here. So, now it is final: I’m not going to play any concerts. [laughs] So I’m definitely going to write a lot, and you know what, there’s some very positive sides to that, as well, like really being able to dive into that. And then, I have a couple of things I’ve started to do. For example, watching Star Wars in chronological order. [laughs] Yeah!
That’s a commitment!
And I’ve started to learn to play the guitar, actually!
Oh great! That’s awesome!
Yeah, it’s so fun!
Great, so yeah, like you said: good things!
Yeah! So I guess, those kinds of things. I really wanted to learn how to meditate, as well, but it’s really hard.
Well you have the time definitely!
Yeah!
Yeah, you have the time to kind of do that.
I definitely have the time!
That’s so awesome. Well, lastly, is there anything you’re looking forward to in the coming months? Whether that’s some shows or some new music … besides the ones that were canceled!
Yeah, as I said, and as everyone is feeling right now, everything that you were supposed to do within the next few months is obviously something else right now. So, I was supposed to do a lot of things and now I’m actually hopefully going to be able to do some of them, but also I’m going to have to reinterpret my way of life, like everybody else. And actually, I’m super excited about it! It’s going to be good, I’m going to write a lot of songs, and I’m going to work a lot with people in new ways. I’m already having sessions online and sending stuff back and forth, and stuff like that. And then I’m going to very much look forward to playing a lot of concerts when we get on the other side of this. I’m really excited to play Powerslide, my new album, live which I haven’t really yet.
Yeah, that will be awesome! Well at least everyone gets a chance to listen to it a lot now during isolation!
Yay!
So they can be excited to see it live.
Yeah.
Well Soleima, thank you so much for sitting down and chatting with me here on WNYU. Thank you so much, again!
Thank you! Thank you for taking the time!
Yeah, that has been awesome! So here’s that track “Roses” off of her new album Powerslide, that came out on March 13. And now whenever you listen to it, you can remember her words: love yourself and respect your boundaries.
This blog was written in collaboration with WNYU. You can listen to the original interview below.
