Interview with Sylvaine

Hi! How do you navigate contrasting themes to create a harmonious and immersive experience for your listeners?
– As a listener of music myself, I’ve always very much appreciated duality within the sound, setting opposing forces up against each other and trying to find a harmony between elements that might not necessarily be the most natural to put together. It’s all about feeling and trying to convey a certain emotion in the most fitting way and that will dictate the shape each song takes.

Can you share with us how the cultural influences shape your creative process and the stories you aim to tell through your music?
– As Sylvaine is more or less what I describe as my audio diary, I would say what shapes my creative process the most would be my inner world. It’s all about trying to bring my innermost emotions, thoughts and worries up to the surface and communicating them to souls out there who are willing to receive them. My Norwegian roots have however left their trace in some esthetic ways in my music, with certain expressions, melodic languages and ornamentations that definitely hail from the folk music tradition.

What draws you to the fantastical/mystical elements, and how do they inform the sonic landscapes you create?
– Since I was a child, I have always been attracted to the mystical/ethereal/fantasy in life in what I assume to be some sort of escapism mechanism or perhaps a never-ending search to reconnect with something beyond this existence. I’m not sure this consciously effects how I work with sound, but it’s undeniable that I do find myself more at home in ethereal/atmospheric landscapes, with lots of layering and arrangements and play with different dynamics. The want to connect with something beyond could possibly be the driving force for that, wanting to not only let myself escape thru creating the music but to also take the listeners away from this reality but only for a little while.

How do you approach translating personal emotions into universal experiences that resonate with your audience?
– To be honest, I think it is super important to not think about the outside world when in the creation phase of any art. I don’t really consider how my music will be received when I’m in the creation phase, as I believe the best way to stay 100% true to yourself is by following your own needs to express and letting the emotions that want to surface come out without any filter or concern for how others will perceive them. Otherwise I find that it’s so easy to lose oneself in the many opinions of others and end up expressing something that’s not really authentically you. Creation in its nature is an introverted process for me, and the thoughts of how people will receive my art only start seeping in when I start approaching the actual release of each record. Then I inevitably give my body of work to the world and it is no longer only mine.

As an artist who has performed across Europe, North America, and South America, how do different cultural landscapes influence your live performances and the way your music is received by audiences?
– A live show is a direct dialogue between the people on stage and the people off stage, and therefore this energetic symbiosis that will be a different experience every time you are in it. Each country is different and of course it plays a part in how we experience each performance. We always try to give our very best each time we set foot on stage, but it’s true that the days the audience are very into the music and openly show their enthusiasm, it makes the experience even stronger for all of us. We see a big difference between countries where concerts are a weekly or even daily thing, versus countries where it’s not so common for international acts to come play a show, which usually leads to a complete shower of warmth, love and support, something we truly love. In the end though, each show is precious and I’m always so grateful to be able to share these moments and emotions with people all around the world, be it alone on stage or with my live band.

Two of your albums have been nominated for Norwegian Grammy awards in the metal category. How do you perceive the relationship between your music and the metal genre, and how do you navigate genre boundaries in your creative process?
– Genre is not something that I am too concerned with, as I always found it a little bit peculiar how people have this incessant need to categorize everything and try to put things that by nature are abstract into fixed framework. I prefer to let other put the tags they deem fitting onto my music if they like. I also do not consider any genre codes or boundaries when creating music, as I mentioned before, it’s all about trying to translate something that comes from within in the most accurate and worthy way, to then externalize it to share it with others. It’s not about trying to make my music fit into a certain crowd, not at all. I think Sylvaine as a project definitely has a foot in the metal scene, yet also has impulses from so many different genres at the same time, that it makes it hard for me to only put one label on it. I’m happy that the metal scene has embraced my music though, as it’s an incredibly supportive and warm audience and it’s well-known that the audience in this scene is experientially dedicated and loyal.

Could you tell us about a particularly memorable experience you’ve had while performing live, where you felt a profound connection with your audience or experienced a transformative moment on stage?
– Last year we were about to start our festival circuit for the summer with Mystic fest in Gdańsk, Poland in the first week of June. My drummer Dorian and bass player Max unfortunately never made it to the festival, due to a string of delayed and cancelled flights, which basically lead them to get stuck in Stockholm the night of our show. In that moment my guitar played Florian and I decided we would try to do an improvised duo set, just the two of us together, for a very intimate, stripped down Sylvaine set. We didn’t have the time to prepare, so it was truly an improvised experience. After a very, very long day, filled with so much stress, right after Ghost had played the final set on the main stage for the evening, Florian and I took the stage at 01:15am and ended up playing one of the most special sets I ever experienced in my life as a musician. It was super raw, super emotional and just felt like a truly unique moment together, just the two of us. The audience was packed and people were right there with us, calmly enjoying this final atmospheric, yet intimate sound bath of the night. We’ll never forget that evening, even if we sorely missed our two other guys. We tried to make the most of it and I’m so very grateful we did, as this show actually had a sort of confirming role in my solo concert quest. After this I was 100% sure that I needed to explore this path further, in addition to the usual full band shows.

What do you hope your audience takes away from the transcendent experiences, and what role do you see music playing in connecting people with the divine or the mystical?
– The only thing I really want to do when sharing music with people, be it on record or live, is to make them feel, to speak to their soul and touch their hearts. I would love for people to feel less alone and to feel seen, knowing there’s others out there feeling the same as them, even if it may not be for the same reasons. With Sylvaine having spirituality as one of its main pillars as a project, it’s of course lovely if it can make people think and reflect, maybe open some doors into the spiritual way of thinking, but more than anything I just want to open people’s hearts and maybe transport them away from their realities just for a few minutes.

In “Eg Er Framand,” you explore themes of identity and belonging through Norwegian heritage. How do you personally connect with these themes?
– «Eg Er Framand» as a record consists of 3 traditional Norwegian folk music pieces, as well as 3 original pieces composed by me. The traditional folk music pieces are all religious in nature, and basically connect super strongly with the spirituality that lies behind Sylvaine as a project and that also lies close to my heart as a person. I decided to rewrite the lyrics to be less connected to Christianity, out of respect for those who do believe in this religion as I do not, but the message is more or less the same; the feeling of not belonging, of feeling estranged in this existence, yet celebrating the beauty that this ephemeral existence holds. This is something I’ve already spent the 10 past years exploring thru all of my albums as Sylvaine, learning about my spirituality and my thoughts on the big, existential questions in this life.

As a visionary artist, how do you see the role of music in shaping and reflecting societal narratives, particularly in today’s world?
– I think art in general has always had a very strong ability to shape people. It’s always been a voice that we have seen used to speak up about social issues, distress, unfairness and inequality. Certain artists may have a rather large platform to be able to speak to people, giving them the opportunity to advocate for what they personally believe in. It’s a big responsibility actually, and an important voice in society in general. On a personal level, art has the power to make people feel seen and create a sense of community, which I believe can be very empowering to the individual too, which again causes ripple effects thru society. In my opinion, music has always been the art form that has the strongest ability to bring people together, which I always found especially magical. If it’s trying to open people’s eyes to what is actually going on out there, or if it’s trying to give people a little break from their reality by transporting them somewhere else, music is inevitable a highly important form of expression that is needed by the individual and society alike.

Can you share any rituals or practices you engage in to tap into your creative flow and channel inspiration for your music?
– I don’t actually have any specific rituals or anything like that, and I find that creation doesn’t require a specific setting to flow. The only thing I need to be able to tap into the creative flow is enough mental space to let myself fully dive into my inspiration and let it whisk me away to wherever I am supposed to go. I need to have the space to work whenever I need, keeping whatever hours I need during the composition process. This is why I find it hard to combine writing music with being out on tour or even doing pre-production for shows/tours or admin work for example. Even if I don’t have to set a specific kind of mood, I do need my introverted bubble to create, without a lot of other things clouding up my mind.

How do you approach collaborations, and what do you enjoy most about working with other artists?
– It’s always fun to be able to take steps onto a path that you may not have explored on your own. This can be very inspiring in itself and at the same time inspire your own personal expression in the future. I always try to serve the emotions of the song I am doing guest vocals or lyrics for. I have actually turned down a whole lot of guest musician opportunities in the last decade, just because I felt that I couldn’t truly connect to the music or that I couldn’t really add anything needed to the whole of the sound. I’ll never work on something I don’t instantly feel or a song where I don’t think I can contribute something that will add to the overall impression of the piece.

“Eg Er Framand” translates to “I Am a Stranger” in English. What inspired this title, and how does it reflect the themes explored in the music?
– The title of this EP comes from the closing track of the record with the same name, which was the piece that basically inspired me to create this EP in the first place. “Eg Er Framand” is an old traditional folk music piece that I first discovered some years back, seeing it performed on TV. It instantly stopped me in my tracks and I felt completely overwhelmed by the emotion this simple, haunting melody arouse within me. At that moment, I knew I had to do something with this song and I started performing it live at the very end of our set at some shows. Last year I had the idea to eternalize it and decided to make it the starting point for an EP revolving around Norwegian folk music, as a sot of homage to how it has inspired me thru the years. As to the meaning of this sentence itself, as mentioned above, Sylvaine is basically an outlet for my emotions and spiritual expression and this is reflected in this title referring to the sense of not belong to this place in an existential way.

How do you approach the challenge of balancing artistic integrity with commercial success, particularly in an industry that often prioritizes mainstream appeal?
– My approach to creating music is solely focused on staying true to myself and the expression I need to convey at the moment I am creating something, without considering if it will be a commercial success or not. Art is a self-centered, introverted medium in its creation phase, that should and must revolve around a personal expression and staying true to that, without any outside interference or regard to what others may think of it. Art is very much a form of self-healing, so one should not be thinking about the outside world too much when within the healing process in my opinion. I think the audience can sense when something is 100% honest and authentic, and in turn, I think that is actually what makes for success in art and will make it relevant for decades and decades.

Can you share any insights into the creative process behind “Eg Er Framand,” from the initial inspiration to the final recording?
– The whole process of making “Eg Er Framand”, from the moment I had the idea of doing so back in April 2023 to the day I handed over the finished record to my label Season of Mist, visuals and all in early September 2023, was honestly the most spontaneous, yet enjoyable one I ever had. Everything seemed so evident and things just kept falling into place, piece by piece, following the vision I had set out to follow from the beginning. It was a very freeing experience actually, being able to record everything myself again and freeing myself from my usual mindsets and tools like click tracks and endless takes for each melody line. I wanted to keep the EP raw, direct, intimate, as if someone was sitting in a church with me, just listening to me singing and playing these songs. I’m quite sure the process of making “Eg Er Framand” has changed me a bit, and some of the mindsets I had for that EP will follow me into the next full length Sylvaine records.

As an artist who has evolved over multiple albums, how do you see your music evolving in the future, and what new horizons do you hope to explore?
– Each time I start writing an album, I never quite know exactly where it will take me in terms of sound and expression, but I imagine that the next Sylvaine album will stay true to my contrasted, atmospheric and melodic touch that I’ve expressed in my previous 6 releases, but with some new impulses. There are so many new horizons I would love to explore. I’ve been wanting to dive into more electronic based sounds for years, something I feel will already start to come out on the next album, as well as more ambient and cinematic soundscapes. I’d also love to continue work within folk music, letting me dive deeper into this sort of dark, folky, singer-songwriter sound. I have lots of ideas, and I’d be so grateful to be able to keep exploring all of them as the years go by.

https://orcd.co/egerframand