Ane Brun: busy musician, typical person

Ane Brun (real name Ane Brunvoll) is a Norwegian singer-songwriter, currently based in Stockholm, Sweden. When I get to talk to her in the August of 2008 at Flow festival, she has recently released her 5th album “Changing of the Seasons”. She is occupied with writing music, touring, running her own record company, but apart from that Ane Brun is a typical person who likes to read books, go for movies, meet friends.

You have released your new album recently. How is it different from the previous ones?

I don’t know. I feel it has a very nice overall feeling. The whole album has a sound that we worked on a lot to find the right sound. And I think I have become a better singer myself. It just took more steps. It’s maybe more of everything, but still it’s not too much. I am happy with it.

Did you enjoy the song writing process?

Yeah, it was really good. I was writing last summer. I just have been touring for so long, so I didn’t have time to write.

Now in your show you have a friend that helps you.

Nina [Nina Kinert – A.K.]. She is Swedish and she has released three albums also on her own label. We are good friends and she has been touring with me a lot last years. We are helping each other.

Now you have been touring a lot. What plans do you have?

This fall I am going to release my album in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. And then I will release it in the USA.

You have been touring in many countries in Europe and the USA. Are there any changes you notice from region to region?

It’s more like from place to place and club to club. I don’t feel that Swedes are like that and Danish are like that. But often in big cities they are a bit snobbish. You never know if you come to a certain country, like tonight I was so happy [about the show in Flow festival, Helsinki – A.K.]. So you never know what happens.

Have you thought about coming to Baltic States?

I think we have talked about it a lot. We just have to find a good moment for it. We have been touring so much in the states and other places. I would like to come. Is it fun there?

Yeah, you should come!

How did you start the cooperation with Valgur Sigurdsson?

He did an album with an artist called Bonnie Prince Billy. And I really loved that album. I didn’t know his name and when I started googling, I figured he had worked with other big stars. So, I was interested and I went to Iceland to meet him. And he wanted to do it. I didn’t know him before, so we got to know each other through the record.

You are yourself running a record company. Can you tell a bit more about it? How many artists are you there?

We are three artists. None of us will release anything else, so we will be three of us for a while.

You are originally from Norway, but now you live in Sweden. How do you feel – as a Swedish or Norwegian?

I never was a musician in Norway, because I started in Sweden where I have been living for 8 years. The difference is that Sweden is double the size which you can feel in a way – Stockholm is bigger one Oslo. It’s more like it is bigger, but very much the same kind of people.

Do you still visit your home country?

A lot. I play there a lot.

You have also got some awards there.

Yeah, it’s good in Norway. My second album was a big success and also the Duets album. I made a duet with Madrugada [the song“Lift Me” – A.K.] and that’s how I got to be known.

Nowadays, Internet has a big role in music production and promotion. How has it changed your musical life?

Well, the music comes out to a lot of people. I notice it when I come here. There are not so many records in Finland, but there are a lot of people who know my music. And I also go to Internet to find some music, so it’s enormous now.

What do you enjoy to do apart from music?

I try to read books. I am a typical person: I go to movies, meet my friends, have a beer, very normal stuff.

Can you recommend three places which everybody should see in your hometown Molde in Norway?

You should go to the top of the mountain behind the city. You can go up by car – you can see the panorama and then you should take a car and drive to the ocean. It’s really beautiful!