Rising experimental pop star, Rebekka Louise, has released her debut album ‘Shame Is An Old Friend’. What began as a Master’s thesis project, has since evolved into Rebekka’s deeply personal and experimental debut album. As a profound exploration of mental health and its impact on both internal and external realities, ‘Shame Is An Old Friend’ is set to captivate listeners now it’s released to the world. We talk to Rebekka about the amazing release...
Hey Rebekka, how are you? We absolutely love ‘Shame Is An Old Friend’ here at IGNITE. It’s so great that you’re down to talk to us!
Hi! I am doing great, thank you so much for chatting with me! Super excited about this.
So, this project started as a Masters’ Thesis, right? What was the process like in deciding to release it as your debut album?
I think it really came down to how much I just loved all the songs, and really wanted to share them with the world. I have previously been very reluctant to release music, especially as I’m doing it independently, because I wanted what I released to be perfect. But I figured ‘Hey I really really love these songs, and I am so proud of them so why not just release them and see what happens?’ And so far I am so happy I did! I think this realisation happened about halfway into creating the album, where I really started to see it all come together and form this cohesive story that just encapsulated all these complicated and intimate moments - I had so much more to express with this album than I initially thought were I felt a very clear musical direction form for me as an artist.
The lyrics throughout the album are so powerful and touch on struggles we’ll all come into contact with at some point in life. How does it feel to lay out your emotions so bare in your lyrics?
It feels very refreshing to be honest. I am a person who struggles to express myself to others, so writing my emotions into songs is a bit of a release in a way. It’s also such a great opportunity to reflect on my own emotions, but also maybe try to understand others a bit better. It gives me that time and space to just feel, and come to terms with whatever emotions that may be. Some people may prefer to vent to a friend or cry, I love writing them into lyrics and melodies. I also don’t only write from my own experiences, but also what I imagine other situations may feel like - and I find sharing them to be a way to not be so alone in the difficult feelings, not just for me but hopefully for whoever listens as well.
How did you arrive at your unique brand of electronic? And how has it evolved through the creation of this album?
I must admit it started from a point of me not having access to a live band, and trying to come up with sounds and melodies that I felt worked for my songs by myself. I have also always loved the idea of producing my own music, and creating my own approach to electronic sounds has allowed me to do exactly that! With this album I tried to be a bit experimental with what type of sounds I used so it was a lot of trial and error, but most of the sounds were actually inspired from the xylophone and especially those kids toys ones! From a production perspective I wanted to give a very subtle nod towards how a lot of unresolved emotions may stem from one's youth, so I found that to be an interesting approach to it. It also ties nicely together with the next project I am working on - which is a deeper exploration into those complex feelings and dynamics from childhood.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences throughout your life, and how have they impacted your sound?
From a young age me and my childhood best friend were massive Taylor Swift fans, and I am sure when I first started writing music at 14 she was definitely one of my biggest inspirations. But as I have slowly moved more toward alternative pop sounds I found immense inspiration from Norwegian AURORA and her album ‘The Gods We Can Touch’ has especially been such an inspiration - I think it’s absolutely stunning. A lot of the percussive elements have been very inspirational. I also love the synth production in Madison Beer’s work, with the big, wide drums and beautiful synth soundscapes. Lyrically, I find so much inspiration from Maria Mena. I love how straightforward and honest her lyrics are, and how through their simplicity they deliver such a vulnerable expression.
You say that you wanted to challenge yourself with the sounds you were using and experiment with the digital instruments you used. You definitely succeeded, the sonic atmospheres in the album are stunning. But, what was the most challenging part of the production of this album? Any hurdles you can share?
Sometimes it's very difficult to not be too repetitive, especially when creating an album you want to be sonically coherent - but you don’t want every song to sound the same either. It is also extremely tough creating all the music by yourself, as there is so many elements to include that you didn’t even think of, but without them the production sounds boring - it could be such an easy addition, like a very simple pad playing one note, but it makes all the difference in the sonic picture.
Your music is a striking, unique blend of electronica, pop, and singer-songwriter folk. If you could create a playlist with three of your songs and three songs from your biggest influences, what would you pick?
Oh gosh, that is so difficult. I find inspiration from so many different artists and songs, but these are some that definitively inspired the album or inspires me right now:
You Keep Me Crawling - AURORANothing Matters But You - Madison Beer
It Was Love - Maria Mena
There’s Something In The Shadows - Rebekka Louise
it was beautiful - Rebekka Louise
the mess that wanted love - Rebekka Louise
Looking back at your journey, from starting your Masters at the beginning of the albums’ journey to releasing it into the world, what’s been the most unexpected lesson or piece of advice that’s stuck with you?
‘If it sounds good, it is good’. I heard this in one of the production masterclasses at my masters degree, and it annoys me so much but I cannot remember who said it, but it really stuck with me. It was what made me realise that my music doesn’t have to be perfect, and I don’t need anyone else to tell me if it’s good enough or not - as long as I like it then it is good. It really gave me that extra push to start releasing more music and be proud of my work!
We're so glad it did, Rebekka! Thank you so much for talking with us.
Listen To Rebekka Louise on Spotify | Apple Music