The Time Of The Season: Ane Brun

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In a diluted pool of MySpace spawned singer-songwriters it’s hardly surprising that the UK is largely unaware of Scandinavian songstress Ane Brun. So, on a rare visit to London, Gigwise jumped at the chance to speak with the fresh-faced talent prior to her next scheduled appointment (playing tourist at The British Museum followed by a bout of retail therapy) to find out just how her raw talent blossomed and why her trips to the UK are so few and far between.

“I was a confused academic searching for something to do, my music was something on the side, then all of a sudden it kind of took over and in 2003 I decided to release my own album. I didn’t have any big expectations and all of a sudden I was touring in Europe, so it was a very strange change.”  

Since releasing her debut album in 2003 life has been good to Ane, a Spellemannspris (a Nordic Grammy) for best Female Artist came her way in 2005 and the recently released ‘Changing Of The Seasons’ (album number six) is receiving glowing critical acclaim. But it hasn’t always been plain sailing; not content with simply writing, recording and releasing a debut aged twenty-six, Ane went further, sating an innate thirst for creative freedom and artistic control, as she openly explains:

“I started my own record company. Balloon Ranger is my own and DetErMine is a kind of artist’s collective and I’ve released all my albums on this. I also have my own publishing. I didn’t know anything about it when I started, so I had to learn everything and it was hard work but now I’m really happy.”

Thankfully a subtle reticence is overwhelmed by the immense self-belief that has helped to mould her career. With Balloon Ranger looking after Ane’s interests, DetErMine Records was established alongside Ellekari Larsson (pianist and vocalist for Swedish band The Tiny) in 2003, with Canadian singer-songwriter Wendy McNeill joining the pair two years later. Putting the risks of controlling her fledgling career firmly to one side, for Ane it was a natural and logical decision.

“It was almost like a practical thing because I didn’t want to go kissing arse to be able to do anything. I was really eager to get something out there because I was gigging a lot and felt I didn’t get the good gigs because I didn’t have an album. That was the only ambition I had really,” she says with wide smiling eyes, visibly passionate about and proud of her achievements.

“The most important thing is that I’ve been able to do things in my own time. My creativity has never been slowed down or pushed forward, I’ve always been sincere and I’ve never released anything that I don’t like. I like the pace that I’ve had… sometimes its gone really fast because I’ve had so much to do and sometimes it’s gone really slow because I’ve needed to sit down. I need to live my life to be able to write songs, so I’m still free to do whatever I want to do, which is wonderful.”

Released earlier this year, her third studio album, ‘Changing Of The Seasons’ dispenses with many stereotypically associated singer-songwriter attributes, by instilling an intrinsic sincerity and displaying a poetic competence that surpasses the language employed by many of her peers.

“I’m a language freak… I love just sitting and working with the lyric. I wrote that album just after turning thirty I think, so maybe it’s an age thing” she laughs “I always write songs that feel 100% honest but it doesn’t mean that it’s a diary, its just perspectives of life. It can be situations that are stolen from friends or something, but I try to filter it through myself. I kind of figured, when I was putting a name on it, that to call it changing of the seasons kind of fits because a lot of the songs are about transition in someway, from something to another or wanting to move towards something else.”

Not only does the album bring with it the promise of spring, but it organically serves as a seductive precursor to a handful of UK dates scheduled for late February. Which is convenient because as the end of our allotted time approaches, we’re brought back to the original question of why her trips to the UK are few and far between? Thankfully it’s nothing personal:

“I’ve been here a few times but we haven’t really prioritised it… I haven’t really found the right circumstances yet… but I think it feels good this time.”