Bellman On the Making Of “Brother, when we burn”
What was the creative process like for this particular single?
The song is a slightly quirky project that is built around a cool Rhumba rhythm I had lying around. I have recently, somewhat randomly, become a collector of vintage rhythm boxes, and I love the beats such as found in old living room organs and the like.
I'm not sure exactly where this specific rhythm comes from, but I believe that the starting point may come from a Hammond auto-vari 64 or a Nomad Rhythm maker 12, which I have in my small collection. It is then beefed up and chopped up a little in the mix.
How did you approach the arrangement and composition of the music for "Brother, when we burn?"
The sound has a classic Bellman arrangements with a building structure that explodes quite smoothly towards the end in a kind of Oasis-like riff, which can be seen as a small homage in connection with the reunion.
As for the text, it is probably mostly about doing what you have to in order to survive in your life. About doing one's thing, without thinking so much about what others say and think. That's how you become happy, I think. It is not so important what you do, but that you do it with intention and passion. With skin and hair as it is also called.
The song can probably also mean something completely different to someone else, so you never know.
What impact do you hope this song will have on your audience?
I see that my music tends to connect with the audience in a deep way, and that is what I also hope for my new single. I like to make songs that make people think and ponder, and hopefully they can find some kind of personal meaning to the songs.
Can you tell us more about you as an artist?
I am an independent artist with five studio albums released. I’ve been signed to several record companies through the years, and now I run my own label. My debut album was released in 2009 and reached as high as top #6 on the official norwegian album charts. I have in the years that followed, toured around the world and visited countries like Japan, China, South-Korea, Russia, Uk, and the USA.
Where do you find inspiration for your songs or musical ideas?
I find my inspiration everywhere all the time. I rarely plan to sit down and write music, but it usually comes to me at random. When I have a bunch of sketches, I go to my studio and start the work. I also work as a sculptor artist, and find that the creative process is fairly identical.