Northern Trails On the Making Of “Through The Grain”
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind "Through The Grain" and the story it tells?
Speaking as the band's song writer; in my song writing I almost always put myself in the shoes of fictive characters, and for some reason I tend to go for characters with mental issues... 😛 Sometimes I settle for a slightly unsympathetic person, but it happens that I write about full on serial killers and kidnappers. These characters usually try to figure out the reason why things didn't turn out the way they expected and why they don't receive the love they feel deserving of.
I don't think I have a dark side that's trying to break free or anything like that. I think I write songs instead of making movies, writing books or creating stories in some other way. Having always been drawn to story telling of a poetic or mysterious nature, the TV series Twin Peaks was one of my best experiences as a teenage kid in the 90's.
It makes little sense to me to define the meaning of a specific song lyric for other people – it means whatever people hear. However, in "Through The Grain" I picture a person hanging in a bar, observing attractions building up around him and thinking about the universal need to feel close to another person – even if it's a stranger. At another level the song makes me think about moments in my life when I've gained a new skill after a long time struggling with tedious work for no apparent reason other than the urge to keep doing it.
Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording sessions for this single?
We recorded "Through The Grain" at my house the day before New Year's Eve 2022. My family was kicked out for the day so we had the house all to ourselves. It was our first recording session as a band and we didn't quite know what to expect. We planned on recording demo tracks before going into a paid studio, so we quickly put the gear together and recorded four songs live. After the mixing phase, we were all amazed at the quality of the sound. We decided to produce release ready versions and added new vocals and some extra instruments to the final tracks.
How do you feel "Through The Grain" represents your artistic identity?
We've always considered Northern Trails heavily influenced by American rockers like My Morning Jacket and Ryan Adams, even if our sound is a bit more pop oriented. I think "Through The Grain" really embodies our love for the Americana genre.
Can you share an instance where you felt a strong connection with the crowd during a show?
Last year we played at a small music festival called Broddbo Tractor Music Festival. The venue was a pimped up barn and the stage floor was built on top of huge bales of straw. The setup was primitive and the crowd tiny, but the experience was magical. I think we played our best show on that stage.
Are there any upcoming projects or releases that you're particularly excited about?
Yes, we're releasing four singles in the spring of 2024. We're expanding our repertoire a bit genre-wise, so we're excited to see what our audience has to say about that. 😊