Simen Mitlid Interview über EP Release „Social“

Simen Mitlid spricht über seine neue EP „Social“

Wir stellen dir heute im Interview die neue EP „Social“ von Simen Mitlid vor.

Während ich diesen Text schreibe greift Russland die Ukraine an. Wir haben Krieg in Europa. Unfassbar und unvorstellbar. Wir sind ja gerade erst dabei gewesen uns von den Fesseln der Corona-Pandemie zu lösen. Und jetzt das. Musik ist ja nicht immer politisch, sie darf es aber sein und manchmal ist sie es auch unweigerlich. Simen Mitlid sieht das ähnlich. Er findet sogar, dass seine neue EP „Social“ eine seiner traurigsten Veröffentlichungen überhaupt ist. Das kann ich nur unschwer anzweifeln. Nicht im Sound, denn der ist eher smooth und wartet mit schönen Indie-Arrangements auf. Sondern in der Gesamtkonstellation. „Social“ ist insofern eigentlich eher eine sehr persönliche EP, die Bezug nimmt auf seine Jugend, sein Familienumfeld und seine Vergangenheit.

„While I’m writing this, Russia is invading Ukraine. Most of the world is still struggling with the coronavirus. Democratic institutions are being threatened, conspiracies- and right wing-populists are on the rise, and the climate crises are being ignored. I’m privileged and not directly affected by any of this (yet), but in all of this uncertainty I’m writing a new album, and it feels like it’s gonna be the saddest album I’ve ever written.“

„Social“ ist Teil einer zweiteiligen Serie. Im Herbst wird seine zweite EP dazu erscheinen. Mit vier Tracks geht er jetzt voran und liefert uns darin tief schwelgerische Indie-Pop Songs. Leicht gedämpft und gar nicht mal so fröhlich wie erwartet. „Channels“ ist dabei sogar der melancholischste Song von allen. „Leon T.“ fällt hier schon deutlicher aus der Reihe. Denn dieser wurde mit Band eingespielt. Kurzweilig wirkt die EP allemal. Aber nicht weil sie nichts aussagt, sondern weil man sich so sehr hineinfühlt in seine Welt und gerne seinen Geschichten lauscht, die er aus seinem persönlichen Umfeld zum Besten gibt.

“Social” is the name of your new EP, which is part of a duology. The second part will follow in autumn. Can you briefly explain how the idea behind this duology came about and what can we expect?

Simen Mitlid: „On the 2nd EP I think you can expect a bit more stripped down release with less electronics, more nylon. After recording three albums over the last 4 years, I wanted to see if something changed in the creative process when I just had to focus on 5 songs instead of 10-12 songs. Because the hardest thing with an album is not to write those 12 songs, but to produce those songs to fit on the same album. So on an EP I thought it would be easier to just go deeper into each song and to not compromise for example „track 3“ because of how „track 11“ sounds. On an EP it’s less „other songs“ to care about.“

The four tracks offer a rather personal insight into your life. Into the past of your great-grandfather, family and friends. To what extent do the songs help you to work through the past and to discover and create new memories in it?

Simen Mitlid: „Hard to say. But I think it’s other people’s experiences that inspire me, not the experiences I’ve had in my life. I don’t like to see myself in my own songs, even though they’re often from an „I“-perspective, so I understand if they’re interpreted as personal experiences. But the lyrics are very rarely about just one thing, or have narrative, they’re usually all over the place. So one verse can be about a specific incident, but the next verse is most likely about something else. But the lyrics are usually based around a vague idea – and for the most of the time, circle around that idea or float around in that „universe“. And on this EP I’ve tried to make all the songs float around in that same universe.“

Except for „Leon T.“ we are dealing with rather calm, slightly romantically playful songs. I find “Channels” in particular to be very sad and introspective. How do you experience the songs when you actively listen to them for the first time?

Simen Mitlid: „“Channels“ is probably the most melancholic sounding song on the EP. But I’m not sure if it’s the song with the „saddest“ lyrics. In the chorus I basically sing about how hard it is to change/zwap channels on different TV’s, hehe. Guess that’s a metaphor for apathy or something, but it’s not very sad, but introspective absolutely!“

„Leon T.“ falls a bit out of line with your other songs, which otherwise seem so reduced. How difficult was the song in the final implementation and also in such a way that it could still fit well with the overall picture of the EP?

Simen Mitlid: „Yes, it’s a different song, but when I use the same musicians and instrumentation – and it’s recorded over the same period, it kind of naturally falls together. At least I hope so. But it’s nice to have a couple of songs on a release that are a bit different and shake things up a bit.“

At the moment, many are in a kind of spirit of optimism and others are still stuck in a somewhat deeper lethargy. How is it with you? Do you already see the big restart after Corona right in front of you?

Simen Mitlid: „I can’t find much in the world to be very optimistic about. While I’m writing this, Russia is invading Ukraine. Most of the world is still struggling with the coronavirus. Democratic institutions are being threatened, conspiracies- and right wing-populists are on the rise, and the climate crises are being ignored. I’m privileged and not directly affected by any of this (yet), but in all of this uncertainty I’m writing a new album, and it feels like it’s gonna be the saddest album I’ve ever written.“

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