Apr 8, 2018
Smile | Bonander
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Smile | Bonander
Find a #darkpop song
Bonander - Smile
"The idea with this video is to show a small part of all the women and transwomen that never should have been forgotten (in this particular video, Scandinavian women from the 19th- and 20th century). To ask a woman to smile and stay ”pretty” is just one example of the pain we aren’t allowed to show to the world, a pain that is ignored and often forgotten. No more."
From the debut EP It’s A Girl, give it a listen!
“It’s A Girl” addresses the theme of gender against a dark, dreamlike backdrop. The tracks explore anger, frustration and despair juxtaposed with a feeling of escape, acceptance and empowerment – it’s a journey through the uncertainty of the female identity in 2018.
Bonander tells us “The title “It’s a Girl” is me admitting to myself my strengths and my ordeals as a woman. But it’s also an angry stare towards our system, where we are wrapped in pink and blue blankets from our first breath, leaving no room for being outside the box.”
Find a #exprimentalsingersongwriter song
Bonander - The Oracle
‘The Oracle’ is a directly political track, an outcry against the ultra-right’s perceived ‘success’ in Europe – a call out to the public to remember their history, and not to fall for the trap of ‘masked racism’, which unfortunately at present is a message that resonates across the majority of the Western world. Sonically it’s a slow builder, increasing the tension throughout before erupting into a barrage of broken basslines and pounding beats, with Bonander’s vocals soaring over the top.
She tells us “I wrote The Oracle one day when I was particularly frustrated about the normalization of racism in Sweden (and other parts of the world). We disguise racist politics behind fancy words and hollow arguments and it is our responsibility to do something.”
Discovery: Bonander Turns Apathy Into Action on Politically Charged and we stood there
It’s easy to feel powerless in a world where elected and unelected officials are making decisions that are counterproductive to humanity’s overall wellbeing. With her new album, and we stood there, Bonander acknowledges this and offers a fight back. Continue reading Discovery: Bonander Turns Apathy Into Action on Politically Charged and we stood there
ionnalee congratulates Bonander on the release of new album 'and we stood there' via instagram stories:
"an artist with a sharp voice and audiovisual vision. happy to have provided a little guidance in your process via Studiefrämjandet, Karl Jonas Winqvist & Linnea Jonsson."
"clay" by Bonander https://ift.tt/PDfWcda
INTERVIEW: Bonander.
Enigmatic and alluring Bonander has just released her visionary debut album, Things We Don’t Talk About through Icons Creating Evil Art. The full-length follows leading tracks ‘Backseat’, ‘Martha’ and ‘Gone In The Wind’.
Bonander is the shorthand for Elliner Sterner Bonander. Sporting the role of musician, arranger and producer, the native Swede is a woman unchained. Injecting darkness into the candied vein of pop, her LP demonstrates her sheer femme-power, unpicking existentialist tropes through a feminist lens.
Things We Don’t Talk About is a monumental debut in summation; where cinematic strings meet playful synth melodies and dense bass lines caress vocals that catch on the wind.
In addition to the daydream, analogue warmth of forerunners ‘Backseat’ and ‘Martha’, Bonander’s penchant for darkness erupts in tracks such as ‘Silent Lights’ and ‘Ms. Mitchell’. The album is broken up by softer ditties such as ‘Statue’, ‘Slumber Love’ and ‘Ode’, which unlock her more vulnerable side.
Traversing her perspective of the world and relationships through music, Things We Don’t Talk About, Bonander encourages the listener to join her discourse of uncomfortable topics. Meanwhile, the album brings noise to those who have fallen custom to silence such as her homage to the first female sniper in ‘Annie’ and all-consuming, explosive number ‘Ms. Mitchell’ for one of the first acknowledged astronomers Maria Mitchell.
We had a chat with Elliner all about the album, struggles she’s had in the music industry, what she’s passionate about outside of music an more. Read the interview below.
Hi Elliner! How have you been? What does a typical day look like for you at the moment? “Hi! I’m well, thanks for asking. I currently work as a music and media production teacher at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm combined with my freelance work as an artist. Every day is different, which suits me in these weird times. Sometimes I have zoom lectures and sometimes I’m in my studio recording, mixing or producing.” We last spoke to you back in 2018 when you released your debut EP It's A Girl. You've now released your debut album Things We Don't Talk About. Please take us through how you've gotten to this point. “Oh, well the journey towards the finished album has been long, it’s always a matter of time with these things. I’ve been playing my songs, writing new ones, recording demos, recording for real, editing, producing, then arranging for supplements like strings, go on to record them, producing some more etc. When the recordings are finished comes the next step in the process where I send them to mix, go on mix meetings, send to master, listen to master, discuss eventual adjustments and so on and so forth. It’s a complicated and time consuming process but one I greatly enjoy never the less.” What are the songs on the new record about and what does the LP mean to you? “I hope I will be able to take the listener on a joyful journey through uncomfortable topics, topics we should talk more about. That’s the idea of the album and that’s what the singles and the rest of the tracks are all about. Close relationships that wither (an example of this is my latest single ‘Gone In The Wind’), historical figures we’ve forgotten (I’ve already released a track about Annie Oakley, but there is also a celebration of one of the first female astronomers, Maria Mitchell on the album), stories about silence and oppression (I wrote a track called ‘Statue’ as a reaction to all the stories I heard from friends, colleagues, family when metoo happened. I’ve carried that tune around ever since). “All tracks touch on the same topic: the complexity of the female identity, an identity we simplify, harass, abuse and forget in our everyday life.”
Musically, how is Things We Don't Talk About different (or similar) to your previous material? Were there any musical influences or sounds that you were able to incorporate on this record that you hadn’t previously? “Oh, great question! I’ve been experimenting a lot with acoustic instruments, especially string arrangements in combination with more electronic sounds. I’ve always loved dramatic arrangements and I’ve also tried to experiment with the dynamic between the tracks. So if you’ve heard the end of a very big, loud and emotional track I’ve often followed it with a minimalistic acoustic organic one. I want the music to be a journey where you get close to the artist and sit in the same room as her while she plays, and then be thrown into a produced and big soundscape that only exists in the listeners headphones. I’ve wanted to play with the sense of live music and pre produced music, big sounds in contrast to simpler ones, polished lead vocals in contrast to one-takes that has flaws in them and so forth. Most of all I’m lucky to be around some amazing musicians that make reality of these arrangements. I’ve had guest appearances such as string-, trumpet- and pipe organ players.”
Take us through your creative process for the LP. What was your favourite part making it? And were there any parts you found particularly challenging? “There are two parts of the process I love the most. Firstly, when you write a song, create a demo for it. When creativity is at its best and you have this feeling that you are about to create something great, before you start to doubt everything you’ve done and twisting and turning the material too much. Secondly, that moment when the idea becomes reality, especially in cooperation with other people. For example when my co-producer Elias understands the spirit of the song and does something perfect for it that I never would’ve thought of, or when your string arrangement that’s only been in your head, is played by musicians for the first time. That’s as close as you get to magic in this world.” What do you hope fans will take away from Things We Don't Talk About? “I hope they will experience something new. I hope they will feel feelings. Maybe even get a new perspective of something, get inspired. Maybe even dare to talk about something that they need to talk about. And then, ofc, I’ll hope they’ll enjoy it, haha.” What struggles, if any, have you faced as an artist in the music business and how have you overcome them? “I mean, it’s a tough business. It’s hard enough for commercial music and big labels to reach through the noise and buzz of everything, so when you’re an indie artist trying to get by it’s really tough. It was difficult enough before corona and now it feels like a race you can’t win. That’s one part. “The other struggle is to be a woman in technology. I’m as involved in how to patch a microphone for my track as writing its lyrics. And sometimes people don’t quite get that, which makes you feel like you represent all tech-working women in the industry. If you make a mistake you’ve lost all your credibility, whilst if a guy made that same mistake it wouldn’t be recepted as ”oh it’s because he is a guy that happened”. This makes you put a lot of unnecessary energy in proving yourself to people that've made up their mind about you before you’ve even met them.” If there was one thing you could change about the music world today, what would it be? “That music, and culture in general, isn’t controlled by demand. That culture and art can exist and thrive despite that. I think that would broaden the consumer's mind, but right now people don’t know what they’re missing. For that to happen, we need to value art and culture more than we do these days. Art is the heart of democracy, of free thought, of questioning what the status quo is by its mere existence.” What are you passionate about outside of music? “I freelance in music- and media production so I also create and work for other artists’ projects. That’s a true privilege. Otherwise I love learning and reading, mostly about women history but also about how norms and structural oppression work in our society. Sometimes I put that knowledge into my teaching work and that’s also a joy.” Finally, what's next for you? I expect you're wanting to get back to touring as soon as it's safe to do so? What are you missing most about performing live? “Yes that’s actually something I’ve longed for a loooooong time, as all other musicians and artists out there. I started my artistry by performing on stage and learning how to play. It’s in the core of everything. I guess what I miss the most is the interaction with the audience; the giving and taking. The immediate response to something you’ve created: what a luxury that is!”
Things We Don’t Talk About is out now.
Bonander releases new single ‘Backseat’
Ellinor Sterner Bonander creates experimental, cinematic pop with a penchant for electronica and alt-jazz composition. Her lyrics often concern themselves with existential questions about the world, seen through a feminist lens.
On new single ‘Backseat’, warm analogue sounds mirror the comforting safety of childhood, dreamlike strings envisage the daydreams and unlimited imagination that a child can have. These musical elements stand in stark contrast to the lyrics, which express the ‘rug pulled out from under you’ feeling of adulthood, the fragility of human existence and the risks people face every day.
Bonander tell us “This song is about growing up and the unwillingness to see the world as it is. As a kid you would fall asleep in the backseat of your family’s car, with that comforting feeling. The night wasn’t scary, it was just…safe. Now, you have to walk home alone with the keys in your fist, looking over your shoulder.”
ICEA · Bonander - Backseat