OAKLAND RAIN
GOLDEN BOY PRESS MINI INTERVIEW
Could you introduce yourself?
Charlotte: - We are two redheaded 20 year old twin sisters from Norway, and together we are the Folk-pop duo Oakland Rain. We write songs about society, nature and youth. Our goal with our music is to make all the outsiders of the world feel welcome in The Oakland Rain Universe. We are focusing on integrity, self respect and hard work. And we are trying to change the focus on outer appearance, and make the inside count. It sounds cliche, but we believe it is necessary.
Since it's a brand new year, what's something you're most looking forward to? In your personal life and music life!
Maren: - In our music life, we are super excited to finally share music videos, live videos and all the videos from last year’s and this year’s tours. We’ve played in England, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Netherland, Switzerland, Norway, New York - and we’re going on tour to Nashville in the beginning of February. We’ve filmed all the adventures - and finally it is time to share them with people. We like being honest, and show that we are a sister team learning something new every day, and trying our best to put a smile on people’s faces.
Charlotte: - In our personal life, it would probably be the adventures ahead; the traveling. We get inspiration from anything, but especially from new experiences, meeting new people, and seeing new places. Just to observe a new city with it`s culture and vibe makes us more creative. I think it has to do with our interest in writing about society, from our perspective.
Could you tell us about your newest music video, 'Northern Lights'?
Charlotte: - It is our first official music video, and we are SO excited to share it. It is a video that represents everything we stand for. It shows a human who feels lost in this world, and has to deal with her/his fears and deeper thoughts when s/he is all alone. We don’t want to reveal more than that! The video is directed by Martin Lavik Nygaard, and filmed by Mohammed Sarmadawy. They are honestly among the coolest, most creative guys we’ve worked with. It was such a wonderful experience to make the video. Maren had a close dialogue with Martin, since she`s responsible for the visual development of Oakland Rain. There were hundreds of skypes, cups of coffee, mind maps and conversations involved. We had such a great time making the video, and it feels so right to share it.
What was the inspiration behind the video?
Maren: - It started out with the thought of using physical nature and its beauty, to represent human nature and its beauty.
Could you tell us a bit about the video's location? What made you choose that area?
Maren: - I have a certain color palette in my head when it comes to Oakland Rain. It briefly involves all natural colors. Charlotte and I have a special love for green, since it represents nature. Therefore the choice was easy; we`d film in the forest. Martin understood this idea from the very beginning, which was amazing. He brought so many great elements. He was the one who collected all the thoughts, and wrote the plot. We actually filmed in a forest only 20 minutes from our house back in Norway, Kristiansand. I wanted to make the forest represent freedom, and a place that gives you room to think - and feel free. The forest is often our escape, so we thought it was kind of symbolic. I also wanted to make the location be a part of the video. It plays a central role in communicating the message of the song. We all want to belong somewhere, feel free and beautiful. The place to find your inner voice, is usually alone - and the forest represents nature’s natural self. So why shouldn’t we chase that instead of likes, body waist and perfectionism?
How has your recent work influenced your ideas on society and youth? How do those elements play a role in your work?
C: - We’ve played a lot of concerts the past year, and by visiting different cities, we got to meet a lot of people. Both people our own age, and older. But there is this one thing we all have in common, which is the need to feel understood and a part of something bigger. What’s taken us by surprise, is that no matter what age, the audience seems to understand our message. They feel something, and that is all we could ever wish for. This has influenced our ideas, by writing about it in our new songs. We’ve seen that mothers and fathers of the next generation want their children to listen to music with a positive message. And the youth itself could need a break from chasing something they’re not. We understood that our struggle to fit into a frame both in work, and personally, is something that anyone can relate to. So when we write about our feelings, other people seem to relate to it. And by this, they know they are not alone.
Do you have any rituals you do before you start your creative process for a new project, to get your mind and energy in the right place?
Maren: - It honestly depends on what we’re feeling. F.ex: I usually write the best songs when I am at my lowest, and then I write the whole song in 10 minutes. Even the good-feel songs. It sounds strange, but feeling something so strongly makes me creative. While Charlotte often writes poems that she doesn’t understand the meaning of when she writes them. It takes a few weeks, and then it all makes sense. She suddenly understands why she had the urge to write those lyrics at that certain time.
But other than songwriting, we have the complete opposite rituals to start our creative process. I need to sit among people, often in a cafe, to get ideas and write them all down. While Charlotte needs complete silence, and sits in a room alone for hours and hours. We both take a walk in a forest nearby our house every morning, to get some air and start the thought process. Haha, we sound so hippy!
Any closing comments?
Thank you for the interview, and for being such a cool and creative site! Have a beautiful day!
POI & ZAB