On February 10, Janove will release his solo album "Artisten & Marlene". I did an email interview with him about this - here are his answers!
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The album is about to be released, and the songs that we already got to hear are quite varied. What can we expect from the album?
I always try to make varied music. Different genres and different moods and energies on the same album. Every song has something that it wants to tell. My album consists of 15 tracks, and each one of them has something special to say. Therefore, I think the album will seem diversified, exciting, and a bit challenging. I have worked on the material for more than three years, so I feel well prepared. Of course, this is a very important album for me personally, and I myself feel that I have dug deep, worked hard, and made sure it can keep up with the best music I've made before.
It has been rather quiet around you since the last Kaizers concerts. Did you miss the spotlight? Are you ready for some attention again? ;)
Heh heh. It's been brilliant to be able to live my own life with my family, friends, and colleagues without having to deal with the spotlight. I don't miss that part, but I miss playing some real concerts with new music. I've been busy with a lot of composing for many different projects the last couple of years, but there haven't been any performances. Starting this year, I will finally have the opportunity to get a pleasant dose of touring and festivals in.
You released four singles before there was even talk about an album, and this seemed to give less media coverage than talk of a new album might have done. Was that the plan all along?
Since I'm starting from scratch in many ways, the plan has always been to release several singles throughout a full year before the entire album is released. This way, the fans can hopefully get a relation to several of the songs before the tour starts. Singles don't get as much attention as an album or a tour, that is true. And that is totally fine. It's all about slowly building a career, brick by brick. Artisten & Marlene, which is released now in 2017, is my first and most important brick.
The artwork and the concept of an overall story connecting the songs really reminds of the Violeta trilogy. What is different with the new album?
That the album contains lyrics that are interrelated in a continuous story is my style. That's how I've always made music and lyrics, so it's one of my signatures. Accordingly, it is very natural to use elements of my stories in the artwork. I feel this creates an entirety that complements the music and the lyrics, and I feel it has become one of my characteristics by now. What is new this time is that the music varies and extends further in different directions than what I've been able to do before. We stretched ourselves far before, but now I can stretch myself even farther. The lyrics are much more direct and personal than before. I'm in a place right now where it is new and exciting to write. And the artwork for all of this is now more photographic and not animated. It doesn't feel as retro and dirty as before, but more modern. At least that is my intention, and I guess we'll see if you agree ... :)
Are there any plans to release the album and/or tour abroad as well?
I'll play a couple of concerts in Aarhus and Copenhagen in Denmark, plus maybe a festival or two in Denmark in summer. I don't feel that there is time to build it up in Europe. First of all, I want to establish myself in Norway.
According to what you've said in other interviews, the album tells a continuous (love) story about two dancers. Will we get to find out the whole story, or will it remain a little mysterious?
You'll have to hang in there as good as you can based on the lyrics. I won't explain connections in more in-depth. Let's just say that I really enjoy writing around my new characters, and I can imagine to continue with the same theme in the years and records to come.
How important is it for you to have a story behind the lyrics? Does it just help your creativity?
For me it's a technique that inspires and opens up many possibilities. For others, it might have the opposite effect. That is pretty individual.
How was the process of making and recording the songs, compared to recordings of Kaizers albums? Do you feel more "free" to do exactly what you want? Or is there more pressure in having to rely completely on yourself?
Since I was the songwriter, lyricist, vocalist, and producer of my music for Kaizers Orchestra, the process is very similar now. Actually, my process is identical, but I have new musicians with new skills and qualities that I try to fully utilize. I haven't worked with different musicians on each track as many other solo artists do. I've put together a small bunch that I do the whole album with. I have always felt free to make the artistic choices that I wanted. And that's how this process has been as well.
What song are you most satisfied with? And which song do you think Kaizerfans will like best?
I like them all, as usual. But for some songs, I'm prouder of getting them in place than others. Those are often the most demanding. They are called "Perler & Svin", "Mine Siste Berømte Ord", "Verden Går Til Helvete, Tralala", "Vår Uendelige Sang", and "Trixing & Fixing". I would think that Kaizerfans will like "Verden Går Til Helvete, Tralala".
Are you satisfied with the feedback you've gotten so far, with lots of sold-out concerts and a fantastic response on social media, but maybe a little less airplay than with Kaizers?
It has exceeded all expectations, and the current state is more of a dream scenario, so I'm super happy. When you're opening an artist account on for example Facebook, Instragram, and Spotify with zero followers, it takes some time to build it up. My kind of music now seems to fit better on P1, and they have played several of my singles on the A-list, while P3 has only had "Verden Går Til Helvete, Tralala" on the C-list. Obviously you can't measure ticket sales from something like followers on Facebook or streams on Spotify. If that was how it worked, I wouldn't have sold out my tour that fast.
You will go on tour and play lots of festivals this summer. What are your expectations for the tour?
I expect to get a kick out of playing live together with a new band and a new audience. That's why I do concerts. Of course I hope that the response will be good. This will be my first tour with a new band, a new audience, and with only one album to play. Give me a few years and a few more albums and tours, and then I think we will establish ourselves at an appropriate level.