Signe Marie Rustad - “Die With Your Boots On”
Norwegian-American singer/songwriter Signe Marie Rustad was born and raised on a farm in central Norway, where the forest, river and fields have filled her with a deep calmness and never-ending restlessness. As a result, many of her songs carry within them a search for a balance between these elements.
After catching the attention of the growing americana-loving audience in Norway with 2012 debut Golden Town – the title a reference to her mother's hometown Golden, Colorado – Rustad secured her first Spellemann (Norwegian Grammy) nomination with critically acclaimed second album Hearing Colors Seeing Noises (2016).
On upcoming third album, When Words Flew Freely, Rustad returns with the powerful, elastic voice and poetic lyrical style that has earned her a loyal fan base in Norway. The album's nine tracks revolve around traumatic life events, and the feeling of emotional stagnation, with a severe writer’s block as a result. On the first single from the album, Rustad says:
“’Die With Your Boots On’ was my writer's block recovery, written parallel with recovering emotionally from a traumatic time in my personal life. The song basically addresses how music can save your life, and it was initially written as a homage to my booking team and all the great music they've brought on to stages and played during their DJ-sets around Oslo. ’So the night came with darkness, but there's plenty of light in a pure, golden, heartfelt voice that breaks the ice’: I'm trying to describe the magic that can happen when you're in the audience at a concert, or just someplace where music is being played – and maybe you haven't had a very good day – and then a voice, an instrument, the words of a song or just something that you can't quite pinpoint in what you are hearing grounds your feet, creates this warm feeling inside your chest and truly makes you feel like everything is going to be OK. The phrase ‘Die With Your Boots On’ is kind of an alternative way of saying ‘don't give up’. Despite anything you may be going through, don't ever give up. Don't take those boots off – don't stop walking onwards.”
Together with producer Kenneth Ishak (of Norwegian cult-band Beezewax), and with backing from new label Die With Your Boots On Records, Rustad looks to build on the success of her previous albums, with a new excursion into free-flowing, folksy, cosmic music.
INFO
Signe Marie Rustad - “Die With Your Boots On”
Art. no: DWYBOS001
Released: May 31st, 2019
Tracklist:
1. Die With Your Boots On
CREDITS:
Signe Marie Rustad: Vocals & acoustic high-strung guitar
Alexander Lindbäck: Drums
Njål Uhre Kiese: Bass guitar
Annar By: Electric guitar
Bjørge Verbaan: Upright piano
Kristine Marie Aasvang: Vocals
Live Miranda Solberg: Vocals
All words and music by Signe Marie Rustad
Produced by Kenneth Ishak & Signe Marie Rustad
Recorded & mixed by Kenneth Ishak in Observatoriet Studio
Mastered by Chris Sansom at Propeller Mastering
Cover design & photography by Marthe Amanda Vannebo
Artwork by Signe Marie Rustad
Buy Signe Marie Rustad’s award-winning When Words Flew Freely
“Signe Marie Rustad, what have you done? Well, you've made a classic of an album.”
– 10 out of 10 stars, Musikknyheter.no