Signe Marie Rustad - “Something Easier”
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 “Something Easier”, Rustad says:
“The verses for “Something Easier” were the last lyrics I wrote before a challenging time in my personal life hit me hard, and three years of writer’s block followed. Fast forward to 2018, I finished the song, writing the chorus as kind of an explanation, or summary, to myself about what had happened. The haunting – and, to me – unsettling humming that starts off and ends the song is my way of translating a feeling of uneasiness into the language of music. It reflects how I felt back when I first started writing the song. Despite the song’s birth through hopelessness, listening to it now makes me feel empowered.”
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 - “Something Easier”
Art. no: DWYBOS004
Released: September 19th, 2019
Tracklist:
1. Something Easier
CREDITS:
Signe Marie Rustad: Vocals, acoustic guitar & tambourine
Alexander Lindbäck: Drums
Njål Uhre Kiese: Bass guitar
Annar By: Electric guitar
Bjørge Verbaan: Upright piano
Cello: Helga Hommedal Blikås
Cello arrangement: Kenneth Ishak & Helga Hommedal Blikås
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