In Conversation With #169 - Helven
Norwegian alt-pop artist Helven has just released her debut EP ‘volume 1’ via Jansen Records. Helven has a talent for fusing together honest, contemporary lyrics with inspiration from pop music of the past, capturing the experience of life as a 21-year-old woman in the 2020’s. She took a moment to talk to us about how the EP came together.
Hey there Helven, how are you? So your debut EP is out now - how does it feel to have it out there in the world?
Hi! Thanks for the interview! It feels so nice to finally release the debut EP, butterflies and rainbows everywhere, so yeah, I feel great.
It is titled ‘Volume 1’ - does that mean there is a volume 2?
It does and its cooking already!
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from the creative process you are happy to share with us?
It was recorded at Luft Studio, nearby Oslo (Norway), with producer Andrew Murray Baardsen. It’s a very cool place, artists like Sassy009 have recorded there.
I actually have a story about the day we recorded the vocals for “Calm Down”. It was a long day and we had finally got around to recording the vocals in the late afternoon. I knew that the song and the story behind it meant a lot to me, but on the recording-day the feelings that I had back then when I wrote the song all kicked back in. I even had an anxiety attack. I was so frightened by all of the feelings returning and my love for that boy, it was just so scary and poetic all at the same time. But everything went just fine, and yeah, now I’m ready for the next question….
What are the key themes and influences on the EP?
Each of the songs represent a feeling that has been difficult for me to express in the ‘real world’ outside of music. The EP starts with the feeling of envy and jealousy, and then moves on to rather love for a friend, or “a homie”. Then it continues with the expression of pure love and then develops into a deep depression and the feeling and fear of losing yourself. It all ends with power and love, regardless of how much it hurts.
Do you have a favorite lyric on the EP? If so, which one and why?
“He gave me a pack of smokes and said calm down”.
Exactly what he did, and it hurts, but it became one of my favourite lines.
Now the EP is out there - what next for you?
To put it simply, ‘volume 2’
