Interview with Swedish Indie artist Linn Koch-Emmery where we talk about tour moments, songwriting and her debut album 'Being The Girl' which was released today!
Hey, thanks for taking the time to do this. How are you today?
Had a lot of energy before lunch and now feeling a bit tired and restless. Overall, a 6/10 day.
First question I want to ask is how did you decide on the album name for 'Being The Girl'?
It's very pretentious deciding the name of your album but here's the story. As a teenager there wasn't a lot of other girls my age that I knew of that had the same dreams and interest as me, aka pursuing a life and career in rock music. So since quite a young age I was surrounded by mostly men. In the context of being a teenager and playing in different bands I was always "the girl", never just a guitarist or a band member. So "being the girl" became my weapon of choice.
The songs on this album I thought were quite deep lyrically but for the most part are still really feelgood and upbeat. Was this done on purpose?
Not at all on purpose. I think it's a general thing for me. A good swirl of light and dark, happy and sad.
Another thing I noticed on the album was that the songs feel kind of like you're reading a diary. Do you find that creating music helps you deal with things?
Definitely, also it's probably rooted in some narcissistic urge to express yourself and your feelings. When I'm in a bad place I feel like the least I can do is write a song and get something productive out of the situation.
Is there any songs on 'Being The Girl' that were harder to create than others?
Hologram Love and Linn RIP both have sounded quite different from how they ended up. Also, Dirty Words I wont even start with, so many different costumes.
What's it like being able to release music through your own label compared to being with someone else?
Quite convenient if you're a lover of control and like to do things your own way. But for the record I'm far away from releasing this completely by myself, I got a good team of people around me, they're just not a label.
Who would you say are your musical influences?
At the moment I'm quite tired of listening to music. But in general? Mazzy Star, Lemonheads, Pixies, Cat Power, Oasis. But also contemporary like Dominic Fike, Billie Eilish, Alvvays and MØ.
What is your approach to songwriting?
Less is more. Do you feel like adding a bunch of stuff because "it's not quite there", then it's probably not a good song to start with.
When did you know you wanted to be a musician?
Think I was about 13 years old.
It's been a while since live shows have been a thing but do you have a favourite memory from being on tour?
Me and my friend John of the band Johnossi broke into an abandoned house in Dresdon once. He had to drag me out through the basement window which was very hard since I wore a huge puffer jacket.
Following on from the last question, what's something you miss about being out playing shows and what's something you don't miss?
Don't miss the lunch options at the German autoban, frankly put, there are no options except curry wurst and white bread. But I do miss drinking cheap white wine from a coffee mug, sound checking and feeling the smell of the smoke machine warming up just before the audience enters and the night starts.
Are there any artists that you are enjoying listening to at the moment?
At the moment I've been listening quite a lot to girl in reds new album. Otherwise, had a fall back period of listening to Lil Peep last week.
Lastly, what is your favourite song off of 'Being The Girl'?
It constantly changes, but at the moment Lasershot.
Thank you again for taking the time to talk with me, is there anything you would like to say to people reading this?
Keep on supporting the arts and music you like, preferably mine. Don't wait for stuff to happen. Try therapy.
Interview by Kayleigh McKenzie
Listen to Linn Koch-Emmery's debut album 'Being The Girl' here
You can find Linn Koch-Emmery on social media at the following links:
