Hailing from the Faroe Islands, GØ delivers a deeply melancholic track with a strong cinematic vibe, infused with powerful energy as it tackles the century-long Faroese struggle between independence and union. Read our inherently interesting discussion below!
Describe your sound in 3 words
Cinematic, wacky and melodious
“Loysing í dós” seems to explore deep political themes. What inspired you to tackle the Faroese independence debate in your music?
We drew inspiration from the ongoing political discussions surrounding Faroese independence. Recently, the debate has experienced something of a renaissance in the Faroe Islands. While the Faroes operate largely as an independent nation in many respects, many international relations still require us to go through Denmark. A clear example is the Faroe Islands being denied an independent seat on the Nordic Council due to its status as a territory under Danish rule. One line in our song declares, “Norðurlandaráðið – Loysing Krevst,” which translates to, “Nordic Council – Independence needed.”
How did you come across Rúni Nielsen’s speech, and why did you choose it as a sample in your track?
The term “Loysing” (Severance) has been deeply rooted in our culture for a long time, carrying a powerful energy with it. It’s a word that has sparked countless discussions within our band – sometimes lighthearted, but often more serious. Interestingly, we named the song before stumbling upon the sample by pure chance. We knew the song needed something extra to support the provocative title, and thus we combed the internet for audio related to “Loysing”. We fell for this particular sample as it had a clear message and the delivery was so great.
Jazz is a versatile genre, but it’s not often associated with political activism. How do you feel jazz, and particularly your style, contributes to this conversation on independence?
We think that jazz is the perfect genre for a conversation on independence as jazz is in a lot of ways synonymous with freedom. As for our music in particular, we have always wanted it to sound very raw as opposed to polished. The raw energy of the music might at times resemble what you would hear in punk music. Whether the song will contribute to the larger discussion on independence still remains a question, but we believe it hasthe potential to get people hyped and engaged in the subject.
The Faroe Islands have a unique cultural and political history. How has growing up in Tórshavn influenced your musical identity?
Tórshavn is a very small city but it has an extremely vibrant music scene. You can find everything from self proclaimed Axekiller-rap, R&B, Free Jazz, Folk, Metal and everything in between. Even though there are many musicians, a lot of times you see the same people switching between a lot of bands. This makes the music community very strong and everyone knows everyone. As for our musical identity, you could say that we are inspired by the Faroese music scene as a whole, and don’t let the boundaries of any particular genre hold us back. We have all played in many different constellations and combine all of our experiences in GØ.
Artists and people that have influenced you?
We all had the same ensemble teacher when we were young and studied music. Danish jazz pianist Kim Kristensen. He was a great inspiration for us musically as he approached jazz and music in his own way. He also introduced us to a lot of experimental music and improvisational styles that we still draw from when improvising or writing tunes.
Other than him we are inspired by a wide array of different artists such as: John Scofield, Medeski, Martin and Wood, Thelonious Monk, Ornette Coleman, Frank Zappa, The Shadows, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Keith Jarrett, Ennio Morricone, The Doors, Timber Timbre, Bushman’s Revenge and Radiohead.
If the music of GØ was a film, which film would that be?
A review of our concert at Reykjavík Jazz Festival said that we “made the audience feel like they were in a twisted dream at a bar with a jukebox, where Quentin Tarantino, David Lynch, and Sergio Leone took turns inserting coins to select a track.”
So you could say that Pulp fiction, Twin Peaks or The Good, the Bad and the Ugly could be a great fit.
What’s next for you?
Currently we are planning a release concert in the Faroe Islands and also a local release tour this winter. We are also working on getting some concerts abroad after the release. We have worked very hard on the album, and are eager to get our music out to as many people as possible. We already know of some major publications that want to cover the release of “Ævir, Amen” and we are excited to see how this all pans out.
Thank you!
Follow our Spotify Playlist “Sonnets for the Big Screen” feat. GØ
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