How is it the weekend already? That week had certainly flown by and that can only be a good thing as we get to introduce our next new Nordic artist – Gurli Octavia.
Where are you from and what are your favourite places to experience there?
I was born in Aarhus, Denmark, and lived there until I was around 5 years old, I think. Then my parents took me and two of my sisters, packed a van, and travelled around Europe for some time. And when we came back we settled in a tiny village 30 minutes south of Aarhus, called Boulstrup. We stayed there until I was 16, and then it was Aarhus again. I’ve spent my adult life mostly in Aarhus, but have also had a few years in Copenhagen, and recently moved back to Copenhagen.
In Aarhus some of my favourite places are simply just in nature. The ocean, the beaches, the forests, and such. Brabrand Lake is also wonderful. I mostly hang out in various alternative communities and no longer use the city centre a whole lot. I think I’m in a place where I really cherish small communities and wide open spaces, over cafes and city lights. And my next personal move will be moving to the countryside I think. But if I do go for coffee in Aarhus, I love Altura Kaffe, which is also a place I’ve worked and loved working. They have a good dark roasted house blend, and a lot of other good stuff. And then I’ve had like a thousand beers at Central Bar and am on first name terms with the owners and such. It’s a small Brown pub, as we call them in DK “Brunt værtshus”.
I love Vietnamese food, and Pho C&P is in my opinion the best in Aarhus. And then of course, Godsbanen!
How would you best describe your sound?
Warm Nordic something? I always have difficulties describing my music. I feel it’s ever changing. It’s pop music, but it’s built on a fundament of folk music and it’s very organically grounded. My new album ’I Could Be Blossoming Instead’ (out 29 January 2021) is definitely more pop and perhaps more polished than my 3 earlier EP’s. It’s more produced and not as acoustic as my previous stuff. But still I have a bunch of organic elements and a lot of real people playing real instruments. I love this cross-over universe, where I can play with the elements of traditional songwriting and musical set-up and mix it up with technology and that whole playground of effects and virtual instruments and such. It just opens everything up.
I try to never limit myself to feel I need to write in a specific genre; I feel quite liquid about my musical style. And I’m always in a process of development, personally and musically, and I just love the process of creating and challenging my sound. I could imagine my next album being completely acoustic or wildly produced and bangerish 🙂 I feel more like a creator, than a performer, deep within me, so I try to let the creativity run the business, and then the performer in me must deal with whatever it’s served – haha … if that makes sense.
What have you got planned for the year?
My new album ’I Could Be Blossoming Instead’ is out on 29th January 2021, both on digital platforms and on double vinyl (with a lyric and chord booklet too). I was supposed to go on a larger DK tour in February, but we don’t know if we’ll be able to do it. I had also wished to play shows in the UK and in Germany this year, but that doesn’t look like a possibility any time soon, unfortunately.
But I feel ’pregnant’ with at least two albums, so I’ll most likely keep writing and producing songs, and maybe, if the shows keep getting postponed, I’ll have time to finish them up for a potential release. I’m not making any promises, but a part of me thinks it could be plausible to finish and release at least one more album this year 🙂
When can we expect to see you start to play some live music?
Oooh soooon I hope! Right now everything comes down to COVID and restrictions. But I’m so eager to get back to gigging, it feels so strange not to be able to do that. It’s so fundamental for people to be together in these ways, through music and such. It just is a special language where we can communicate about stuff our mouths sometimes can’t. Like hundreds of people listening to a story all at once and going through their own emotions but everyone still being there together. I don’t know, it just feels extremely essential to me and i really hope that we soon will be able to do this again.
What can we do to help support your music and where do we need to go to do that?
How considerate of you to ask! Thank you. Right now I think the best way to support the music is to buy the vinyls. I’ve also recently created a Patreon, where you can support my music, and also get some exclusive content and help me decide which songs come on my next album and such 🙂
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/gurlioctavia
Webshop for vinyl can be found HERE
For most of the world, this album is out via my new record label, eigheighteightyeight records, which I’m really excited about, and for the UK and USA I’m working with a cool indie label, Integrity Records.
For those who can’t buy the record, just following and listening on Spotify, Apple & YouTube can really help independent artists, along with sharing our news/music on social media.
Finally, what was the last thing you read, watched, and listened to?
The last thing I read was part of a book I bought in India, which I didn’t finish. I love to read, but I really seldom do it. It’s called Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master, and it’s an autobiography by Sri M. I really need to have a lot of time on my hands, to pick up a book, but I’m trying to change my mindset about it, cause I do really love to read.
The last thing I watched was a documentary about psychedelics. I’m very interested in psychedelics, both regarding recreational and medical use. Yeah, that I could talk about for hours!
Listened to, well actually it was my own demos, cause I’m working on new music, and when I write new music, I listen to it quite a lot. But besides that, the last thing I listened to, my Spotify tells me that it’s Nessi Gomes, an artist I’ve discovered after being on some spiritual ceremonies.
Interview by Alex Minnis
Are you from the Nordic region and want to be featured? Then please do get in touch via the website or on our Instagram @_minnis2society_ – we can’t wait to hear from you!
Don’t forget to check out our Best of 2020 playlist on Spotify:
