Artist Spotlight: Forever Still

Forever Still are one of the most talented bands of the underground area I’ve ever heard in my whole life. I discovered this fabolous Danish band on Twitter, more than a month ago, as you already know I’d like to work in music industry and I’m finishing an Uni dedicated about this area. Forever Still started to follow me on Twitter and my attention was caught by their name, first of all, I’ve never heard of them before, but as you know, once again, I love to discover new artists and listen to new music, so I followed them back and since that moment started a really cool journey discovering this amazing band. They shared with me their music, I was glad to listen it and I had to compliment with them for their power and their beat.

They are such really great guys, I usually tweet with them, especially with Maja, we share thoughts, moments and music. She’s definitely one of my favorite female vocalists ever.

By the way, a few weeks ago, I asked if I could interview them and share my very first interview here, on Buzznet, since communities and social networks are the best or the most used way for share something new.

I really hope you can enjoy my question and especially Forever Still answers and enjoy their music 😉

1. Welcome guys and thanks so much for have made this interview possibile. Please, introduce yourself to BUZZNET and its users 😉

It’s our pleasure, Irene!

Forever Still is a female fronted rock band with something you can’t quite put your finger on. It’s honest and emotional in-your-face rock. Think melodic Flyleaf, larger than life Lacuna Coil or edgy Evanescence. Do the bells start ringing? Are you curious? We sure hope so

2. How and when Forever Still were born?

Forever Still was born around 4 years ago, when Mikkel and I (Maja) met at a show with my former band. Or actually we didn’t meet that very night, but Mikkel got in touch shortly after and sent me some instrumental pieces. Melodies and lyrics quickly began taking shape in my head, something I had never experienced before, and we started writing together right away. Even though we’ve gotten a lot better since then, we still treasure the first song we wrote together, so something must’ve been right from the very beginning.

3. Why did you choose to call the band in this way?

We thought about the name for quite a while. We didn’t just want to call ourselves something just for the sake of it. We wanted it to be unique and really mean something. “Forever Still” is inspired by several things, but first and foremost it’s about standing still when everyone else is moving on. Other people seem to be living their lives around you, while you are stuck in a dark place called your own mind. It ‘s an invisible wall to others, but to you it seems like an inescapable prison cell. A lot of the songs are based around these themes as well.

4. I had the pleasure to receive your EP “Breaking Free” and I think it’s awesome. With only three songs and an acoustic live version of “The Last Day” you caught the attention of the listeners, leaving a mark in their mind, or at least this happened to me. Do you have a favorite song from your EP?

You can’t do that to us, it’s like choosing between your children! It’s hard, because they come from 3 very different places and hold three very different emotions. I guess it depends what mood I’m in. The Last Day is my smack in the face to the world – a real “fuck you” power song! Towards the Edge is just so goddamn beautiful, otherworldly and almost spiritual to me. The Key is a very emotional yet empowering song, and the lyrics always hit me.

[My “Breaking Free” signed copy]

Get your copy and other merchandising stuff: HERE

5. What are your main sources of inspiration (talking about music and/or anything else)?

I think you got a hint regarding the question about the band name. Everything is from the heart and the music is how we channel personal experiences. It’s a reflection of our mindsets and mood swings. We love taking long city walks as well, as there is always something new to discover and be inspired by. When it comes to other artists, our inspirations are often quite far from the music we actually play.

6. I’ve been impressed by Maja’s vocals, especially in the end of “The Key”, I didn’t expect growl verses. I think you are really talent and with a great range. When did you discover to have this precious gift?

Haha oh my god, it’s actually a really funny story… We were writing “The Last Day” and Mikkel casually asked “Can you scream?” I knew I was able to do lower growls, but screaming just holds something different, and I hadn’t tried it before, so I didn’t know. I went into the other room and came back 20 seconds later and replied “Yup”.

7. I know you are working on your first full lenght album. What do you expect from it? Could you tell us something about it or is it still top secret?

Yes we are, and we’re still a little secretive, but only because we don’t want to start a buzz before we know exactly what’s going to happen and when. If you like the EP, I’m sure you’ll love the album as well, though the album is going to be more raw, honest and emotional. A full length album gives us a chance to let the listener dive deeper into our universe. We’re not just going to make some songs, we’re going to tell a story.

8. Are you going to sign a contract with a record lebel for your upcoming album or do you still want to work in an independent way?

We are in touch with a handful of labels for the album, but we’re very open to working independently again, if the right offer doesn’t present itself. Having a record deal is not all glitz and glam like a lot of people still think. If it’s someone who can really help us getting Forever Still on the road, it’s definitely a possibility.

9. The song “Your Light” isn’t included in “Breaking Free” but it’s available on your website. In a period in which worldwide music is living a crisis also because of illegality, what did you drive to share this song in free download?

Let me put it this way, if your supermarket got a new type of cookies, how likely is it that you’ll buy them? Or even find them? But then, what if the supermarket handed out tastings in the middle of the aisle and they were actually really good cookies?

That’s how I see our free download of Your Light, like a sample, where you can easily figure out, if you wanna try out the rest!

10. Always talking about “Your Light”, it will be the lead single of your upcoming album or there will be another one?

See, here’s where the secretive part comes in…

11. When do you understand a demo can turn in a song and to be included in a cd?

I guess you just gotta go with your gut feeling! If it doesn’t feel right, it probably needs more time to develop or not at all. A little later in life, you might be inspired to finish it up and include it on the next release. It’s also a question of how well it works with the other songs.

12. Would you like to collaborate with some international artists in the future?

Absolutely yes! Personally I think it’d be a lot of fun to work vocally with a male counterpart in making a rocking, epic duette! Also it’d be a great way to expose the band to a new and different fanbase. If any of the readers have a collab in mind they’d dye to see, feel free to reach out to either us or the other band!

13. Please, choose three words for describe your music.

Edgy, grand & honest

14. Which is your advice for who wants to start the career as musician or singer?

If you’re good at it and it feels right, do it. If you’re dedicated to spending all your waking hours working on it, and if you can’t go a day without thinking about it, do it. I’d never want to grow old and look back and regret not having reached for my dreams. Life is so short and we’re taught to live in fear, for what if it doesn’t work out. But what if it does work out? I’d trade that safety net for happiness any day.

15. Are you planning to tour also outside your home country with your upcoming album?

Yes, we definitely are! When and where is still on the table, and depends a lot on where our fanbase develops. Like any musician, we love to play shows and we want to meet our fans all over the world. The boring part is, that we of course have to pay the bills and make the tour work on a financial level as well. If you want us to come to your town, you can help us by sharing the music with a few friends (you have Your Light on your iPod anyways, now don’t you?).

16. “The Last Day” music video has been released on April 16 and I loved it. Beside the parts in which the whole band is playing the song, there’s also a sort of story with Maja that reflects the meaning of the lyrics, I guess. Who had this idea?

I’m so happy you loved it! We’d talked about having a storyline for The Last Day, because it’s a great way to emphasise the themes in the song. Also we thought it would add a nice break from “just” band shots. I wrote down the storyline for The Last Day, mainly inspired by the surroundings we had at our location, the themes of the song and whatever else came to mind. As soon as I sat down and started working on it, it all began to make sense. Hopefully it made some sort of sense to the viewer as well!

17. Thanks so much for this interview, guys. I wish you all the best for the future, you deserve it and rock on! m/

It’s our pleasure, and thanks so much for the wonderful questions and support!

Forever Still are:Maja Schønning – vocals / live piano

Mikkel Haastrup – bass / guitar / keyboards

Chad T. Charlton – drums

Carsten Christensen – guitar

Check more about Forever Still in the links below:

Forever Still Official website

Forever Still Official Facebook page

Forever Still Official Twitter page

Forever Still Official YouTube Channel

Forever Still Official Tumblr page

Forever Still Official Google+ page