Edda Magnason Makes our Ears and Eyes Smile!
We are developing a serious music crush on 27-year-old Swedish singer, songwriter and piano player, Edda Magnason. When she’s not busy touring or writing, you can find her starring in her first feature film all about the life and times of jazz singer, Monica Z. We sat down with Edda for a brief chat about how her Scandinavian surroundings inspire her quirky aesthetic and what it’s like acting on camera for the first time.
Drake General Store: What made you want to become a singer/songwriter and when did you begin writing music?
Edda Magnason: My dream was to become a classical composer or a concert pianist as a kid. Later I bought a recording machine and started to write songs with English lyrics. Songwriting included so many different creative things- not only the notes, also creating demos with handmade covers and puzzling your mind for a week just to reach that perfect sentence. It brought many of my interests together.
DGS: Do your native surroundings in Scandinavia have any influence on your
creative process? If so, to what extent does it permeate your music?
EM: Yes, everything I see, hear, taste and feel influences me. So why
not use Scandinavia- it’s my home!
DGS: Scandinavia has a reputation for being a very creative place in terms of
music, fashion as well as interior design. Do the other art forms that surround you inspire your own?
EM: Yes, but it’s not necessary that a specific design influences you to do produce formulated music, sometimes it’s actually the opposite. I always start to write in my native languish when I’m abroad. Sometimes I melt into the atmosphere, sometimes I drift away to something completely different, but the environment has always an
impact on me in some way.
DGS: Your music videos are so creative and visually captivating. Specifically thinking of the videos for “Snow” and “Blondie”, there seems to be a consistent theme of nature with a sharp juxtaposition of humans within it. Is this something that you consciously weave into your art? How much input do you relay to your director when making a video?
EM: It’s risky to rely on someone’s idea, but you have to trust them to see new dimensions of your own work. I think if you want full control, then you have to learn the tools and do it yourself. The particular earthy feel in the Blondie video (above) came from the director. We found the caravan together and I brought the choir girls. Sometimes you just bring random things, have fun, go with the flow and let the result surprise you.
DGS: We read that you will be performing as an actor in the upcoming movie “Monica Z”- has acting always been something that you’d like to pursue? Are you excited to cover her music on film?
EM: Of course, I’ m very excited! I’ve never acted before, not even in a school play! So it’s an adventure for me. I’m most looking forward to the music and the time she represents; her voice and persona is so loved in Sweden. It’s a big honour to interpret her on film.
DGS: If your house was on fire (heaven forbid!) please name the three objects you’d grab before running to safety:
EM: I would probably have my iPad in hand already, then I’d grab my
piano and the bathtub on the way out!
Above video:
Blondie - Edda Magnason
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