Interview with Theresa Andersson
Hummingbird Go! is much more than just the sounds of life, it is a push on the creative boundaries of music.
By Rebecca BrychIt appears that Theresa Andersson is never sitting still, never complacent with her work. Each and every time we see her, she is bringing something new to the table. Her latest album, Hummingbird Go! is no exception. In her fifth solo project, Hummingbird Go! gives music an “organic” feel that few, if any, will be able to match. The lyrics and sounds are drawn from the banks of the Mississippi River and the backyard garden of Andersson’s Algiers Point home.
Hummingbird Go! is much more than just the sounds of life, it is a push on the creative boundaries of music. Homegrown, this album finds life in the sights, sounds, shapes, and textures of the world around us and in everyday items. Most of those items were found in Andersson’s kitchen, such as soda pop bottles and wine glasses. These may not be typical instruments of choice, but for Andersson, they were their own inspiration. “When you don’t have money, you have to be creative. When you hear something in your head and you need to put it down before forgetting, it makes sense to look around and use what’s there. I found that the sounds created from ‘household’ items were inspiring, and decided to explore in that direction.” Not only were the instruments found in her kitchen, but the album was recorded not in a studio as one would expect, but in Andersson’s kitchen, right next to her wine glasses. “I had made the demo of my new songs in the kitchen. When the producer Tobias Froberg heard the demos, he loved the sound and wanted to go with that.”
It is amazing that such beautiful music was found and made in a single kitchen by a solo artist. Andersson says creating this album solo in her kitchen was “aaalll good.” “I was totally in a zone. But when I think about it, I was pretty sore from playing for ten hours straight every day. Since I recorded most of the instruments, I also had to learn to play drums and I even picked up a bass at one point. It was challenging, but I didn’t really think like that. It was more a matter of putting down what the track needed and getting it done. It made most sense for this recording when I played the parts.”
Hummingbird Go! is Andersson’s fifth solo project, and each time she brings something new to her fans as her music progresses. “I like the window seat when I fly. It’s fun to look down on all the rivers and roads and the patterns they create. My music path reminds me of the Mississippi River. It winds and it forks out into little deltas. Now I am coming out into the ocean where the water gets deeper and more powerful. With Hummingbird, Go!, I have tapped into the sum of all my experiences so far.”
Hummingbird Go! was both a creative and physically demanding effort with which Andersson pushes the limits and creative boundaries. “I learned a lot this year. Jazzfest 2007 marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. I had a solo tour booked in Europe that summer. Since my first instruments were violin and vocals, I wanted to find a way to perform where I could showcase that and not have to rely on my poorly picked guitar playing. The answer was a loop pedal. I worked up a few songs with my new tool and hit the road. The tour was successful and I came home inspired and ready to expand this idea. I spent all fall writing and exploring musically. A lot of it took place in my backyard or walking along the Mississippi River. I would spend hours just singing melodies or painting harmonies with my voice. Rarely did I use a guitar to create chords. I would just sing them. I found inspiration in colors. I started to connect the sounds from the river wharfs with music... all this is around us every day. In a way I was making music collages, piecing together rough cuts and smooth cuts of different musical textures. Gluing it together with my melodies. Once the music and the songs were finished I gave them to New Orleans poet Jessica Faust to write words. Jessica wrote most of the lyrics and Tobias Froberg also contributed some.”
Although Hummingbird Go! is a solo effort, the album does include a bonus track, “Now I Know,” with Allen Toussaint. Over the years Andersson has collaborated with other well-known artists and she says, “Collaboration is exciting. You have to be very open and giving to bring out the best in each other. If you can achieve that, then there’s no limit. When I’ve worked with someone very famous I always get nervous before it starts. It can be intimidating when all you think about is the ‘name’ and what is attached to it. But as soon as you start to play music, it’s like everything else just melts away and there’s nothing but music. It’s the best feeling.”
Originally from Sweden, Andersson not only finds inspiration in her adopted home of New Orleans, she found some inspiration and influences from her hometown of Gotland. “I wanted to have something Swedish on this album because it is part of who I am. I have lived in New Orleans as long as I lived in Sweden, so it makes sense. Everything is balanced. Meeting Tobias and Linus through him was a bonus. We jokingly started calling ourselves ‘Team Gotland,’ but it sticks.” With the results from “Team Gotland,” fans can only hope that they will “strike again!”
Growing up in Sweden, Anderson knew from an early age that she wanted to sing for crowds. “I was naturally drawn to those situations and my first performance was for the Sunday school Christmas party when I was four.” It was not long after that when Andersson began playing the violin. Fortunately for her fans, “it was music and love” that brought Andersson to New Orleans at the age of eighteen. Since then, “love and music has both changed.” The one thing that has not changed is that she still calls New Orleans home, even after relocating for a short time to Austin, Texas after Katrina.
2008 has brought a lot of changes for both Andersson. “The best part is that I have a new record and I will be touring. The worst is that I don’t know if I can afford the gas prices.”
Fans should be sure to check out both the album Hummingbird Go! and Andersson’s live show. “When you see me live now, it’s a very different experience from what I’ve done before. I create everything live. All my loops and all the music is being recorded in front of you. My pedal board looks a little bit like the Starship Enterprise control room. There are lots of electronics, drums, a record player, and instruments, and of course the white shag rug! I have a lot of fun doing this and I finally feel that I can express all my ideas in a way that is unique and honest. This is a show you must see from the beginning to end. Too much is going on and you wouldn’t want to get there halfway through.”
Before her most recent trip to Sweden, fans could find Andersson at venues such as the Living Room in New York. On Friday, September 5, Theresa Andersson will be in New Orleans for the Hummingbird Go! CD release party at the Republic. The doors opens at 10 PM, the show starts 11 PM. This is sure to be a show to remember, so mark your calendars and come on out to support Theresa Andersson and her new album Hummingbird Go!