Interview: Mirel Wagner
<p><em>Okayafrica sat down with up-and-coming Finnish/Ethiopian singer <strong><a href="http://www.mirelwagner.com/" target="_blank">Mirel Wagner</a></strong> to talk about her beautiful bare-boned folk compositions and her upcoming self-titled US debut on <a href="http://friendlyfirerecordings.com/Bands/MirelWagner/mirelwagner.html"><strong>Friendly Fire</strong></a>.</em></p><p><strong><a href="http://www.okayafrica.com/2012/02/01/video-mirel-wagner-no-death/" target="_blank">"No Death"</a> has gotten a lot of coverage in the US, can you talk about the background of the song?</strong></p><p>That's a difficult question because I don't really remember much about the writing process. I do remember that I wrote the lyrics in one-sitting. But the melodies and that sort of stuff just happened when I was playing guitar. Then the song just came to me. I think I wrote it 3 years ago.</p><p><div class="preroll-video"></div><ora-player></ora-player></p><p><strong>How about the music video, it's quite stunning.</strong></p><p>Yeah, that was shot last summer at this remote town in this renovated house. It was shot very fast. We just kind of went for it. We wanted to make a video that's simple, like the song, but still has that <em>something</em>, you know? [The video is] a bit scary, or so I've been told, but I think it's a very beautiful video.</p><p>
<iframe id="http://player.vimeo.com/video/27824241" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/27824241"></iframe>
</p><p><strong>Yeah, it's both gloomy and beautiful. Is this something you wanted to portray with your music as well?</strong></p><p>Yeah, what I really like to do in music, and what I listen to, has that sort of simplicity that creates a huge emotional response. I like simple things, you don't always need to shout to make an impact.</p><p><strong>Where do your influences come from?</strong></p><p>Everything I listen to. Everything I see, imagine. There's not one thing that's the cause of it all. But I'm inspired by everyday life, and many things that don't happen everyday. Love and happiness, books I read, things I see, people I meet. And just my imagination.</p><p><div class="dfp_atf-slot" data-not-loaded="true"></div><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></p><p><strong>What are some artists that have influenced you?</strong></p><p>I don't know if they've influenced me in a way that I sound like them but I've been compared to <strong>Leonard Cohen</strong>, who's a big hero of mine. Then <strong>Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds</strong>. And old blues, I really like old blues.</p><p><iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F14617088&show_artwork=true" width="100%"></iframe></p><p><strong>Been into any books or films lately?</strong></p><p>I've been reading a lot of classics lately. Classic horror stories, like <strong>Edgar Allan Poe</strong>, I just bought this big book of his collected works. Then I like horror movies. I'm not picky. I wont be like "I'll only watch [Federico] Fellini movies." I like really bad movies, like slasher films from the 80s.</p><p><strong>Anything you'd like to add.</strong></p><p>[pause] ... One thing, I don't really like to explain or analyze my music or lyrics because I just love to leave it to the listener to make their own interpretation or connection to the song. That's why I didn't really talk about the music.</p><p><strong>That's all right.</strong></p><p>Yeah, because I think it blocks something if you start to lecture people about "this is how you should listen to my music" or "this is what it's about". And I love to hear people's interpretations of the songs.</p><p><strong>Have you heard any interesting interpretations?</strong></p><p>I've read a couple of reviews where the song has been interpreted as a song about a dead baby or a dead lover. It's interesting to hear.</p>
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