Multi-instrumentalist and ethereal artist Akiine shares “Don’t Wanna”, the second single from her upcoming Red EP, out May 31st. Born and raised on the outskirts of the Swedish capital though currently based in London, Akiine focuses on creating minimal pop while weaving mystic storytelling through it all. “Don’t Wanna” carries its own spellbound dynamic while revealing a general feeling of a budding relationship. Akiine states,
“Don’t wanna is an easy going and fun song of how you feel in the beginning of a relationship, when this new world opens up to you and you just want to be with the other person and everything is colourful and you can’t wait to finish work and just go and hang out with them, doing nothing.. There’s lots of endorphins and excitement and life is great in the little love nest. This song was inspired by memories and appreciation of how things evolve. A lot of golden touches. Musically, I worked a lot on the drums and came to a stage where I decided to tidy it up a bit and simplify the layers to not make it too complicated. Just wanted a nice beat with a fun rhythm to it.”
We talked with the charming solo artist about the project and what’s next to come.
KALTBLUT: How has the move from Sweden to London affected your art and music practice?
Akiine: It’s definitely affected how I imagine the music sounding. Before my move from Sweden, the thought of stepping out into the world felt very spiritually uplifting somehow and very fresh and exciting. Now that I’ve lived in London for 7 years it has become my reality, and so day to day life affects my emotions and my inspiration. It’s gone from taking that leap of faith – the first time of doing something that you can only experience once – to the feeling of it turning into your daily reality, transforming your creative output in the way that inspiration becomes the thing you want to create and the struggle becomes the art.
KALTBLUT: How do you still manage to find those exciting and deeply inspiring “strange in the familiar” moments after living in a place for so long?
Akiine: It can be hard. A lot of the inspiration comes from stored memories or once a song is being created it comes naturally as the next step. Trying to step out of my comfort zone and also to push myself in certain social situations helps spark some sort of excitement as well.
KALTBLUT: Do you still feel very close to being classified as a Swedish artist?
Akiine: I probably feel closer to it now that I live in London because it tells a story about where I’m from. In one way it makes me feel close to other artists whose work I really enjoy, but at the same time, it doesn’t really classify what I do. But it’s a nice group of people to be lumped together with :) I guess it connects me to the landscape of Sweden and the beautiful nature, which has definitely been a huge inspiration for my earlier songs.
KALTBLUT: How long has “Don’t Wanna” been in the making for?
Akiine: I’d say on and off for two years. I started it and then left it for a long time because I had just come out of a period in my life that was quite draining and time-consuming with no space to create so after that time lots of new songs and inspiration just flowed out of me and I had to create these little ideas quickly so they wouldn’t run away. But once I worked on the song with the intention of finishing it, it went quite quickly I think!
KALTBLUT: There are many spaces, playful moments and unexpected turns within “Don’t Wanna” that fit your explanation around a new relationship perfectly. How did you achieve this sound?
Akiine: I think that when you interact with someone you end up really connecting with for the first time, you already know through intuition that you have a special bond and that even the playful fun moments are just like these flowers floating on the surface of a lake but they have roots that go really deep and are really strong and sacred. That’s how I feel like the song is built as well. It has lots of playful and just simple, straightforward thoughts but there is this deep bond present in the foundation.
KALTBLUT: Do you have a specific process in constructing your songs?
Akiine: The songs usually come on their own in their own time which is a bit scary cause I never know if I’ll make another song that I’ll feel inspired by again, but then I always seem to grab a new one. I don’t mean that I just sit and wait, more that when I’m trying to figure out what is brewing up inside me and sit down to try and reach for the right vibe or emotion, the inspiration comes to me when the time is right and from there it just flows forward. Not always smoothly but once the inspiration is there I have the purpose of creating something until it’s “done”.
KALTBLUT: What can listeners expect from the other songs on Red?
Akiine: Hopefully to come along on a small journey. I hope they feel intimacy. Whether it’s through connecting with the lyrics or feeling that there’s a part of them in the music. I really hope listening to the EP makes you feel special and present in the world and that life is magical.
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Feature photo by Wiktor Malinowski
