Jenny Hval reveals her new book and record share the same cover, blurring the lines between essays and songs.
Host Anne-Dorte Lunås interviews musician and author Jenny Hval about her new book 'Scenemenneske' and record 'Iris Silvermist', which both feature 13 works and share the same cover. Hval explains that the book contains essays while the record has songs, though they are not directly paired. She describes the book as a collection exploring what it means to be a stage person, with themes recurring across the texts. Hval recounts her early artistic training in Australia, where she studied Creative Arts at the University of Melbourne, a multidisciplinary program that allowed her to experiment with stage arts despite no prior experience. She discusses the difficulty of explaining why she is an artist, viewing it as a neoliberal question, and prefers to focus on how she creates art. Hval reflects on her 28-year career, noting changes in the music industry from record stores and radio to streaming and social media. She misses the strong subcultures of the past, which offered alternatives to mainstream distribution. Hval shares details of her first solo performance at age 15, where she controlled the soundboard herself, enabling a transformative experience. She talks about her musical style, including intentionally playing guitar poorly as part of her expression. Hval discusses her stage show 'The Practice of Love', which incorporated theater elements like a tent and props, challenging the boundaries between music and performance art. She describes an incident in Paris where a man proposed to his girlfriend during a quiet moment in her show, which made her angry but also grateful for the disruption. Hval reflects on collaborations, such as with performance artist Zia Anger, who ate a banana on stage, and how such interactions create tension and conversation. She critiques autotune, noting its overuse and how it has changed vocal training, with younger singers learning from processed recordings rather than live voices. Hval connects this to a broader loss of organic expression in music. She mentions her interest in smell, inspired by the perfume 'Iris Silvermist', which she uses in concerts. The episode concludes with Hval promoting an upcoming concert at Havet on December 4th.
