I recently presented Anna Sofia Nords latest release in a spotted post; so now it’s time to get to know her a bit better, don’t you think?
What’s your real name and how did you come up with your artist name?
My name is Sofia Nordlund. I work in several musical environments within different musical genres so I wanted to release my solo piano music using an artist name. It turned out to be Anna Sofia Nord, not too far from my real name.
Where are you from? And where do you live?
I am originally from Habo, a small town close to Jönköping, Sweden. Now I live in Örebro together with my husband and kids.
How long have you been playing the piano?
I have been playing the piano for as long as I remember. I probably started when I was 3-4 years old.
Tell us about how you started playing music.
I come from a musical family where music always has ben encouraged an present. My parents have an old black upright piano that has always been a part of the family. I have early memories of me and my sister sitting on each side of our mother while she played and sang together with us. We soon started to pick out melodies and then progress from there. I started to take piano lessons and then after many years I finally graduated from the Royal College of Music, Stockholm, Sweden.
Do you play other instruments as well?
In my youth I played the clarinet for a few years. Now I play the Piano, some Pipe Organ and sing.
How long have you been making piano music?
I have been writing songs for as long as I have been playing the piano, but probably in a more conscious way from my teens and forward. Since I often find it hard to write lyrics, many pieces stays instrumental.
Tell us something about that moment you realized you could make songs yourself!
A hard question to answer! I can not remember a certain occasion or moment. It came as a natural progress to playing.
Have you made music in other genres before?
Yes I have, and still do write music in other genres, ranging from pop, gospel etc. I also arrange music for a choir that I lead.
What are your favorite artists in this “piano genre”?
There are many great players and composers out there! It is hard to name any particular favourite, and there are always some songs that tend to speak to you in a special way. If I have to name one single player/artist that inspired me over the years it has to be the late Swedish composer/pianist Jan Johansson. He had more of a jazz background than a classical approach but there is something about his melancholic, nordic tonal language that I find really inspiring. His sense of melody and harmony was outstanding. My parents had an old LP with Jan Johansson that we listened to sometimes. It really inspired me.ind
How long is your shortest song?
Of the currently released songs it has to be ”Safe and Calm” 2:07.
What rules (in making music) needs to be broken?
Are there any rules? As long as the music communicates the feeling the composer felt when it was written, all means are allowed!
And, as usual. The question from my son:
Where do all your songs come from?
They often begin as a feeling, a mood or a melodic theme. Then I sit down and improvise and just play around these ideas until I find something that expresses the original thought.
Thank you for the chat Sofia!
Please check out the following links for more information!
Facebook / Spotify