Words by Art Jefferson
Photography by Elinor Wermeling

There is a soul-stirring magic to the music of Swedish singer Cajsa Siik. However, after releasing organically rich soundscapes for the past six years, with her critically acclaimed third album ‘Domino’ having dropped in 2017, she began to feel a block inside, coming to odds with the ideas that she wanted to convey, all the while feeling silenced by surrounding noise. Whilst fans have always been immersed in her poetic delivery, Siik began struggling to write. Although this can be an utter nightmare for most artists, she did what many would be afraid to do – simply submit to silence. Within that quietness and stillness, she swam deeper in her thoughts, almost re-examining the person she used to be and the person she is now, creating a meeting ground for the two.

Cajsa Siik found old Super 8 films shot by her grandfather who made numerous treks throughout the United States and Europe as a part of his architectural career. This would also help to provide inspiration that eventually helped the singer to begin crafting new music. Since the movies were silent, Siik pictured her sounds being the voice.

Also teaming up with Mikaela Hansson, eventually Cajsa Siik would rediscover a love and purpose for making music again. This manifestation resulted in the recording of her new EP Low Light Key Sessions. A five-song release steeped in a spacious beauty and tenderness with a cinematic lifting. An artistic rebirth of such, Siik has again risen as that pure bred, passionate artist creating something that is unique and timeless.

You’ve stated that there was a feeling of your voice being silenced and drowned out by things of the moment. Could you elaborate on some of those things that did scream louder?

Cajsa Siik – Since I started writing music I’ve had a quite strong voice inside of me – guiding me and letting me create without being too harsh and judgmental. Of course, I’ve been able to criticize what I do – but afterwards, not in the actual process. When I made the decision to record Low Light Key Sessions I felt that that voice somehow had been silenced down by harsh voices inside me that didn’t really allowed that free space. I felt like they were holding me back. Then there was also all the noise surrounding me. Every day we are exposed to information and messages coming from all over. Messages about how to be, eat, sleep, think, act – live. It’s a world filled with beauty and possibilities but it also makes us compare ourselves with a reality that we’re not even sure really exists. You can easily lose contact with your own path. Or lose the faith in that you’re on the right track. When I began to record Low Light Key Sessions I just felt that I didn’t have any filters left – filters to filter out what I didn’t need at the time. I just knew that to continue writing music I needed my voice back. The one that used to guide me. So, I decided to shut down for a while. Turned inside – to some sort of intuition, humbleness and playfulness.

How long did it take for you to overcome those moments and to rediscover your voice?

Cajsa Siik – It sounds so easy – It’s not. I think overcoming the moments of doubt and listening with an open mind is an ongoing thing…and sometimes doubting yourself can be really good for you. It triggers change. New direction. As long as it’s not the emotion totally in charge. That’s just destructive. I’m still working on that. Because when I do, I often find flow and a sense of freedom. I guess it’s about that balance. Recording Low Light Key Sessions took almost one year. Mikaela Hansson and I worked on it when we felt like it, with the main goal to play around with the songs – not focusing on the result. Focusing on what we wanted to say and the way to say it. I was living with this way of thinking through that year. And I guess I still am. Even If I still end up doubting it all every other day =)

You’ve also touched on the idea of loneliness and using the music to create a dialogue. Do you think that loneliness can create a sort of peaceful space to be able to fully appreciate the power of music and its language?

Cajsa Siik – The way I write music is quite a lonely process, it doesn’t involve other people – at least it hasn’t yet. It can sure be described as a peaceful space. I need that to write songs. Working on Low Light Key Sessions, I wanted to include other voices as well – not in the actual songwriting process but in the artwork – production – films – and texts that are included in this release. In that way, I wanted to bring other people’s voices in to that space of loneliness. Mikaela’s voice is represented in the production of the songs, my grandpa’s voice in the films and the voices of 15 other people that were involved in writing the texts published along with the films. Like a three way dialogue.

When you began to record Low Light Key Sessions, how long did it take to you to regain that love of recording music again? Was it instant or did that come further into the process?

Cajsa Siik – It happened quite fast. I was a bit nervous in the beginning but working with Mikaela and talking to her about my thoughts, needs and fears made me calm and along the way more and more certain of what I was aiming for.

Lyrically your words are poetry in motion and could literally stand alone on paper. How does poetry play a part in your writing process?

Cajsa Siik – That’s actually how I want them to be read so I’m glad you’ve had that experience =) I often read lyrics to other songs without listening to the music – I read them as poetry. To me writing lyrics for music is like writing poetry with rhythm…and I want the lyrics to have that certain rhythm and emotion even without the music. Poetry and music together however creates a new dimension. Metaphors and words that follows the emotion in the chords and the melodies. In that way, it can be seen as a powerful three-way dialogue. Text – chords and melody.

Can you talk about your grandfather’s films and how they served as a form of inspiration with the new music?

Cajsa Siik – I remember seeing these films a few years ago and I thought – one day I want them to somehow be involved in my music. But I didn’t know how or when.

When I started to think about Low Light Key Sessions and how to create a dialogue in pictures. It just felt that this was the time to use this footage. I spent hours watching these silent films – almost seeing the world through my grandfather’s eyes. After some time I could see a pattern in the way he used the camera – the difference between when he was documenting “daily life” and when the pictures had another dimension – a more thought through composition. I think I could tell when he was inspired. I was drawn to those pictures and chose some of them as footage for the films. Somehow, it felt like a dialogue between me and him, and his pictures added a new dimension to my music.

One of the things that seem apparent with the new record is this idea of creating in a free manner without any expectations? How would you compare this with the experience of working on your previous records?

Cajsa Siik – To create something without expectations is easier said than done. If even possible. But what I mean by that is somehow connected to the first question – that I wanted the recording process to be guided by free manners and intuition – not those harsh voices that criticizes in a negative way. That stops the flow. Instead – what it is is good “enough”. Just let it be what it is.

Recording my two latest albums I sort of knew what I wanted to do and I also had a time limit – a bigger studio space and I was driven by creating intense dynamics. There were also more people involved in the recordings. This time was different because I didn’t have any deadlines and the songs were allowed to be shaped in a slow, intuitive mode – just involving Mikaela and me. We didn’t even know If we wanted to release these songs. The focus was all on the process.

The recording of my next album will be something else, something new – but this experience will influence the way I work with music in the future.

Finally, what were some of the things that your rediscovered about yourself personally with regards to working on Low Light Key Sessions?

Cajsa Siik – Writing music isn’t just something that I “do” – it is something that I need and it’s a part of who I am. I have so much music inside of me – as long as I don’t take myself for granted.

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