Words by Art Jefferson
Images courtesy of Fanny Andersen

Fanny Andersen was clearly born to be a star. Anyone who has ever witnessed her live shows or have simply watched footage can attest to her confidence on stage with that uncanny ability to not only deliver an incredible performance but control the climate. That same energy is apparent in her records which translate into larger than life pop tunes stacked with a distinct golden touch only the Olso-based artist can deliver.

The Norwegian-born singer made her proper debut with the song ‘Kids’ back in 2017 after dropping a cover of Avicii’s ‘The Days’ two years earlier. She also released the incredible track ‘Not A Toy’ that same year. After garnishing loads of praises from the press and developing a strong fan base, Fanny Andersen found herself at odds with her then management not to mention grappling with her mental well-being, forcing her to take a break. However, Andersen made a strong comeback with the 2018 single ‘Dollar Sign’, a force of a pop track with R&B overtones.

2020 is again looking bright for Fanny Andersen with her record ‘Wake Up’ being as fierce as ever and packed with utter attitude. Her latest tune ‘Complicated’ is a continuance of the fire which is burning insanely bright, another testament that she is sky-rocketing straight to the top.

Can you talk about the early days of music in your life? Did you grow up with loads of music being played in the house?

Fanny Andersen – I grew up with very different types of music, my dad would play anything from Frank Zappa to Missy Elliot, so yeah we always had music blaring in our house. This was the way I completely fell in love with music! Like it’s this universal language, and even if you don’t understand what they are singing about, it’s always an emotion in a song that you can feel. And my dad, being a huge music fan, would show me all these amazing artist growing up.

Was there one particular track that you can remember being really impactful on you as a kid and if so, which tune was it?

Fanny Andersen – Yes, I feel like it’s pretty standard but ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ has always been my favorite song. I remember when I heard it the first time, I just completely fell in love with it. How it feels like a piece of art, and how powerful it is. I remember listening to it and thinking that I one day wanted to write songs and do music when I grew up.

It’s evident that between releases such as ‘Kids’ and ‘Wake Up’ you’ve grown so much as an artist. How would you personally describe those changes?

Fanny Andersen – Just being able to be in the studio a lot, I feel like I’ve grown as a songwriter. I think that is the main thing, that I’m much more confident in my songwriting now than I was then! And when you’re more confident, you let loose a bit more and have more fun with it.

With your single ‘Wake Up’, the content of the track feels like someone who is at constant battle with themselves but is finally expressing things that have been kept inside. What was the motivation behind ‘Wake Up’ and was this a difficult song for you to write?

Fanny Andersen – I was going through a really tough time, and when I went in the studio I knew I wanted to write what I had been feeling lately. It came really easily, I think from when we went in the studio, to we had the written the whole song, it was only like 2-3 hours. And it felt like a big release, finally getting the words to all these feelings and thoughts I had been struggling with. It kinda ripped the bandage off, and made me really seek to get help and get better.

Can you talk about your latest track ‘Complicated’? I interpret the song as two people who are seemingly perfect for one another yet are riddled by small things that keep getting in the way of that ideal match happening.

Fanny Andersen – ‘Complicated’ is about falling in love, and then realizing that it’s not working. It’s about how it makes life feel very complicated as well, putting so much in to one thing that’s not working. It’s about this modern day love, where you really like each other, but not being ready to settle. So yeah, a very modern day love song about how complicated love can be.

As an artist, listeners get the opportunity to look into a window of personal things in your life. Does writing those personal songs also help you to learn a lot about yourself and if so, what things you have discovered?

Fanny Andersen – I think it really helps me in so many ways. I’m not always the best at talking about my feelings, but I can sit in the studio and it just kinda pours out of me. It can make you realize what you need to change in yourself as well, for example with ‘complicated’, it really made me understand that I was in this relationship that was not working out, and was basically only hurting me. And with ‘Wake Up’, it really made me realize exactly what I was feeling, and then made me seek help to get better. So yeah, writing music is kind of my therapy, and I feel really fortunate and thankful that it’s my job to do it!

Finally, even though the world is still in the midst of Covid-19, how has life been for you during this whole ordeal?

Fanny Andersen – It’s been really strange, but I’ve tried focusing on how the changes it caused in my everyday life could also be positive. I was staying at my mom’s house during big parts of it, and to spend so much time with my family has been amazing. I have been trying to stay creative, and I’ve been writing loads. So yeah, even tho it’s been so strange, I have been able to be with family and writing music, and that has been very nice.

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