Vatnehall
emerges from decades of friendship and musical experience, blending heartfelt
storytelling with melodic rock. Their debut single “Back to Life” delivers a
powerful message of resilience and hope.
1.
Vatnehall is a new project, but you both have extensive experience in the rock
and metal scene. How did this collaboration come about?
We went to the same music school back in the early 90´s but we did not had much
contact after that. We reconnected in early 2024 via a podcast interview where
Tage was the host.
We had a great laugh and share the same taste in humor. The chemistry between
us just clicked. Some phone calls later we said: Hey we should write a song
together. And we did.
2. Your debut single, Back to Life, is inspired by a friend's struggle with
mental health. Can you share more about what drew you to this theme?
It´s a topic we both think is very important to set the spotligh on. We both
have had our ups and downs in our life, and there are so many people who is
struggeling, more than you might think. We also have friends who did not
survive the struggle.
3. The song has a strong message of resilience. How did you approach
capturing that feeling in both the lyrics and the music?
When writing the lyrics it´s all about to find the right «mood» in the melodi
and chords. The first line of the song «She never had a shade to hide in»
is setting the theme of the song. But the most important moment in the song is
the wake up. This is a modulation coming right after the short stop in the
middle of the song.
The video also show this in a nice way.
4. The line "Now she’s back, full of life and attack" is really
powerful. How did that lyric come about, and what does it mean to you
personally?
Thank you for asking that. When you are at you lowest low and you see no way
out of the situation you´re in. And all common sense is gone you need to talk
to someone who have been down the deep dark hole and hear the story how that
person did make it back, it can give you the little bit of faith that you need
to take the first step. The message in the line is: It´s possible.
5. The music video adds a cinematic layer to Back to Life. What was the
vision behind it, and how involved were you in its creation?
The vision was to enhance the message of the lyrics in a cinematic way, done
with a professional actor. We had 45 people applying for the role, so we did an
audtion to find the right person with the right expression. The manuscript was
written by Svend, who also did all the shooting and editing of the video.
6. Musically, Back to Life features intricate riffs and dynamic rhythms. Can
you walk us through the songwriting and recording process?
We start the recording with just an acoustic guitar adding a straight drum
beat. But the right expression of the song came first when changing the drums
to a upbeat feel that supports the rythm of the vocal. The bass was adding
another layer with the same rhythmic intension and then the guitar on top of
that. The 8 notes on the guitar on the verses also add a nice flow. All the
keyboards was added with the same in mind.
7. You’ve both worked in various musical styles before Vatnehall. How did
your past experiences influence the sound of this project?
All experience comes from within you somehow, but the sound is coming from the
choices made during the recording.
8. As a duo, how do you divide the creative process? Do you each have
distinct roles, or is it a fluid collaboration?
We usuly start writing the songs with Tage plays the acoustic guitar and Svend
is writing the lyrics and the melody. Both studios are doing recordings and
making suggestions. Then we are coming togeheter and finish the structure of
the song. Then we start from scratch with the recording.
9. The hard rock scene has evolved a lot over the years. Where do you see
Vatnehall fitting into today’s rock landscape?
Definitely under melodic rock after our first realese.
10. You’re both multi-instrumentalists and producers. Did that give you more
creative freedom in shaping Back to Life?
Yes it helps a lot when trying out different sounds and arranging and during
the demo prosess where we play all the instruments our selves.
11. With Back to Life being your debut, what can fans expect from Vatnehall
in the future? Is there an album or more singles in the works?
Vatnehall is all about making the music that feels right at the moment we are
making a song. Of course we have our influences from rock but it´s all about
creative freedom
and to produce what we like. There will be releases where just one of us are
involved with other artist´s to. But our next couple of songs will be a result
from our collaboration.
Probably will we release one song at the time. There are some nice songs in the
making that we really looking forward to share with the world.
12. Finally, if listeners take one message away from Back to Life, what do
you hope it is?
Don´t be afraid to ask for help, it´s possible to get through your struggles.
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