The rising Norwegian artist SKAAR shares a new collection of songs “Waiting” including new Single “You”
Her usual style is textured alt-pop that tells universal coming-of-age stories, capped by a voice that’s rich with poise, power and purpose. Instead, the 22-year-old has stripped back her sonics in favour of a naturalistic, acoustic set. Her classy vocals and emotive lyrics are pushed to the fore, as she reveals the timeless songwriting that’s at the heart of her music.
Lacking inspiration in the face of the pandemic, she didn’t write any new music until she pushed herself in the autumn. Quickly crafting a wealth of new material, she went into the studio after Christmas, and recorded ‘Waiting’ in just nine days.
SKAAR shares, “‘Waiting’ closes the musical chapter I’ve been working on for the last three years. It’s a prequel to the EP and shows a whole different side of me as an artist, but also a whole other part of the story I want to tell.
I was supposed to write a lot of music in the spring of 2020, but when the pandemic hit I just lost all of my creativity. In the autumn, I had sessions almost everyday and after many months of frustration I suddenly met a turning point and had this rush of inspiration. After nine amazing days, we completed the album. And I’m so proud of how it turned out!”
The instrumentation is pared-down even further, as the duo both take lead vocal duties before their harmonies swell and flourish in unison. Lyrically it offers the gentle reminder that time can resolve many of life’s problems – something that SKAAR herself experienced before completing this project. The duo previously collaborated together on the track ‘voodoo voodoo’. Released in January, the single hit the cover of Norway’s New Music Friday on Spotify.
Further highlights are the opening track ‘Running High’ and new single ‘You’ which features Emelie Hollow, who is best known for her collaboration with Alan Walker on the song ‘Lily’, which has over 210 million streams on Spotify alone. Throughout the album, SKAAR’s vocals weave over beautifully ethereal harmonies and grow in stature, supported by the simplicity of the production: acoustic guitar, piano and modest percussion. You can hear the drama of SKAAR’s previous work, but it’s presented in a whole new light.
SKAAR is currently continuing to work on new music, which will be released later this year. It promises to be a return to her bold alt-pop sound.
