Interviewing Mörmaid felt like plunging into a mysterious ocean, where each question was a wave pulling me deeper into her world. Our connection during the video call was instant, as if some unseen force brought us together. She had a captivating presence, both ethereal and commanding, and her words cast a spell with their poetic sense.

We talked about her latest single, ‘Wet Summer,’ a electro tune that seemed to come from a hidden realm. Mörmaid shared the challenges of navigating the music industry while staying true to her style. She explained how she collaborated with KAKSI to create AI-driven music videos, adding an otherworldly dimension to her music. Despite facing challenges, Mörmaid stays true to herself, standing out against conformity. We discussed her journey as a female producer in a male-dominated industry, where each note she composed felt like a rebellion. Her debut album, filled with tracks reflecting her innermost secrets and desires, emerged like a hidden treasure. Discover all this and more in our exclusive interview below!

photo by TEKLA LOU

Hello, Mörmaid! Congrats on the release of your new single! With ‘Wet Summer,’ you’ve eloquently expressed the struggle of balancing personal artistic integrity with the pressures of the music industry. How do you navigate this complex issue, particularly as you embark on creating your debut album?

I guess like you’re saying it is indeed a complex issue, and I often feel torn between where to direct my focus. It’s easy to give too much attention to the business aspect, to think about what others might like, or what the industry might respond to, which in my case leads to a lot of stress and that leaves me with much less energy to be creative in a free way. Deep down I don’t really want to focus on that at all and just create whatever I want, and as long as I enjoy it and feel like I am expressing myself in a genuine way, that’s all that matters. And it is! Because if you lean too much towards pleasing the industry or those around you, I think the art loses the nerve, the emotion – it can become a bit soulless.

Bottom line is, I’m still trying to find a way to navigate, and sometimes I’m more able to nourish my creativity and sometimes less. I guess when you’re in the middle of an album release there’s suddenly a lot more focus on PR and all that, so that naturally becomes a bigger part of your day to day as an artist. I’m super excited for the album to come out, and at the same time I’m looking forward to being able to find space to create new music.

Your latest music video for the new single left me speechless! Is it true that it’s a blend of AI work and the incredible talent of KAKSI? I’m fascinated! And speaking of technology, how do you feel about its role in your creative process and the impact it has on your work?

Thank you, that’s very kind! Yes, KAKSI, consisting of the film maker duo Alam Ali and Anna Katrin Karlsson, made this video using AI. At first, we talked about what the song meant and what the narrative was, and about what kind of aesthetic both KAKSI and I were envisioning. We instantly had really good chemistry and had a lot of similar reference points. I love the Wes Anderson-esque pastel visual world they created and the slightly creepy and disturbing quality to the images (that AI images often have, I’d say).

Using AI to create art is something I feel ambivalent about. There’s obviously a debate about how AI threatens certain professions, and I believe this is very real. At the same time, there will always be a flow of new technology, and I wanted with this project to explore my ambivalent feelings and to try and see AI as a creative tool rather than an entity that does all the work for you. KAKSI generated over 2000 images to get to the final result, so there was definitely a lot of human touch involved in the process. This makes me feel optimistic about it, but I think there needs to be clear regulations to the usage of AI in all kinds of settings and professions.

Technology is obviously a huge part of my creative process since my music is so electronic, and the more I’ve explored production, effect processing, sampling and using a DAW, the more electronic my music has become. I love how you can basically create any soundscape you can imagine, and that you’re not bound to an instrument or a specific band constellation. This can of course be a blessing and a course, because it can be overwhelming to have such a vast creative universe to explore. I try to actively create some limitations, give myself little assignments, to see what that does to the process and to what I create.

photo by TEKLA LOU

With your experimental style and refusal to adhere to conventional norms, do you ever worry about being labeled ‘too avant-garde’ by mainstream audiences?

Absolutely. Re: your first question, I often find myself thinking “this is too weird” or “this won’t fit in anywhere”. And I think that when I tell myself those things in that way, I’m not protecting my own art. But, if I try to turn it around and think “this is interesting and surprising” or “I haven’t heard much like this before” then it becomes more motivating. As long as I find it interesting myself and get a kick from it, that will inevitably be conveyed in the music. Also, when I think about it, deep down I don’t really have a wish or need to be accepted by mainstream audiences. I’m much more into the alternative and underground scenes, and I want to find my place there.

As a female producer in a predominantly male-dominated field, have you faced any unique obstacles or prejudices, and how have you overcome them?

Well, I guess I’ve kept a lot to myself when it comes to production. I’ve done bits of work with other artists, and quite a few remixes, but I haven’t really been putting myself out there as someone who produces for others, even though I want to! I’m not sure if that has anything to do with my gender or if it’s just that I’m a bit of a lone wolf when it comes to music making. I struggle a bit with showing something very raw and new to someone else, or to create something new in the room with someone. I like to have a go at it by myself first, where I can be totally free. That said, the times I’ve been in the studio with others it’s often been very rewarding and I realise that it’s not so scary after all – it’s mostly just a lot of fun. Obviously you need to have good chemistry both musically and socially with the people you work with, but you won’t find out about that until you’ve tried! So my goal this year and onwards is to invite more people into my process and to experiment together with musicians and artists I admire, and see what comes out of it.

I would like to mention that I see more and more female and non-binary producers in the scene, and that I feel optimistic about the development.

Given the success of ‘Wet Summer’ and your previous singles, what can we expect from your debut album in terms of sonic evolution and experimentation?

I always try to challenge myself to break free from my usual patterns as a composer and producer, and I hope that comes across on the album. Although I notice that there are some things that are hard to shake – I love a long buildup and outro to a song, for example, and there’s more than one of those on the album, haha! But my attempt was at least to create something with a lot of sonic variation. I love artists who aren’t afraid of having an eclectic discography, or to have a big portion of contrast within one body of work. Radiohead is a great example, as well as Björk.

I think with an album, as opposed to an EP, there’s much more space for dramaturgy and development, both in the music and lyrics, and that’s been a great pleasure to be able to do with this album. I love a concept album as well (I am a prog rock fan at heart), and this album ended up being all about fear, duality and uncertainty. It’s been interesting to try and convey these themes not only in the lyrics but also in the production and sound design.

The process of creating a debut album can be incredibly personal. Are there any tracks on the album that hold special significance or tell particularly meaningful stories?

Yes. A couple of the songs are more conceptual, but almost all of them come from quite a personal space. I remember when I did my undergrad as a jazz singer, my teacher (Sidsel Endresen, a legend) talked about the difference between personal and private. Since then I’ve been reflecting a lot on that in my own writing. I want to be personal and convey something genuine, but with room for interpretation so that when the song or album is released, it’s not just my stories anymore. They can belong to anyone who listens and finds comfort or recognition in them. That said, like for almost all artists I think, it’s been a good way for me to process and channel different fears, struggles and ambivalences I’ve had (and have) in my own life.

photo by TEKLA LOU

As you finalize your debut album, what emotions are you experiencing? Any nerves, excitement, or a bit of both?

Everything at once! Obviously very happy and proud, and at the same time very nervous and quite exhausted! It’s always scary to release music, and having done all the songwriting, production and mixing by myself, I’m always thinking about what could be better on a very detailed and zoomed in level. I also have a big portion of imposter syndrome as a lot of artists do. However, once the music is out and has been out for a little while, I’m usually finally able to see it more as a whole, and I’m really looking forward to that. It’s also going to be a lot of fun to play it live – I’m working on a special light show and stage design, which I’m super excited about.

As mentioned above I’m currently in this very PR focused headspace, which in full honesty I don’t love. I’m not a natural content creator or marketer, but I’m now working on finding ways to create content and a visual world around the album that suits me and is fun for me, and that becomes part of the art rather than just feeling like I’m badgering people, haha!

‘Wet Summer’ really hit home with its exploration of industry pressures. I’m curious, have you encountered any pushback or criticism for daring to stray from mainstream trends in your music? And how do you handle that kind of feedback?

It’s taken quite a long time to get to a place where I’m starting to be noticed a bit. It’s a lot of hard work and still there’s a lot of more hard work to be done. I’ve definitely had a fair bit of rejection, which lots of artists get throughout their careers. Things like “your music is this, but I’d like it to be this instead”, and that’s hard to hear when you’ve put so much heart and soul into something. But ultimately, even though it’s easier said than done, those comments don’t matter at all. Music and art is so subjective, and people reviewing music have their own personal taste. It can never be totally objectively measured. It’s lovely when you receive compliments of course, and I’m always super thankful for that. But what if you’ve created something that is not coming from the right place in you, that is built on the pressures of pleasing others before yourself, what will those compliments be worth then? I feel like this is such an interesting topic and I could go on for ages, but these are at least some of my reflections.

In a world where streaming dominates and trends come and go quickly, how do you think artists can carve out their own space and longevity in the industry?

Very good question. I actually find it all a bit concerning. Just with myself as a listener I’ve noticed a change over the last few years. I’m much less patient when listening to new music, and find myself skipping halfway through a lot of songs because I don’t connect with them or because it’s not capturing my focus. I think with all the short lived stimuli on social media it’s gotten a lot easier to let yourself get distracted. Our focus is so scattered across all these platforms, including streaming platforms.

I think one good key would be to not think about trends at all in your own music making. And to keep making albums, not just lots of singles. And to stop and really reflect on why you’re making what you’re making, so you’re able to find out if you’re actually doing something you have a passion for or if you’re letting yourself float along with what’s hot right now. And absolutely most importantly, take your time. It’s so easy to feel like you have to hurry up and release music all the time to stay relevant, and that can ultimately damage your own creativity and your art. Give the music time to become something you’re proud of and happy about.

On a lighter note, what’s been your favorite memory from your journey as Mörmaid so far?:)

I think it’s actually a very recent thing! I opened for Lindstrøm last week (a space disco legend), and it was so much fun. Great sound, good feeling on stage, really cool lights and lots of people who were there to dance. I think my music is very much at home in a club environment, and I’d love to play more shows like that.

*This interview was made possible by BTD Sounds PR