Hi! For those that haven’t heard of you yet, how would you best describe your sound,and who have been your biggest influences so far?
Techno Pop from the Woods of Sweden. Inspired by the surroundings where we live – in nature and archipelago outside of Stockholm. It is also possible to hear traces from our former folk-pop/indie duo Piroth which we toured Europe by train a couple of times. LOKATT can actually be whatever we want it to be, sometimes LOKATT is more indie/pop and sometimes more danceable, techno-pop, electronic – also with guitar and vocals.
Our biggest influences go back to our Mom singing and playing guitar with her finnish songs for us, the melodies and harmonies of Simon and Garfunkel (that our parents played for us), the energy of ABBA, Kate Bush, Patti Smith, The Knife, Björk and Robyn, the beats and vocals of Jürgen Paape and Ada, the early pop electronic sounds of Air and Kings of Convenience. Today we are in love with a lot of indie/electronic/90’s R’n’B, german techno (from Pampa, Cocoon, Kompakt), Norwegian disco, icelandic indie and party bands and Swedish artists like Harald Björk, Sabina Dumbas new stuff, Amanda Bergman, Amason and releases by label and collective Studio Barnhus (and many more…). All the artists that we invite to our Studio and interview in our music podcast Man Machine (sorry mostly in Swedish but with plans of doing more international in English – one interview in English is out now if you wanna check it out).
Do you remember what the first song was that made you want to start a career inmusic?
With LOKATT it was The Hill…in general it was as small kids on a balcony in the Austrian Alps. We started to write songs very early at the age of 7, very seriously of course :). Actually we still remembered those songs!
You have just released your new single ‘In Snow And Time’. Can you tell us how that track came about?
We wanted to make a song for the lonely souls, for those who struggle, fighting to find your
way, your path. It’s a hymn for a friend in need, for a lost one or for you who lost your light. A hymn for everyone.
It’s a reminder to keep fighting, that it’s never too late for change. A song about forgiveness, for your future fairies to come true. We are with you in this song, in your ears, when it feels like everyone else is far away.
And how would you say it compares to your previous releases?
It is more calm, It’s a winter hymn for the lonely souls out there. We wrote the hymn some years ago but now we decided to release it. We asked the Swedish artist and producer Harald Björk, which we are collaborating with sometimes, to make an edit of the track. His edit made the track more ambient with a touch of crystal clear air and glittering stars. Exactly what we wanted it to become and sound like.
Where are you based? Can you tell us how the music scene there has inspired your sound at all?
We are based in Stockholm. Our studio, Oma’s Studio, is a bit outside the city center, actually on a big Island next to a great Nature Reserve, lakes and the entrance to the archipelago of Stockholm. We have both the city and nature – it‘s very nice! We are inspired by the music scene and our friends in the electronic heart of Stockholm, that is a privilege, to be able to listen to how that heart beats. Of course the Stockholm music scene has shaped us with all great musicians here, but we also used to live in Berlin and we have roots in Salzburg, Austria and Karelia, Finland. We are a mix of worlds – our aunt was a Finnish singer touring, working hard, singing in all small bars and dance palaces there was. Our mother is an artist doing whatever she feels like, songs, poems, paintings. From our Austrian side our grandma had the first record shop in Salzburg, the city of classical music. Our dad is an adventurer and former ski jumper. So, the thing we learned from home was basically two things: follow your heart but be sure to also have a proper education to lean back on. Don’t know whether this was good or bad – maybe it has held us back in some way when it comes to rely on music as an actual work, in another way we have full creative freedom the way we work now.
What is the biggest challenge of being an artist?
It is a challenge having a dayjob/another career, our own company and label Oma Gusti, kids and time to be a creative soul…our society is not really made for us creatives. But in Sweden we are at least lucky to have some cultural support from the Government…which we hope our new Government also will continue with.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given as a musician?
Follow your heart, your path. Do your thing…but also, for us, do different things – maybe not only music, but to have your focus also outside of yourself and work with other things you believe in and are important. Also this makes us more free in the music we make and as artists, we only do what we want to do.
What’s next for you? Is there more music or any live shows on the way?
We are working (in a slow tempo) with a new EP, which we hope to finish this year. The working title is Little Rebel. Our bigger goal is also to create and produce an album, which we never did yet with LOKATT (but several releases with our former duo Piroth). We also do have some plans to create a live-set, but it takes time and we are not really in a hurry. But one day! It would be cool, we can see it in front of us. Very ambient, danceable, a lot of neon lights, fog, our LOKATT sign on a backdrop. Ok, now we are in the mood to start working for it 🙂
