Great to have you on Xttrawave. Please, introduce yourself?
Hi, our name is Lillith, a scandi indie pop band. We`re from Norway and currently reside in Horten, a small coastal town slightly south of Oslo (the capital city). It’s a quiet and tranquil city, best known for its ferry connection between the mainland east and west. And that fit us well. Then there is a lot of time for music! Lillith consists of three regular band members; Camilla Hell on vocals, Per-Christian Frantzen on guitar and Gregorius Grim Knockelkatt on bass and cello. However, in studio an live we many guest musicians. Our band name Lillith really came from what we thought fit our music, not from the myths of Lillith, but rather the wording itself.
What got you into music and made you realize that it was your chosen path?
Lillith started as a book project between Camilla Hell and the guitarist Per-Christian Frantzen. They met at a Music/Theater High School and started collaborating when moving to Oslo. But early on they became increasingly drawn to music as an artistic form of expression. After a few rehearsals Lillith was formed. At this time the music was more like a twisted mix of pop and punk. Later on they recruited the bassist and cellist Gregorius Grim Knockelkatt, when meeting him randomly in studio for a demo recording. All three band members have different backgrounds in music. Growing up Camilla Hell got introduced by a wide range of genres. There was a lot of jamming and music in her father’s house, mostly 60s and 70s music, and later on her elder brother introduced her for both jazz, reggae and trip hop. For a short while she was in a children’s choir, but soon found out that it didn’t suit her. She didn’t start singing again until she and Per- Christian started Lillith together. Per-Christian has his music background from punk/grunge bands. He played bass in his youth, but later on got drawn to playing guitar, mandolin and banjo and more into the alternative folk genre. Gregorius has been around the black metal genre before joining Lillith, but also spent a lot of his youth listening and playing to cabaret punk. The mixes of the band members’ different music backgrounds makes the collaboration both exciting and challenging, but ultimately we are totally dependent on this tension between different music preferences to make the music we do.
Tell us about your new music? And what’s the story behind it? This year we´re finally out with new song materials to be released! First off was the single “Beautiful Dreamers” (3 January 2020) and now the second single “Badh” is out. Later this summer a new track will be released as well, to finally become a full length album. This upcoming album has a far more melodic atmosphere then our debut album, and shows how we keep developing our signature sound. It’s been an exciting process, both in the making of new songs and working in the studio. In the end, our goal has become to be more playful around the orchestral tunes, to capture the cinematic feeling, but at the same time not to be too polished. Cause that’s not what we are in the music.
What makes your music unique? And how would you describe it?
It’s hard for us to tell if our music is unique, it’s up to the listeners. At least we know that we make the music we do without perhaps thinking too much about what we should do, but rather what we feel about doing. And we love to experiment with different genres, so in this way we hope it’s unique to the listeners. The new album has almost a cinematic feeling to it, inspired by the noir pop genre.
Do you play any instruments? And why do you love it?
Besides singing, Camilla also plays on her music saw. She learned it by watching YouTube-videos and likes the mysterious sound of it. Per-Christian is all into his mandolin and banjo, playing around the clock, while Gregorius loves picking on most instruments, but the passion is definitely in the cello.
Who are your biggest musical influences? And any particular artist/band you would like to collaborate with in the future?
Our musical influences are wide spread, from trip hop, punk cabaret, jazzy tunes to alternative folk, but we all prefer the dark side of the music scene. We would’ve loved collaborating with Tom Waits … omg, it could’ve been an exciting project, that’s for sure. Or Nick Cave or Portishead! But it would also have been interesting collaborating with bands and artists with a completely different sound from what Lillith sounds like.
Which is the best moment in your musical career that you’re most proud of?
Our public performance with Dengue Fever (US) at John Dee, Oslo, was a great moment. And our gig in a Norwegian prison… it’s at least a moment we’ll never forget.
How do you balance your music with other obligations – family, friends or work?
It can be stressful, it’s not to be concealed. But fortunately we have family and friends who help us listening to the songs before they go to mastering etc. and who understand that sometimes we have to refuse visits when we are in the middle of a music process. With being an indie band it’s obvious that we have to do everything ourselves, from promotion to music video production. And working nine to five next to it, we can quickly feel as if we should have had at least 36 hours a day and a whole lot of more energy.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?
Make the music exactly the way you want, and trust yourself. Music is subjective, and not everyone can like your style, but if you like it yourself, then there must be others out there who think the same as you. Maybe not a recipe for success, but at least as a form of expression you can hold on to and develop further.
If you had one message to give to your fans, what would it be?
“We’ll do whatever we want,
We’re the beautiful dreamers”
What’s next for you? Any upcoming projects?
Now we’ll spend all of our time and recourses to finish this album. Because of the strange times we’re all in, the process of album release has obviously been delayed. But we are putting all our energy into completing it. Then time will show what the next project will be. We are open to everything.
Listen to Badh
Listen to Beautiful Dreamers
Follow Lillith:
