Norwich based solo artist Kaspar Larsen has just released his beautiful and breathtaking debut album ‘every place I go, I take another place with me’. Showcasing emotive songwriting, blissful synth led soundscapes and some wonderfully creative vocal processing, the album treads ground between the experimental heartfelt elements of Bon Iver, RY X and the synth-pop approach akin to The Japanese House and M83.
Having been in and out of a number of musical projects, Kaspar Larsen has honed his skills as a writer and a performer resulting in a musical maturity and understanding that shines across the new album. We wanted to delve a little deeper into what inspires Larsen’s music but also learn more about the journey behind the new album:
How did you first get into making music?
I first got into music as a listener, which sounds pretty general. But what I mean is I remember when I was younger I’d listen intensely to music, not really fussed about what it is but more fascinated with why it was that way. Why the writer made particular choices and how lyrics felt different to poetry of reading. Begged my mum for an instrument for years til I eventually caved and use to never have my first guitar in either standard tuning or with all of the strings because I could make these horrendous but different sounds as a springboard to go off of.
Who or what are your main musical influences? Both broadly for all the projects you’ve been involved with but then also more specifically with Kaspar Larsen’s sound?
My main influences come from a variety of genres to be honest; I love the way Justin Vernon from Bon Iver structures his lyrics and how you don’t necessarily have to relate to them to understand them, it has a more archaic structure and i love it, musically I’ve been listening to a lot of RY X and The Midnight during this project, been obsessed with the synth choices they make and how good they are at giving the vocals breathing room.
Kaspar Larsen has a very electronic sound compared to previous projects you’ve been a part of. Was this a continuous decision or just a direction that happened naturally when you started writing?
I guess so, I never really thought about it tonbe honest, I think I always wanted to make music that felt fun to play, not that what I was doing before wasn’t, but I can 100% do that now.
Tell us about the new album – how it was recorded, the themes it covers lyrically etc.
The new album is definitely a collection of inspiration and is kinda messy and incohesive in places but I think there’s a level of my own authenticity in that, like the changes in genre between the tracks is sortnof jarring, but if I was to put on a playlist, that’s how it’d also be; so it suits how I feel about it music. There’s not an overarching theme throughout the album but I think it definitely comes through in what state I’m in myself, I’m always open about my mental health as I think it’s good to be, and that definitely plays a part in the lyrics but not too much to illicit a sympathetic response, more just this isnwhat I’m dealing with, how are you?
What’s one fun fact about yourself that not everyone would know?
I have some weird facts about me, will that do? A tweet I wrote in 2014 was on the Jimmy fallon show in the US, that was weird. I was born with deformed toes that curl round like quavers , they’ve fixed themselves over the years though; I hope that helps.
What’s next on the horizon for Kaspar Larsen?
More music, and hopefully make opportunities!
Listen to the stunning new album ‘every place I go, I take another place with me’ below:
