2015 Artist Survey: Highasakite
Kristoffer Lo on 2015's Best Albums, Donald Trump, Lame Breakups, Star Wars, and Taylor Swift
Feb 09, 2016
Photography by Tonje Thilesen
Highasakite
For Under the Radar’s 13th annual Artist Survey we emailed some of our favorite artists a few questions relating to 2015. We asked them about their favorite albums of the year and their thoughts on various notable 2015 news stories involving either the music industry or world events, as well as some quirkier personal questions.
Check out our Best of 2015 print and digital issues for answers from Arcade Fire’s Will Butler, Julien Baker, Blanck Mass, CHVRCHES, Dan Deacon, The Dears, Dutch Uncles, EL VY, Everything Everything, Father John Misty, Field Music, The Flaming Lips, How to Dress Well, Sondre Lerche, Low, Luna, Mew, NZCA Lines, Cullen Omori, Natalie Prass, Small Black, Surfer Blood, Tamaryn, Telekinesis, Vampire Weekend’s Chris Baio, The Walkmen, Youth Lagoon, and others.
Here are some answers from Kristoffer Lo of Highasakite. The Norwegian band’s most recent album is 2014’s Silent Treatment.
Top 10 Albums of 2015
1. Deafheaven: New Bermuda—I fell in love with these guys on their previous album, and they’ve pushed their sound a step further on this album.
2. Susanne Sundfør: Ten Love Songs—An all time favorite Norwegian artist. An amazing album, full of details and good songs!
3. Tame Impala: Currents—I was totally shocked when I heard this album, I didn’t expect that at all. But now I can’t stop listening to it.
4. Sufjan Stevens: Carrie & Lowell—I’ve been a big fan for many years, and this is yet another quality album from Sufjan Stevens.
5. Björk: Vulnicura—What is there to say. It’s Björk. You can always count on Björk. She just turned 50 and is still kicking ass.
6. Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood & The Rajasthan Express: Junun—I saw the movie a couple of weeks ago, and the album was released just days ago. An amazing cooperation between cultures, instruments and songwriting.
7. Of Monsters and Men: Beneath the Skin—We’ve played almost 30 shows with OMAM this year, and I’ve become very fond of their music and this album.
8. ZU: Cortar Todo—One of my best friends just started playing with ZU and they sound really, really great!
9. Farao: Till It’s All Forgotten—Farao used to tour with us and she’s a good friend that makes beautiful music!
10. FKA twigs: M3LL155X—I was introduced to FKA twigs by our drummer, and I got to see her many nights in a row at this year’s Laneway Festival in Australia. She’s just amazing!
What was the highlight of 2015, for either you personally or for the band? What was the low point?
There have been many highlights of 2015, and luckily not so many low points. We just beat a 20-year-old record for longest appearance on the Norwegian album charts ever. Currently 93 weeks on the charts. Crazy insane!
What are your hopes and plans for 2016?
We’re releasing our new album. That’s pretty big! So hopefully people will like the new one as much as they have liked the old one. We’ve been working hard on this album, so it’s exciting and scary to release it!
With the launch of TIDAL and Apple Music in 2015, there are more streaming music options, but the same issues of adequate artist compensation persist. What are your current thoughts on streaming and which service would you most like to have your music on?
I think the present and the future is in online streaming of music, and the more options, the better each platform will be. Personally, I use Apple Music, Tidal, and Spotify, and all of them have different pros and cons.
What are your thoughts on Friday being the new global release day for albums? Is it helping or hurting album sales?
I’m uncertain of much people paying attention to that earlier. I remember Tuesday being the big day for new music, but with the new platforms online, I think the hype of a release day will fade out a bit. There won’t be queues in front of the record stores, like it used to be. But it might turn really good for the music industry; everyone can look forward to the weekend and a bunch of new music available.
Mainstream pop music is increasingly embraced by indie rock musicians and listeners, as well as serious music critics. At this point, do you draw any distinctions between Top 40 pop and indie rock/pop? Are you comfortable with this shift?
I think this is a normal shift in music. These things have always changed and will continue to change. Right now the pop charts are heavily filled with indie rock/pop, but suddenly it will be filled with something else. But it’s a good thing if the music critics become more and more serious online. There has been a long tradition of serious music journalists in printed newspapers. So it’s great if there can be even more serious critics in the blog/online world.
What are your thoughts on how the 2016 U.S. Presidential election is shaping up?
First and foremost I hope Americans stop laughing at Donald Trump and start taking him serious. That’s when he’ll lose all of his chances in the election. His ideas and thoughts are so old, so wrong and so dangerous. Besides that, I haven’t had enough time to look at the candidates yet, but I hope the U.S. will get a president that will take responsibility for the increasing danger of environmental problems, as well as taking the lead in helping people in need all over the world. It’s a great and powerful country that can start making huge changes in the world.
Ryan Adams covered Taylor Swift’s 1989 (and then Father John Misty covered Adams covering Swift). If you were to cover another artist’s album in its entirety, which would you pick and why?
Prodigy: Music for a Jilted Generation would be tons of fun to do. I grew up listening to that album.
Have you ever been fired from a job (be it a day job or musical one)? Why were you fired?
I haven’t been fired, but I was sort of forced to quit at a job in a record store. I tried working at record store when I was 18, while going to school, playing in four different marching bands, one symphony orchestra, and two rock bands. It just wasn’t time enough at all.
What’s your earliest music-related childhood memory?
Singing songs at a piano bar next to two beautiful blonds at the age of five. My mom and dad took me to an amusement park with some friends of theirs. I was put to bed, but refused to sleep. So they let me sit with them for some minutes in the bar. It took me one minute to crawl up next to the beautiful ladies and have the piano man play the only song I knew.
What outrageous request would you most like to put in your tour rider as a joke?
It would be great to have a personal chef on tour with us to prepare your favorite meal every day. Maybe not outrageous, but it would fantastic!
What’s the most disastrous date you’ve ever been on?
Can’t seem to remember any dates. But my girlfriend and I had our first date over a $4 red wine after meeting on Myspace nine years ago. That’s pretty strange in many ways!
Which Star Wars character are you most like?
Probably Darth Vader.
Following the terrorist attack at the Eagles of Death Metal concert in Paris do you think that security at music venues should be improved and do you now worry about something similar happening at one of your shows?
Improved security is always good, because it’s varies so much from venue to venue.
What’s the lamest breakup excuse you’ve ever given or been given?
I don’t know if it’s lame, but I got dumped with a letter and a copy of the single “Angel of Mine” by Eternal. Pretty hardcore way of breaking up when you’re 14 years old.
With Twin Peaks, The X-Files, Gilmore Girls, Full House, and other classic shows returning, what other TV show would you like to see come back with its original cast?
Well, it wouldn’t be horrible to have a new season of The Wire or The West Wing.
The World Health Organization associated cured meats with an increased cancer risk this year. What band does that mean you can no longer listen to?
I guess Meat Puppets is off the list, then.
FFS (Franz Ferdinand + Sparks) proved that collaborations can work. What other two bands would you like to see unite as one new entity?
Björk and Grimes? Bon Iver and Purity Ring?
2015 is the year that Marty McFly traveled to the future in Back to the Future Part II. Beyond not having hoverboards, what most disappoints you about 2015 now that we’re here?
Equality (in all shapes and forms), tolerance and no turbulence in airplanes.
What song will most unite or amp up the tour bus or van (à la “Tiny Dancer” in Almost Famous)? Which song do you love that the rest of the band or crew refuse to let you put on?
Well, strangely enough there are certain members of Highasakite that think The Beatles were a music theatre band. That’s just stupid, so I ostentatiously put on The Beatles as often as I can.
Taylor Swift has been celebrated by indie rock fans and mainstream pop fans alike. Is she truly this generation’s pop genius or is she a talented, if overrated, songwriter?
It’s difficult to use genius. She definitely talented and good. But genius is a pretty strong word, so I’ll stick to talented.
What’s been your best ever Halloween costume? What were you for Halloween this year?
I didn’t celebrate Halloween this year. I played a concert in my hometown, Trondheim, in Norway. And don’t have that many costumes to show off. But I was pretty happy with my rendition of Marilyn Manson at one time.
Which corporation would you never, under any circumstances, allow to use one of your songs in one of their ads?
I, personally, strongly oppose huge multi-corporations and brands that exploit local communities and don’t care about human beings. But I also strongly oppose companies that are cruel towards animals.
If your house were on fire, what would you grab as you were running out?
My girlfriend. After that, my laptop.
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