And now comes the music. I Feed You My Love has just been signed for a release in the US on the back of its reception in Europe. And on this continent we recently got Human Race as its follow-up single, which was equally well-received by music critics and pop fans alike. Both songs belong to the same electro-pop genre that won Margaret Berger her fan base the first time around, although these new tracks are a little grittier, at least in terms of production. Berger’s third album, New Religion, is due for release in early 2014. Are I Feed You My Love and Human Race indicative of what it will sound like? “Those two songs are a bit darker than the rest of the album. There is a lot of humour and playfulness throughout, that maybe isn't represented very well by the singles. It's my previous album’s older, dirtier, and more mature big sister.” And after a successful rejuvenation in 2013, her only wish for 2014 is to take her music global. “I would love to play some more shows outside of Norway and release my album in the UK, the US and throughout Europe – hopefully all over the world.” Exotic when it comes to melodies
rovision). That made me realise that your life can change in three minutes. If you make it happen.” You have to earn being an artist Finding her music career at the nothingto-lose stage arguably came about as a result of what from the outside looks like an extended period of inactivity. With seven years passing between Pretty Scary Silver Fairy and I Feed You My Love, one wonders what took her so long. “I have actually worked really hard, taking more control over my own career, and writing more and more of everything, the melodies and lyrics myself. But getting good at that also takes time, so even though I had a lot of music, releasing it proved a bit difficult, because I couldn't find partners who believed in me.” Ad-
10 | Issue 59 | December 2013
mirably though, she holds no resentment towards the lack of record label support that she encountered: “It's not a human right to be an artist, you have to earn it. So I am thankful for my journey as it has taught me to be humble, grateful, and to work hard.” In fact, it turns out that those seven years of apparent downtime were all filled with creative endeavours elsewhere in the music industry. “I worked as music selector at NRK P3 (Norway’s biggest radio station), and as a regular DJ with the popular club concept Cloudbusting. Plus I worked with developing a good base for songwriters in Trondheim, for the organisation Trondheim Calling Song: Expo. The camp we have there is actually the biggest songwriting camp in the world. And then of course I’ve been writing music for myself and others.”
Luckily for Margaret, she has got herself a good head start on having her music heard across the world. Even just based on where she comes from, a large global audience will automatically be receptive to what she has to offer, such is the current legacy that Scandinavian songwriting talent has earned for any artist coming out of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. “I think it is a matter of seeing what others can do, and inspiring each other to be better,” says Berger about the Scandinavian pop sensitivity. “Competition and drive in a healthy way is a good thing. We also have a sense of melancholia here in the Nordics. We’re exotic when it comes to melodies. Just listen to ABBA and a-ha – extremely melancholic.” With seven years worth of exotic melodies on there, indeed we are all ready to convert to New Religion.