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15 June 2005
Interview for hitparade.ch by Steffen Hung
Source : Hitparade.ch

hitparade.ch: you published your 3rd album, lost in a moment, only 1.5 years after your successful last one. what are your expectations?

Lene Marlin: aahh, not much, no-one knew that there was an album coming out, i didn't tell my record company before it was finished. so i guess i'm just gonna sort of take one day at a time and see what happens
and it's looking very good, i mean, different radios in different areas in different countries are really starting to pick up on the song, so it's gonna be an exciting summer. but you know, whatever happens, happens.

hitparade.ch: why is the album called "lost in a moment"?

Lene Marlin: i just thought, it's from one of my lyrics on the album from a track, and when i wrote that i just thought, oh that's a great title because we all feel lost in a moment from time to time i just thought excellent title, lost in a moment in a good way!

hitparade.ch: you wrote in your biography "i wanted some peace and didn't want anyone interfering, i wanted to do my own way, i could relax and enjoy working on the songs without pressure" and you think you can hear that on the album. How can we hear that?

Lene Marlin: I just think that people who have heard it, is saying that, it sounds like, it's more sort of, it's been done sort of in an easy way. it doesn't hear like something that's been pressured. and basically because I had so much fun working with it because no-one knew i was doing it so i just could relax and do whatever i wanted and write the songs the speed i wanted so i just think that lots of people have said that, yeah you can actually hear it, it's been very sort of in a positive way.

hitparade.ch: and what are the differences?

Lene Marlin: i think it's just been a natural development from the other album, because i am older, and you know i think that the way for me to write songs changes, i don't know why, but i think different, life goes, my songs change, but i don't know how.
hitparade.ch: you already mentioned the pressure

Lene Marlin: no pressure, because i mean, with the 2nd album everyone thinks that's the hard album to make and i did that and it was fine. i think it just has to do with wanting to work with music and just focus on the music instead of all the business side of things and people ask you to "ah could you please finish it so that we could have a single out and the album out" so i was able to work and finish it when i wanted to and then when the album was finished i said to the record company here is the finished album.

hitparade.ch: was there any time pressure?

Lene Marlin: yeah, well, you sort of get away from the time pressure because no-one says to you we need an album out by the summer or you know, i just did the work at my own speed, so i was able to just do a great job.

hitparade.ch: and is there also a quality pressure?

Lene Marlin: i think that, well no, i think there is always... but i think that i don't think about that when i write songs i just feel that, you know if you start focusing too much it will be a bad song so i just every time when i write a song i forget everything and just focus on the song.

hitparade.ch: your first album was on 1999, the 2nd on 2003 and now on 2005 the 3rd one, what do you do between the albums?

Lene Marlin: well, i think between the albums, there are lots of things that you experience when you work with it so basically you need some time of because you travel a lot and you hardly get to spend any time at home, so i spend some time just sleeping, and see my friends and do other things, but of course i write lots of music and try doing other things as well, cause it does take a little bit of time to sort of prepare for an album.

hitparade.ch: where do you get the ideas for the songs?

Lene Marlin: everyday life, people i know, my friends, things i see, things i read about, myself of course, but i guess just things around me, you can write a song about virtually everything.

hitparade.ch: why did you choose to cooperate with new producers?

Lene Marlin: well, the producers on the first albums were great, but i felt that you sort of move on, i wanted to use another one, so the 2nd producer was fantastic and he was great, but then after a while well let's use another one. so basically it's just, i think they offer you different things because it's very interesting to see the different approach that someone take your songs and i just wanted to do it that way and i've never worked with them before so i thought it's a good idea.

hitparade.ch: can you give our readers a reason why they should buy your new cd?

Lene Marlin: it's a great cd. and you should get it. go out and buy it. ah, no, i think it's a great album i have to say i am very proud of it, it's, you know, i just love the songs, 11 different sort of songs, and yeah, hopefully it will make some people both sad and happy (whispering: but it's a great album).

hitparade.ch: have you ever been to switzerland before?

Lene Marlin: yes, i have, i've been here several times, of course only seeing airports and hotels, and sitting in cars and seeing different offices and stuff like that. but the great thing is that now the sun is shining.

hitparade.ch: what did you like?

Lene Marlin: well, you know, actually last time I was here, i was driving through the country a lot, and you had lots of great weather, so you did get to see lots of nice places and it looked really nice but you just looked through to the window and you saw it all passing and then it's like okay, bye bye, but what i've seen and what i have experienced has been good and every time i've been here it has been very good so... and you got nice chocolate as well.

hitparade.ch: Some people say that switzerlans is very similar to Scandinavia.

Lene Marlin: yeah, that might be right. i mean, i think it's size wise, because we got 4.5 million and you've got like 7 or something. so i think just that also makes those two countries feel a bit the same because they are not like huge, you don't have 10 million people living in... so i think the number of the people and the size of the country and probably the way of being...all the people i've had met here have been really nice, so, yeah, there might be some similarities.

hitparade.ch: when will you come to switzerland for a concert?

Lene Marlin: ahh, yes, i've been now, i was in paris last week and milan and geneva and i'm going to rome and i am going to all this different places to do just interviews and tv performances and radio things like that. so if there will be a concert i think that's not gonna happen until maybe some time after the summer. i think it's gonna happen. i've got the band. all we need is some time to rehearse. but right now i am traveling so much so i don't have so much time to rehearse.

hitparade.ch: you had a tour but it got cancelled.

Lene Marlin: oh yeah, well, but that was not even planed. that was just, you know, i saw some, "yes, you should go there, there and there" but we didn't have time to do and then i just said let's just wait until the next album, maybe.

hitparade.ch: you are from norway like a-ha, espen lind, sissel, lene, the singer of aqua. do you have any explanation for the success of this norwegian artists?

Lene Marlin: ah, no no no, i don't know. it's good, there's lots of great new bands in norway as well so i think, right now the charts are filled with both international and norwegian acts which is good. i don't know. you know, i think we've always been sort of... Sweden has always been like THE country for music, like abba and roxette. but it's nice, you know, there's lots of great music coming from that country.

hitparade.ch: you have also kurt nielsen, who won the world idol. what do you think about these casting shows?

Lene Marlin: ah, i think, well we've had them now for years and i think it's very brave for those people who actually dare to stand in front of four judges and tv cameras and then "go and you got 40 seconds" to convince us that you are worth of sort ot taking to the next level and i think it's quite... i don't think i would have done it. because i don't think i would have the guts to do it. because it does take some nerve to go in and perform in front of angry people. if you are like the 320 someone who arrives, they will sort of, you know. but it's good, i mean, i think that it's a huge success in norway we still... we just finished one season of it and it's a huge success so people like it.

hitparade.ch: and you are also interested in watching it?

Lene Marlin: i try to watch it sometimes, but it's like on friday night and you know there are times when you just don't stay inside on a friday night, so you go out instead.

hitparade.ch: do you know any swiss artists?

Lene Marlin: i am very... no, i can't say that i do. is there anyone i should know of?

hitparade.ch: no

Lene Marlin: laughing

hitparade.ch: dj bobo?

Lene Marlin: oh, i didn't know he was from here. so there you go. lots of... i don't know nationalities of artists but i know who they are, yeah.

hitparade.ch: do you have any explanation for your popularity, especially in italy?

Lene Marlin: no, i don't know. i just came from italy last week and it was completely mad. i don't know. it's just, ah, i even try to ask them. why me? but they just... i don't know. but i do appreciate it. i mean they are great, i have an amazing italian fan club and they are, you know, they are everywhere. so, it's really, you know, it's weird, it's strange. but it's great, but i don't know why.

hitparade.ch: you come from italy now?

Lene Marlin: no, i was in paris, then i went to italy at the end of last week, then i was home for a couple of days and then i went to switzerland.

hitparade.ch: you had a cooperation with espen lind with the song VENN, the song for the tsunami victims, was this your first song in norwegian?

Lene Marlin: oh, yes, well, the first one that has been released. me and espen we cooperated on the melody side and of course we couldn't help ourselves to be involved in lots with that song. yeah, i mean, i don't think i'll be... i mean we didn't write the lyrics, someone else did. because neither me or espen writes norwegian songs, so we just thought let's get someone who writes good norwegian lyrics. so it was a cooperation between several people.

hitparade.ch: why do you write in english?

Lene Marlin: i just started writing in english. i don't know why. maybe because, well first of all, you've got lots more words to use when you write there it's a, i mean, the language is massive so you can... there are many words to use so it's good for song writing. but also i don't think i thought about that when i started because i was 14, basically i just started singing in english, maybe because i just like the language.

hitparade.ch: it's also better to become an international star.

Lene Marlin: yeah, i didn't think about that when i was that young. because you know, i wrote it for fun and it was my hobby. i spent 3, 4 hours doing it every day. so i didn't have, you know, a future plan. yes in 10 years this will be good for an international career. but it's great for you writing songs.

hitparade.ch: can we expect some norwegian songs?

Lene Marlin: no, no, no, i was always a 100% certain that that will never happen. well maybe, i mean who knows? no, i mean i don't think so. but who knows? things can happen.

hitparade.ch: how long do your fans have to wait for the next release?

Lene Marlin: huuh, well i haven't started thinking of that yet. i am still sort of very into this one but i think when after a while when you get some time, i mean, i write songs. i wrote a song yesterday. so as long as i can keep that up it's good and we will see.

hitparade.ch: okay, that was all questions. we have the swiss charts' top 10. and we would like to know what you think about this songs if you know it.

Lene Marlin: oh man, maybe i don't know it

1. Akon - Lonely

Lene Marlin: is that with the little (starts to sing the right song). it's you know it's nice when you hear it a couple of times. i get a bit, yeah, i hope no-one will play it to me like 20 times in a row. but it's, you know, interesting.

2. Shakira feat. Alejandro Sanz - La tortura

Lene Marlin: i haven't heard that i think. no, can't say that i have.

3. Backstreet Boys - Incomplete

Lene Marlin: i quite like that song. i was surprised that they actually came out with a new track so i thought that was actually quite... a new sort of way of them to go. i like... different...yeah, it's a good song.

4. Crazy Frog - Axel F

Lene Marlin: I am not a huge fan. if it's the song i think it is, once again 20 times and i'll go mad. but you know couple of times once in a while, good for fun, fantastic.

5. Daddy Yankee - Gasolina

Lene Marlin: what is this? haven't heard it. i am sorry.


6. Black Eyed Peas - Don't Phunk With My Heart

Lene Marlin: yeah, i've listened to it a few times. i mean the problem with me now is that i just have mtv and viva and all this stuff on when i am traveling, but i think i've heard that a few times. that's pretty good.

7. 2 Pac - Ghetto Gospel

Lene Marlin: 2 Pac ghetto gospel what's that? can you sing that for me? don't know that one.

8. Snoop Dogg feat. Charlie Wilson and Justin Timberlake - Signs

Lene Marlin: that's cool isn't it? Yes, i think so if it's the one i think it's cool.

9. Banaroo - Dubi Dam Dam

Lene Marlin: what's that? have no clue.

10. 50 Cent feat. Olivia - Candy Shop

Lene Marlin: well, that's cool. i mean there are some cool beats you know that's a good track i've listend to it a few times.

so, i think the conclusion of that is that we've got "lonely" and "crazy frog" as the one... you know, and lots of great songs and a few i've haven't heard.

hitparade.ch: okay, thanks can we have a station id for our website.

Lene Marlin: yeah, yeah, of course

hitparade.ch: do you speak german?

Lene Marlin: nope

hitparade.ch: but can you say hitparade punkt ch (in german)?

Lene Marlin: hitparade punkt ch (sounds really good)

hitparade.ch: okay, you can say something like "hi, this is lene marlin. you are surfing on hitparade punkt ch.

Lene Marlin: hi, this is lene marlin. you are surfing on hitparade punkt ch. (sounds nice).


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Interview done for hitparade.ch by Steffen Hung on the 15th of June 2005 in Zurich.

Transcription done by Matthias Egli
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