Mall Girl is a Norwegian trio consisting of vocalist Bethany Forsyth-Reichberg, guitarist Ever Armand Tandsether, and drummer Veslemøy Narvesen, who combine elements of indie pop, jazz, Midwestern emo, and math rock. Their debut album, 2022, is very eclectic Superstarjuxtaposing their frenetic energy with moments of gentle vulnerability, a mode they often pursue, Pure love. However, the new record still feels like a tight balancing act: Although the range of influences is clear — there's a song called “Emo Shred” — Mall Girl's commitment to tweaking and combining disparate ideas keeps the sound fresh, all while maintaining For her loyalty to passion. The essence of music. Pure love It's intimate, pensive and endearing, and its smoothness is never undermined by the angular and occasionally irregular instrumentation. It's an approach that matches Forseth-Reichberg's lyrics, presenting her subject as a jumble of experiences where past and present become blurred; A journey that has more to do with how unpredictable it is.
We caught up with Bethany Forseth-Reichberg and Mall Girl's Veslemøy Narvesenl to get the latest on Our Artist Lights Series To talk about their journey as a band, and their collaborative process, Pure loveAnd more.
How did you start? Play togetherHow was your journey as a band?
Veslemøy Narvesen: We met Witt in Oslo in 2017 when we were studying music at the Norwegian Academy of Music. We were students there, me, Bethany and the former bass player Eskild [Myrvoll]. Iver had been friends with Eskilde since high school, and we had a jam session together, me, Eskilde and Iver. We started out making indie rock inspired music, really guitar based. Eskild is really good at making things happen, so he had the idea of maybe adding another element to the band – we were thinking about either saxophone or vocals. We had a rehearsal with Bethany, and she started writing lyrics right away. It's very nostalgic to think about it again – I haven't thought about it in a long time. But it felt like a really good fit. We immediately got on with a really good connection with each other, and the music we made was also very interesting for all of us, I think.
It was very clear that we wanted to make pop music with a special touch, in a way that could have influences from other genres. We were doing a jazz programme, so obviously we were interested in that kind of aesthetic, the more experimental pop of the Norwegian scene. Eskilde has a very deep background in rock music, and has a really special way of playing the guitar, very influenced by classical music. All of these elements came together to create pop music, and Bethany's angelic voice on top formed the foundation of the band. I think the first songs we made were pretty sweet, and they evolved into more and more rock-based. I think it was primarily Eskild who pushed it in that direction, and then Eskild left the band about a year ago. Bethany and Ever started making the second album, lyrics and everything, while I was living here in Solheim, and I think we naturally gravitated to a softer expression.
Bethany, do you feel a similar sense of nostalgia for those early days?
Bethany Forsyth-Reichberg: Yeah, I'm a very nostalgic person. I love going through albums and listening to old demos, so I feel nostalgic when I look at them. It's fun to see how the band evolves in six years – in 2017, I was 21, so I've changed a lot as a person too. It's fun to associate certain life events with certain songs, and I feel like I've learned the most about being in a band – this is the band I've spent the most time in and learned the most from. It's funny how your bandmates can become your best friends, and you can still work with the same people. This band is about more than just music, we can share big life events together.
As your sound and interests as a band have changed over time, have you felt your dynamic and way of working together has changed as well?
BF-R: When we were younger and studying, we had a lot of time to have fun all the time. We used to play every week, but now we live in cities and don't have as much time, so things change. You just have to think of new ways to achieve things.
VN: When coronavirus hit, I was living in Solheim, so we couldn't meet, we made a lot of songs online together, sent each other demos and then added stuff. Lots of songs from Superstar Made like this. I've also thought a lot about the fact that we've played in a band for many years and obviously we've been through a lot of changes together, which is really nice because we know each other so well now and we've seen each other at our best and at our worst. It's become like a family, we play in a band, and even though we don't see each other every week anymore, the connection is really strong.
BF: It's like no other work environment, which is funny. The lines are blurred.
Go from First record to second recordHave you had further conversations as a group about how you want to move forward?
BF-R: The process of making this album was very different from the first one. With the first album, this led to a more eclectic, almost collage-like collection of many ideas. But this time, I think we were on the same page about the sound we wanted before and we kind of had the topic in mind before we started making it.
VN: There were four people who had a lot of opinions about everything, but you and Iver kind of cared about the music. And of course, I was involved, but I gave up a little bit on the process because I was here doing so many other things. I knew that if we were going to put out another album, they had to be responsible for it somehow, and I would come in and do my part as drummer.
BF-R: We needed that. The album could have been me and Ever, we didn't want that.
VN: It was actually a great way to do it, because I don't think we would have succeeded if I had been so involved in the songcraft. Iver wrote a lot of riffs for the drums, and then I listened to them and made my own thing around them, but it's really their work. It's great to have different processes.
BF-R: This is something we talked about: We're going to make an album now, and that's going to be one version of Mall Girl. And the next time we can make another album, it'll be another version. But just to keep the wheel going and not stop the process. It was kind of liberating, and being in a band sometimes means letting people explore their current flow or obsession in terms of sound.
Bethany, did you find that that freedom influenced your writing process with Ever as well?
BF-R: Ever and I make music together on other projects as well, so we're used to being instrumental together. We've always had this mentality that a project is one project: if the idea works, let's go. We met and did three demos in one day. He would usually start by sending – I think he made a list of 15 guitar riffs that he would send to me, because he listened to a lot of YouTube videos of people shredding guitar at the time, and they were very complicated and played fast. So he had that reference, and I was really interested in Big Thief – their last album was a really important album for me. I feel like that combination is what sparked the sound. A lot of my ideas, lyrically, are based on where I was in life when we wrote the music, where I was sad and confused.
Was it difficult to find ways to infuse the kind of frenetic, complex energy that first appeared in your world? Play softer, more intimate songs Pure loveEspecially the range from “Energy Lights” to “Glu Myself to You”?
BF-R: Veslimoy, I feel like you helped us push some things that felt like we were sometimes too easy, or the easy way out of some songs. You might say, “We need some spice on this.” I feel like it was good to have your outside perspective on things, and it actually made us more true to our original voice.
VN: Some of the songs you mentioned, and also “Emo Shred,” we had this demo version that we put out that was kind of guitar-based and kind of sweet, and when we were making the album versions, we needed to bring some mall immersion into it — the contrast between the soft parts and the soft parts. Active crazy. I think drums play a big role in that. Also, when we were producing with Marcus [Elfstedt]We kept that in mind, that we needed to make these songs work for Mall Girl.
BF-R: The old album was produced in the same studio, so there are a lot of the same constants in the process.
Of all the songs on the record, the opening track “Inzane” is the most ambitious in How to combine different styles. How do you take on an idea that may seem embarrassing? Or strange Theoretically and practically applied? Do you have a philosophy as a band about it? What risks are worth taking?
BF-R: When we train, if someone has an idea, you're not allowed to say no. If someone says something, it's like: “Okay, we'll try. I don't necessarily agree with my opinion right now, but it's worth a try. I feel like this is a general thing that we already have in our heads, and sometimes it's just fun to make eclectic songs all over the place.” To me, it's almost like rock music.
when it comes to exploration feelings heartache and love, Do you want to make the album highlight the journey you've been on?
BF-R: That's one of the things I love about albums, the connection to one's own life. For me, it was part of the journey of discovering my identity, at least lyrically. The year we recorded the album, I ended up dating someone — I feel like I found pure love — so for me, it's like this journey that connects the old and the new. That in-between phase, when you're alone and single and you have to deal with a breakup, is a really weird phase of being sad about something, but you know you have to move on. It's this strange forgetfulness, and I found it really interesting to write about. It's not heartbreak, but it's not like “I'm in love” all the time.
Would you mind sharing something that inspires you about each other and Ever, personally or musically?
BF-R: I love the way Veslemøy puts everything into music. Music is her life, and I find that very inspiring. When you go into a project, whatever it is, you bring everything you've got. Some people might shrug it off and say, “Oh, whatever,” but you take it seriously. And you're a good friend – you're good at lighting up the party when we hang out.
VN: Bethany has seen me through thick and thin. She's a really good friend and always someone I can count on no matter what. I can always talk to her, and I usually talk to her about everything. She is very outgoing, very supportive and a very good person to talk to. She's also really good at what she does. She has a business mind and an entrepreneurial mind, which is lucky for us as a band because I don't know where we would be without her. We recently stopped working with our booking department and they have been doing all the work on this release round, which is incredible. She is one of the best people I know.
BF-R: Likewise. We have to say something about Ever, Ever has a lot of passion, and he gives everything he has as well. He is a very good listener and friend.
VN: He's very smart and talented.
BF-R: He's really smart, and he's like a rock. I never get bored of it.
VN: It's very funny.
BF-R: He's one of those people I could tour with forever and never get bored.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
Mall girl Pure love Available now via Jansen Records.
