INDEX
Origins of ‘Don’t Know Why’: Was it Initially a Demo Recording?
-That’s cool.
Norah: I think Leon thought we were making a demo tape at first. I mean, he thought we were going to go into the studio again as a band and re-record everything based on the demos we had made together. We did, but I liked the cool vibe of what we recorded together so much that we decided to release most of it as is. I think the combination of his drums and my piano is very interesting, and it has a very garage feel to it, but it also has a great groove to it. If we had re-recorded all the songs with the band, they would have sounded completely different.
-So basically, does that mean the demo had a quality good enough to use without needing to re-record it, right?
Norah: I don’t think that’s so special. “Don’t Know Why” was also a demo recording. We didn’t think too much about it, we just played the song and it sounded GREAT, that’s all. That’s how old records are usually made, isn’t it? I think that happens a lot.
-Everything you’ve created so far has been of this quality at the demo stage.
Norah: Maybe it’s an unusual approach in the pop music field today, but we just play and make music. If it already sounded good, we wouldn’t have to record it 20 times.
-That’s true, but as you mentioned earlier, Leon is a craftsman in manipulating vintage equipment and instruments. On the other hand, “Visions” is not retro or nostalgic; it’s contemporary. So, I think there’s a strange sensation that doesn’t feel like a particular era. Were there any challenges you faced regarding recording and mixing this time?
Norah: I worked with Leon on the previous album, and we had the same mixer (Jens Jungkurth), so it’s not like this time is special, but working with Leon is definitely a different feeling than before. He is a very busy person, working on many things at the same time. That’s why sometimes I don’t hear from him for a month or so [laughs]. I’m waiting for him to have time to do things with me. I enjoyed that feeling.
Norah: What was also unprecedented for me was that Leon did not send me a rough mix halfway through the project. When I receive a rough mix, I often have a hard time getting used to that sound, even if it is not yet finished. So I think it was great that he didn’t let me listen to the rough mix. I think it was also good that he didn’t overanalyze it by re-listening to it, and I didn’t have to overthink about what I was going to do to it. As a result, I could concentrate on writing the lyrics.
-Interesting.
Norah: We were both very busy last year. Especially Leon was so busy that we couldn’t work on this recording that often, and when we could finally get in the studio together, it was only from 11am to 3pm. But that was fine.
