“We by no means know what style we match into,” Katrine Stenbekk muses, earrings chiming as she tilts her head in thought. “It’s fairly attention-grabbing that metalheads resonate with our sound.”
As she sits earlier than us, delicately piecing collectively her ideas, Kalandra’s frontwoman appears at odds with the steel world. Her doe-eyed, light manner is that of a nymph plucked straight out of the forest. It completely pairs with the band’s ethereal formulation of prog-infused riffs, fluttering birdsong and mystical Nordic alt folks. Second report A Body Of Thoughts, launched final yr, was like a collection of classes realized from remedy classes, with single Untie The Knot questioning what life would seem like if she let go of limiting beliefs and accepted herself absolutely.
“I write as a result of it’s a therapeutic expertise for me,” she admits. “As a result of I’ve a stammer, singing and placing melodies to phrases permits me to precise myself correctly. I went deeper than ever on this report, and I hope that our music is usually a type of remedy for folks. I hope it helps folks study to forgive themselves.”
The quilt depicts a lady’s physique and hair flowing into the roots of a tree, the solar shining above her head like a halo, bringing dwelling our reference to the pure world – one thing that’s vital to Katrine. The band embody the sounds of the skin of their songs.
“I’m an enormous sucker for subject recordings,” Katrine says. “Typically the band can have a music practically completed and I’ll be like ‘…samples?’ The blokes focus extra on the instrumentation, the chuggy riffs and the preparations, and I’m obsessive about the pure aspect of issues.”
“The birds on the report are all recorded by me,” she continues. “One is from a visit final summer time, and I used to be sleeping within the visitor room of my good friend’s cabin. It was 5am, and this chook exterior was so loud. I simply thought, ‘If I don’t report this, I’ll remorse it.’ So I shoved my cellphone out the window, and I recorded it right away.”
Bittersweet songs akin to I Keep in mind A Time mourn the previous as birdsong prospers, whereas the wordless Hytta paints a mesmerising soundscape of a spot Katrine as soon as held pricey.
“Hytta is my favorite observe,” Katrine smiles. “I wished to seize the environment of my household’s cabin that was demolished in 2023. It was simply getting too outdated, too troublesome to revive. The observe is a part of me, and the cabin lives on by means of it.”
Katrine is touched that such a fragile, unspooling report has sparked recognition in listeners – particularly these from the heavier finish of the spectrum.
“A Body Of Thoughts may be very tender, melodic, and atmospheric, nevertheless it’s extremely introspective,” Katrine says. “Metallic is a really reflective style – you’re allowed to precise your anger and happiness of their most excessive kinds. Our music actually explores the extremities of human emotion, in that sense.”
Katrine is not sure the place Kalandra will go subsequent, however she is aware of what she desires in the long term.
“We’ll need to see how our wavelengths align for the subsequent challenge,” she ponders. “However, speaking concerning the larger image, I can’t wait to retire. I desire a hobbit life, at some point. That’s the dream.”
