Asbjørn, the Danish pop sensation, is known for his unique blend of vulnerability and strength, showcased brilliantly in his latest album, 'The Secret Our Bodies Hold'. This record sees Asbjørn explore new depths of self-expression, drawing inspiration from unexpected sources like construction site rhythms and collaborating with Steffen Lundtoft from the band Lowly. He's not just a musician; he's a force for change, using his platform to challenge norms and connect with young people through school tours.
In this interview, we explore the creative process behind 'The Secret Our Bodies Hold', discussing his artistic influences, the role of vulnerability in his music, and the importance of his work with teenagers. We explore the inspiration behind specific tracks like 'Vulnerably Happy' and 'He's Dancing So Well (I'm Better)', and how his collaboration with Steffen Lundtoft shaped the album's unique sound. Asbjørn also shares his experiences navigating prejudice and promoting understanding through his school tours, highlighting the power of music to connect and inspire.
Hi Asbjørn, thanks for taking the time to answer a few of our questions! You’ve talked about the balance between strength and vulnerability in your music.
How does this duality manifest itself on ‘The Secret Our Bodies Hold’? Can you give an example of a specific song where you feel this balance is most evident?
"So… Vulnerability is often perceived as an inconvenience in our lives, right? Personally, writing songs is where I create space for a lot of those unresolved emotions but in order to share that with people, I need some kind of anchor. To me, that anchor is dancing. By giving the vulnerability a physique, I find courage and strength to stand by myself and share more openly than I’m actually comfortable with."
"The opening track ‘Sound of Heartache’ embodies that quite well. First part of the song exists in a very liminal space and I wrote it in the middle of a grey zone in my life and career — the first line says it all really; 'am I strong enough to be this vulnerable?' Halfway through it totally falls apart, almost like you’re having a blackout, then pick yourself up and you just dance with that liminality."
The album was created in collaboration with Steffen Lundtoft. How did this partnership shape the final product? Can you give an example of how his input specifically influenced a song or the album's overall direction?
"Steffen has been my live-drummer and friend since I started my career. Playing hundreds of shows together, he knows my musicality better than anyone and he sees my human in a pretty wide range - from the on-top-of-it-all-Asbjørn to the most anxious and overwhelmed. I had no idea what kind of music we would make together but I knew that I wanted friendship to be the catalyst."
"I desperately needed to unlearn some structures in my creative approach, that I’d practiced on my latest more commercially-sounding album Boyology. Steffen’s approach is very improvisational, he embraces and explores mistakes and I re-learned to give into that unpredictability from him."
"The crackling sound design in ‘New Moon, Same Old Me’, the shuffling drum machine on ‘He’s Dancing So Well (I’m Better)’ or world-music-like percussion on ‘Hit Me Again’… his fingerprints are all over the album, musically of course — but also in the way we felt making it. Because of him, I dared to be more vulnerable, more playful, more out of control… more myself."
You've mentioned artists like David Bowie, Robyn, and Rosalía as influences. How do you think these artists have shaped your sound and artistic vision?
"Artistically I’m basically just a sangria… so many artists poured themselves into me, and my job is to use that to develop my own base. I imitate and reinterpret a lot of my heroes to find out what of them is me, you know? The reason we love certain music or people is most likely because we feel seen or mirrored by them, bringing out something in ourselves we hadn’t dared to look at. That exploration is key to developing, both personally and artistically. The ones you mention have inspired me to explore androgyny, start my own label, fragment pop and the list goes on with Paul Simon, Spice Girls, Björk and many more…"
You've carved your own path in the music industry, establishing your own label and balancing performances at major festivals with school tours. How do these different environments influence your creative process and your connection with your audience?
"Playing at public schools to a teenage audience has been the biggest change of perspective in my career; an audience who did not choose to see me play, who are often provoked by my expression and who can’t hold the disgust, disapproval and insecurities in. It’s often hardcore at first but after 45 minutes, something has changed. They wanna talk. The jocks want an autograph on their abs. They listen to the music and use it to deal with all the shit you go through at that age."
"I’ve realised that everything that happens in those school gyms is what I want to extend to all branches of my career and life. Prejudice is the most natural thing - we all have it towards each other - but we need to make an effort to let go of some of the pride that keeps us from listening to new perspectives and learning about other realities."
You mentioned that the sounds of a construction site inspired the song ‘Vulnerably Happy’ and a new way of moving. Can you describe how that physical sensation translated into the music itself? What specific elements of the construction sounds found their way into the song?
"You know how the machines at a construction site all work in these patterns, right? They create sounds that repeat with certain intervals which creates some kind of rhythm — but when a lot of machines work at the same time the rhythm kinda disappears and just becomes noise. One day I was standing by a construction site waiting for the bus and the overwhelming noise of the machines occasionally hit a pattern where it became a rhythm again. It immediately made me dance, fell apart and became noise again, fell into the groove and apart again."
"I recorded it on my phone, got home and created the beat, trying to capture that balance between machine power and structural fragility. The heaviest hits are my phone-recordings from the construction site."
‘He’s Dancing So Well (I’m Better)’ is described as having "epileptic movements." This is a bold creative choice. Can you elaborate on the intention behind using such a specific and potentially sensitive image in your music?
"I was very inspired by a phenomenon called tarantism; a type of dance mania said to be caused by the bite of a tarantula in Southern Italy in the 11th century. The venom would cause people to basically dance for their life and villages would gather for ceremonies to support the bitten, creating music (tarantata) and choreographies (tarantella), like a musical exorcism of sorts."
"Movement does not have to be pretty. And moving through life is not always pretty. On ‘He’s Dancing So Well (I’m Better)’ I try to dance through the pain of losing someone and the way I danced this production to life was everything but composed and controlled. It felt like a possession that I had to dance off, moving my body as if my life depended on it."
'New Moon, Same Old Me' explores the complexities of relationships and personal growth. What message do you hope listeners take away from this song?
"Drifting apart is inevitable. We have to grow and change, anything else would be boring. But giving each other space to do so is so damn difficult, cos what if we can’t recognise each other afterwards? Like, my friends are making babies, having spiritual awakenings, pursuing careers, going through depression, getting divorced and getting married, dead-broke, pretty wealthy, touring the world and going to nursing school. There’s so much asynchronicity but we can’t hold on too tight to what we were cause then we might hold each other back, you know?"
You mentioned encountering prejudices, especially from boys, during your school tours. Can you share an experience that challenged you during these tours and how you navigated that situation?
"I filmed this video right after one of those experiences. I always tell the teachers at the schools to not interfere, even if some of the kids are really hardcore, cos I need a non-authoritative space to create an atmosphere that might open them up to dialogue. It’s not my goal to change their minds or make them love me. My goal is to contribute to a society with a fundamental respect for each other, where we can co-exist despite of our differences."
"Important to say that this is one out of 300+ school shows I’ve played - the rest of the time it’s incredibly rewarding and the school did use the experience to deal with issues of bullying, homophobia, sexism, etc…"
You've achieved considerable success in Denmark, including radio play, festival appearances, and television spots. How do you balance your success in the mainstream with your commitment to your unique artistic vision and your work with young people?
"Yeah, it’s been truly beautiful to experience that kind of acknowledgement with an album that is so not made with the intention of being mainstream. It’s very much affirming me in my artistic visions and the core values I run my career with, so I think it’s a pretty healthy success. Exploring music freely and fighting for the right to be who we wanna be is always gonna be front and centre in my life."
"Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for 'The Secret Our Bodies Hold?' What kind of impact do you hope it has on your listeners?
"I hope it will help them face whatever they’re going through, to confront the difficult things and provide a vessel for them to dance it out. And I hope that in 10 years it will remind them of everything they went through and how far they came. At least that’s what my favourite albums do to me."
Asbjørn's journey is a testament to the power of authenticity and the courage to embrace vulnerability. 'The Secret Our Bodies Hold' is not just an album; it's an invitation to dance through life's challenges, to find strength in vulnerability, and to celebrate the freedom to be oneself. With his unique blend of artistic vision, social activism, and infectious pop sensibility, Asbjørn is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with in the music world. We can't wait to see what he does next.
