Interview : The Real Ones

Ever wonder why some music gets your attention and some doesn't? Upon hearing the Real Ones for the first time, I knew they were replicating something beautiful in the vein of Americana though simultaneously unamerican in style. Becoming smitten, I decided an interview would have to be conducted in order to find a few more details as to what it was I had fallen in love with. Ivar, guitarist and singer speaks to G/B. 

GRABBAG: Hey there! Who all am I speaking to this fine day?

REAL ONES: This is Ivar. The rest of the guys are sleeping off last nights studio session. 

G/B: And what roles do each of you play in the band? 

RO: We all sing, but the lead vocals are shared between David, Jørgen and I. The three of us also write the songs. Sometimes together and sometimes on our own. Jørgen plays guitar, sitar, banjo and pretty much any instrument with strings. David plays violin and piano/organ/synthesizers. Kåre plays drums, Øystein bass and I play guitars and keyboards.

G/B: How has your style changed since you began in 2003? It was 2003, correct?

RO: We actually started the band in 1994. We were still teenagers back then and our style has changed a lot. We started out as a folk group playing traditionals. When we started writing our own songs the music evolved into what we play today. We are always trying to expand our music, so we hope that we sound very different in another 10 years. On the album we are working on now, we are fascinated by the relationship between acoustic and electronic music. Making use of a lot of synthesizers together with acoustic instruments and making it sound organic and natural. The next album after this one might go in a totally different direction.

G/B: Would you call yourselves a "folk" band? I feel like there's too much grit and at times really excellent danceable beats to be just folk.

RO: In lack of a better description we call our music folk rock. We feel there is a lot of folk left, but we are as much inspired by electronic music, african music, kambodian pop music etc.


G/B: Bergen seems like a very creative locale, with the likes of Kings of Convenience and Sondre Lerche as well as you guys, Real Ones. Do you consider Bergen a music-driven environment?

RO: Bergen is a small town and geographically isolated so if you are into music you know all the other musicians, and people end up playing on each others projects. There is no music industry in Bergen so people are left alone to create their own styles.

G/B: Do you collectively have a favorite album you've made thus far? 

RO: Our favorite is always the last things we have made. I think that is why we keep making more.

G/B: I saw that you went to China and India, what were these places like to perform in? I saw some of the photos and videos, and it seems like you had a chance to really interact with the people there.

RO: India and China where great places to play and far out in very different ways. Playing in China felt like playing as The Beatles in 1964. We played at universities, and for some of the students I think it was their first concert with a western rock band. They went from extremely polite and attentive to totally crazy, screaming as if possessed by the devil at the end of the shows. India is in many ways more relaxed but also totally chaotic. You just have to go with the flow and not get stressed. It was easier to get to know people in India because many speak English well.

G/B: Could you describe a few moments that left an impact?

RO: Playing concerts with the great Indian slide guitar guru Debashish Bhattacharya and his tabla playing brother Subashish was fantastic. We started out playing regular one-hour concerts. At the end of the tour the concerts were more like two to five hours because it was so fun jamming and playing around with the songs.

G/B: Do you ever get comparisons to the Black Keys? If so, how does this resonate?

RO: I have never heard us being compared to them, but people hear different things in our music. Sometimes we get compared to bands that we have never had a relationship to ourselves but that's fine.

G/B: My first comparison wasn't so much in the way you sound, but more in the history. They took a long time to get the attention they deserve. How would you feel being approached commercially? If say 10 car companies and another 10 beer companies all wanted to use your music overnight?

RO: Would we get free beer and cars? I think we could handle that! :-) 

G/B: Where did the album title, "First Night on Earth" come from?

RO: It is from the song "Sister To All" that David wrote for his daughter Ella, about the night she was born. It also represents that we feel the album in many ways was a new start musically for us.

G/B: Can I just say, "Yaya" is such an amazing tune. I also really really love "Every Dog Has Its Day." Where did this song come from? It's playful, but in a slightly bitter way. 

RO: "Every Dog Has Its Day" is a song about luck. Basically dealing with the rather ridiculous idea that good things happen to good people, saying instead that we all should stop thinking we deserve this or that. "Yaya" is a song about subversive activities at work.

G/B: Why do you love Saskatoon? And also, where IS Saskatoon? That songs harmonies give me chills.

RO: David's and my mother are from the lovely city Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. It is our second home. We spent a lot of time there when we were young, and the song is about coming back there after many years.

G/B: Norway has a longstanding history with what sounds like American Country Music. Who are your personal influences, either Norwegian, American, or otherwise?

RO: There are lots, but artist like The Band, Bob Dylan and Wilco are great American artists that have inspired us.

G/B: What track would you contribute to GRABBAG's autumn playlist, "Songs for Falling Leaves?" How about one from yourselves, and one from another artist.

RO: Just heard a nice song by Kishi Bashi, "Bright Whites."
Our own: How about "The World Says No," a new one that we co-wrote and performed with Sondre Lerche.

G/B: Sounds lovely. Any chance we can expect to see you here in the US, or will we just have to pack our bags and hitch a ride to Europe?

RO: We really would like to return to the US very soon. You always give us a warm welcome and are an enthusiastic audience. If we get an invite, we'll come!

G/B: I really look forward to the chance of seeing you perform live someday.
Try to stay warm guys, looks like rain for the next week in Bergen! Cheers, and thanks so much for good company over mediocre coffee.

RO: It always rains here in Bergen, so we are used to it. Makes staying inside writing songs easier :-)

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Here are two of my favorites. Enjoy, y'alls!

"Saskatoon"

"Every Dog Has Its Day"