Get ready for an interview that will have you in stitches! We had the pleasure of speaking to the talented trio of a pop acoustic rock band called 'Portraits & Tales' that is taking the world by storm. They'll reveal their secrets to success, share their favorite music stories, and maybe even teach us a few chords. So grab a cup of coffee, tune in, and get ready to laugh, because these guys are sure to steal your heart.
Hey there, welcome to SoundVille! You guys started out as a cover band. So, what was the first cover song you guys recorded as a band, and did it turn out more like a masterpiece or a hot mess?
The first cover song we recorded was a Swedish song called "Du kommer ångra det här" by the Swedish artist Uno Svenningson. It's a beautiful song about a hurtful relationship.
What's the story behind the name Portraits & Tales? How did you come up with it?
Well, the name Portraits & Tales came to us after we started to discuss the content of our songs. The people who listened to us, always gave us a similar comment to our music, "It always feels that you guys take us on a journey full of pictures and emotions through your songs". After hearing that similar comment a few times, the name "Portraits & Tales" came to us very naturally.
Your first original song "Only You"! What inspired you to finally start releasing your own material, and how did it feel to see such a positive response from your fans?
What inspired us to start releasing our own material, was the fact that people around us started to ask, "when are you guys gonna start releasing your own originals?" Malin had written this great song when she lived in Barcelona, but never done anything with it. So we took her song, did some adjustments and then, Voila! We released it. We had no expectations regarding how the song would be recieved by our fans. At this time, we where very new as a band with not many followers. But the response was huge! In less then a week we gained over 10 000 streams which of course felt very good:)
You second single called "Struggle" and is a powerful title for a song. Can you give us a sneak peek into what inspired the lyrics and how the song came to be?
The chorus of "Struggle" was first inspired by a quote from a french author named Albert Camus. From that quote Malin took the song to another level by describing a tough relationship that many people can relate to.
You guys are back with a bang with your latest single 'Suddenly', and from what we've heard, it's shaping up to be a real crowd-pleaser! Can you tell us a bit more about the style and vibe of the song? Can you give us some insight into how you came up with the music and lyrics for this single, and did you have to use any secret techniques like sacrificing a guitar to the music gods to get it just right?
Well, when Alvaro started to write the song, the first thing he said was that he wanted to put a more rockier vibe into it than we had done with previous songs. So we started to experiment with a more heavier sound on the leadguitars. The main issue was to find a sound that fitted well with Portraits & Tales main sound. But with the help of our friend, Robin Lundberg, who has recoreded all the leadguitars and solos, we manage to find a balance without to have to compromice all that much. The lyrics to the song relates to the feeling Alvaro had the last months before he divorced from his ex wife. We all agreed that the story and the music was a perfect match.
Collaborating with Patrik "Patso" Heikinpieti and filming most of the music video in his studio sounds like a cool experience. Can you give us a sneak peek into what we can expect from the video, and how you guys came up with the concept for it?
Well, to be honest with you, we don´t know that much since the producer is very secretive about it. We know that its gonna contain scenes from Patsos recording studio with us doing some kind of live sessions, and then also, it will come with some stop motion, but more than that, we don´t have a clue:)
Can we expect any upcoming concerts or performances from Portraits & Tales in the near future?
Yes you can. We have our very first concert planned in september when we will play at the pride festival in Kalix. A town near Luleå where we come from.
Who in the band is the most likely to get lost on the way to a gig, and have you ever had to send out a search party to find them?
Haha, that would be Malin, she can´t even find her way around with a GPS!!:)
If your music was a flavor of ice cream, what would it be and why?
Tough question, but something like Chili spiced choclate. We are hot but still sweet as chocolate ;)
And the final question. If you had to create a theme song for a fictional character, who would it be and what kind of vibe would you go for? Would you write a smooth jazz track for James Bond, or maybe a hard rock anthem for Batman?"
Ooh, that was a tricky one. We don´t we have any fictional character that goes with our music. But if Keith Richards would portrait a superhero in the near future, we would more than happy to write a theme song to him! Imagine that movie! What a legend!:)
Commenti