House of dark shadows

HEI FREDDY.
WELL THIS IS A CHANGE OF PACE FOR US HU?
I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I MET YOU WAS THROUGH YOUR MUSIC.
I LOVED IT THEN AND STILL DO TODAY.
- Yes I'm easy to love he he no but thanks! Always pleased to hear that hehe

1-YOU SAY MAKING NORWEGIAN BLACK METAL SINCE 1994. WAS THERE SUCH A THING AS VOLUSPAA IN 1994?
- Yes there were! I and my good friend Thomas Støen started up the band early winter of 1994. We did like the same music, so why the hell don't start a band he he. At the late 90's he did leave the band and the band was laid to rest until the beginning of the new millennium.

2-WHERE DID YOUR LOVE FOR MUSIC COME FROM? ANYONE INPATICULAR THAT DREW YOU IN?
- Have no idea! No one in my family does love music, so I was the first one there to play music out loud ;)
I started to listen to Ac/dc, and Angus Young was my big hero, at the age of 6. Has never looked back and still loves metal!

3-I LIKE THE STYLE OF MUSIC YOU PLAY. VERY HEART FELT. ALMOST LIKE YOU ARE SPEAKING(SINGING) FROM YOUR HEART. DO YOU FEEL ALL YOUR SONGS YOU WRITE HAS A CLOSE MEANING TO YOU?
- Cool, thanks (Don't think any metal head or black metal guy likes to hear that but that's me) I have to live myself into what I'm singing, for me it get's more dynamic that way. I try to express the words not just sing them. Ha-ha that sounded smooth ;)
Actually they do, in a way. Mostly the process of making them is special, sometimes I feel really empty. And when it's all done I'm just so pleased.

4-ARE ALL YOUR SONGS SUNG IN NORWEGIAN AND DO YOU PLAN TO EVER MAKE AT LEAST ONE IN ENGLISH?
- On my first demo, from 1994, I have two songs in English and that's about it. I was actually thinking about that the other day, so maybe I write a song in English, just for people on Myspace. But for me. Writing songs, it just has to happen naturally so I don't really know. Not much goes the way I plan in this life, so have to wait and see ;)

5-I KNOW YOU HAVE DONE ALOT OF YOUR OWN MUSIC AT HOME IN FRONT OF THE COMPUTER. YOU HAVE PLAYED LIVE. ARE THESE JUST SESSION PEOPLE FOR THAT PURPOSE OR DO YOU MAKE THEM FULLTIME MEMBERS?
- As working at home I do everything myself and Voluspaa was to be like this since we stopped playing live in the mid 90's. But no, now Voluspaa is back on stage again he. I was also planning to just have session members but the guys are really cool and so much better than me to play, and they really wanted to continue playing with Voluspaa. So they have become more or less members of Voluspaa. They will also make songs with me here and I'm so looking forward to that.

6-HAS VOLUSPAA TURNED OUT AS YOU PLANNED OR HAS IT GONE PAST THE POINT YOU HAD EVER DREAMED?
- Yes it has, so far. Only thing missing, yet, is the respect from the know it all. But that will come as soon as I have the world kneeling before my feet hehehe

7-AS I SIT AND LISTEN TO YOUR MUSIC, I CAN SEE MYSELF LAYING IN BED WITH MY EYES CLOSED WITH A SMILE ON MY FACE. YOUR SONGS BRING THAT KIND OF PEACE TO ME AND IM SURE OTHERS. BEAUTIFUL WORKS OF ART. WAS THAT YOUR PLAN EVEN THOUGH YOU REFER TO IT AS BLACK METAL???
- Yes! Its how I like it and want's it to be. I get so pleased when people get's the feeling I'm having! It's like the easy going parts, are to be beautiful, maybe a good feeling about Norway ;), and the hard parts I want the brutality and somewhat black feeling hanging over it. We express this much more live. Then you will get the feeling like a ship full of Vikings storming at you!
To call it black metal is maybe wrong but that's the closes thing so people understand it…? I would like to call it Norwegian metal, but what the hell is that he. Mabye National romantic extreme metal?

8-HOW LONG DO YOU PLAN TO KEEP THIS UP?
SOME LIKE TO GO AND GO UNTIL THE FANS RUN OUT OF LOVE FOR THEM WHILE OTHERS KEEP GOING STRONG BRINGING SOMETHING NEW TO THE TABLE ALL THE TIME.
ANY NEW CDS OR MUSIC TO COME?
- Don't have any clue! But as soon as I stop liking what I do, I will for sure stop!
- Don't really know but I'm thinking of releasing one myself. But as of now I don't have any money, family first you know ;), so I'm thinking hard he. I have gotten a lot of offers from labels, but not any good ones. I will not sell my soul just for you to get rich. I'm both lazy and picky when it comes to this. And that's a maybe the reason Voluspaa is so much underground after so many years he he

9-YOU ARE IN ANOTHER BAND "Røst" SOMEWHAT BLACK METAL YOU CALL IT.
WHEN DID THIS IDEA FORM AND WHAT IS NEW WITH THAT PROJECT?
- Røst is a side project. It started out with my good friend Frode Løken (Guitarist in Oak) We used to play guitars together, just jamming and making songs. So we were thinking of playing together in Voluspaa but after we started making song for that reason we found out it suited more to start our own band, Røst. For me Røst was going to be a live band while Voluspaa a studio band…but time changes and now it's the other way around ;)
- Røst is on hold just for the moment. We are so busy with our other bands, so we are taking a rest he

10-YOU HAVE GUEST FEMALE VOCALIST ON ONE SONG??? (MAYBE MORE)
WHO IS SHE, WHERE DOES SHE HAIL FROM AND HOW DID YOU COME TO HAVE HER APPEAR ON YOUR MUSIC?
- Her name is Hildr Valkyrie. She is a lovely talented girl from Hellas (Greece) She has her own band, check it out http://profile. myspace. com/index. cfm?fuseaction=user. viewprofile&friendid=160404312!
- We have similar taste and we understand each other very good. She knows exactly what to do with the songs! She also has the voice I'm looking for and suits Voluspaa.

11-OK FREDDY. ENOUGH BULLSHIT. IT SEEMS WEIRD TO BE ASKING YOU THINGS SINCE WE USE TO SPEAK ON A DAILY BASIS (AND WHAT FUN IT WAS) BUT YOU ARE A BAND AS WELL AND I WANTED OTHERS TO KNOW OF VOLUSPAA.
ANYTHING MORE YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD BEFORE WE GO?
- If you like Norway and their history, you better check out Voluspaa. You will get the cold feeling from the north and all you want to do is Hail Norway! We once did rule the world, so now its Voluspaa journey to gather the masses and destroy the weak mind from its kingdom! Too long has the Christians walked my land!

Skål
Freddy

PS. Thank you so much Vint and keep in touch ;)