OEB’s 5 SXSW Qs – Highasakite

Hometown: Oslo, Norway

OEB 2013 SXSW Review

Norwegian indie pop band Highasakite may be set up for a great 2013 off the back of their debut record All That Floats Will Rain, currently in limited release throughout Europe.  Vocalist Ingrid Helene sent a few words over to OEB this week to dig a little bit further into their progressive sound, crowd sing-a-longs and their excitement for their first trip to the States for SXSW.

Your songs play in between the space of pop music and experimental tones.  Is it a conscious effort to be progressive while still remaining catchy?

No, it is not. We are just trying to make music that we like. A lot of the music I listen to is like that, so naturally that is how it turns out. I’m glad you think it is progressive though, I’m always worried that is sounds a bit too mainstream. But what can you do? If you like the sound of it, then mainstream, it is!

I hear “Indian Summer” as one of those quirky singles that could catch on in a mainstream sense if enough ears got a hold of it.  Does it feel like there is anything special about that song in particular at shows or from listeners?

Yeah, it’s been fronted as a single, so people often recognize it. They do a little shout and sing-a-long sometimes. I’d rather they didn’t - kills my mojo. 


Is this your first time touring the States?  What do new US fans have in store for Highasakite in 2013?

This is our very first time touring in the States. We are so excited. I don’t know if we even have any fans in the US, so we are hoping to get some, I guess. We will play as good as ever, constantly evolving. 


Have you had a chance to check out the band list for SXSW?  Any acts you are looking forward to catching yourself?

I only know that Mikhael Paskalev is going, and I am soooo going to one of his shows. He is so talented, and super nice. 

SXSW 2013 Spreadsheet 10:

Tonight’s set features one of my favorite new finds this year, Highasakite.  Go out of your way to checkout their albums.  Highlights:

Heidi Happy (9) - Journeying back in her catalog, there are traces folk, classical, rock and pop, proving Happy is an artist with a real gift for adapting genres to her and not the other way around.

Highasakite (9) - songs range from the epic majesty of “My Soldier” to the uplifting sentiment of “Indian Summer”.  This is the summer hit that never was (or just “hasn’t yet”).

He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister (6) – HMBSMS returns to SXSW this year on behalf of their 2012 full-length debut Nobody Dances In This Town, a joyous mix of gypsy rock songs very much in the vein of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.

Hiss Golden Messenger (6) – With a sound that fall into “songwriter’s songwriter” territory, Michael Taylor’s solo vehicle Hiss Golden Messenger’s lyric-heavy alt country slow jams lay a foundation on which Taylor can thrive as a storyteller and a poet.

Holy Esque (5) – Holy Esque’s driving alternative and post rock sound establishes a great tone, but the vocalist wobbly delivery is definitely “love it or hate it” and I can see both sides of the coin.  Interesting prospect…

Howling Brothers (5) – Though you won’t find anything particularly unique when it comes to the Howling Brothers, their roots are clearly exposed as these bluegrass boys get down with impressive musicianship.