Interview | Johnny Kahlua

Johnny Kahlua is an Norwegian folk rock singer-

songwriter, who made the world know of his

existence in 2007 when he released his first

album, Tales From Undercover Frankie's Nest.

A strange album made of surreal stories of a

man of fiction named Frankie the Hammer.

His new album, Beneath the Sun, is an entirely

different album altogether, an emotionally

intense and darkly beautiful rock record. One

can almost feel his love and passion for blues

and folk music through the entire album.

"I tried to make an album which captures the

restlessnes of staying to long at one place, the

feeling you get when there's something else you should be doing instead of working at the shoe factory or your local grocery store, but if, like, if you're out in the sun too long and you get sunburned, there's something else you ought to be doing instead, like painting a picture or singing a song perhaps, or travel the world like Jules Verne."

Out of the ten songs on the album, at least

seven is about leaving or saying goodbye

to someone. He smiles, "I didn't do it on

purpose or anything, but the songs were

written over a period of six months and

during that time I went through a lot of

changes in my life, like in what direction

my musical endevours were heading and

where to go next. So I guess a lot of uncon-

cious soul-searching went on inside my

brain which somehow influenced my

creative outcome."

Beneath the Sun was recorded in his own

home studio together with a bunch of

talented musicians in March and April.

"I have my own studio now, where I sleep, drink, and eat everytime I'm not recording," he says, "I'm extremely pleased with the work we've managed to achieve together here. It's like a small community, almost like a small settlement of musicians and people who share the same interest and influences. We all help each other with different projects and ideas, basically we just make music. I call it creative freedom."

Beneath the Sun was released on October 31st 2009.