Born in Copanhagen and now living part-time in Berlin, Lasse Matthiessen is an artist willing to put his all into his work to make himself a success. Having supported the likes of Suzanne Vega and Anna Calvi on tour, and picking up legions of high-profile fans as well as loyal supporters in the wider general public, Lasse is now gearing up for the release of his new EP this November.
Kasse Matthiessen drops his new EP this November
We got the opportunity to put some questions to Matthiessen all about his music, inspirations, goals and ambitions, and he had a lot to say. Read on to find out more…
For those who may be new to your music, how best would you describe your sound?
My sound really differs quite a bit – from the very quiet solo acoustic guitar and almost whispering folk songs to rather load and big orchestrated rock songs with massive keyboards and drums.
What challenges have you faced in the music industry so far? How difficult would you say this career path is in terms of making a name for yourself?
It is hard work. No doubt about it. You need good people around you to work for you. Good partners. But that said, I am enjoying every bit of it – to see it moving forwards a bit at a time, but all the time.
How important is it for you to have creative control over the work you produce?
It means everything to me. It doesn’t mean I don’t listen to people I respect and their opinions, but if something is being done to a song that I don’t like, you don’t want to be around me! I turn into that five-year-old disappointed kid that just wants that ice cream that his mom doesn’t want to give him.
Where do you draw influence and inspiration from for your work?
A lot of different places. Funnily enough, I don’t get inspired very often from people playing the same kind of music like me. For a while now, I’ve been playing old Swedish folk songs as they were played by the Swedish pianist Jan Johanson. I just need to sit at the piano and hear those old melancholic songs. And somehow – though probably no one notices it – part of the atmosphere of those songs are transported into my new songs. I don’t even notice myself until later.
If you could collaborate with anybody going forward, who would you choose and why?
I just wrote a couple of songs with Sara Hartman. I would love to work with her again. In November I am supporting Glen Hansard on a tour in Germany. I would just love to co-write with him too.
Tell us a random, funny fact about you that not many people know.
I probably shouldn’t tell you – but there is this Danish habit of eating herring on rye bread and drinking Schnapps with it… I just really, really love it! Don’t tell anyone – it is generally something that only people over 60 do!
Where do you hope to be by this time next year?
This time next year I would like to have an album out and be back on a European and UK tour.
What should we expect from you in the coming weeks and months?
Soon the video to ‘When We Collided’ will be out. Very much looking forward to that! My EP is released on November 10 and then I’ll be on tour in Germany, the UK, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe.
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Lasse Matthiessen releases his new EP ‘When We Collided’ on November 10.