INTERVIEW: When ‘Airy Met Fairy

Photography // When ‘Airy Met Fairy – press

Peachy Magazine talked with the duo When ‘Airy Met Fairy to catch up on their process of writing their forthcoming album “Esprit De Corps” and much more.

How would you, in your own words, characterize your sound? 

In our eyes (or ears), When ‘Airy Met Fairy is: minimalistic, heartfelt, dreamy and melancholic trip-hop.

How has the process of making your forthcoming album “Esprit De Corps” been different from making your debut album “Glow.”?

First of all, there were many musicians involved in “Glow,” and the album was recorded in various studios. “Esprit de Corps” is the end product of a 100% home recording. The main difference is that the new album uses beats and samples while the first album was more organic with musicians gathering in the studio.

We applied technology in “Esprit de Corps.” Since we were only two of us, the consensus was easier to achieve. We merely had to decide over which parts were accepted and which not. “Glow” was more finished when it was time to record. We had to avoid chaos in the studio. “Esprit de Corps” was born while doing it and reflecting on it, we can say it is a 50/50 thing: which made making choices so much easier. We were under no pressure as no one was waiting for us to finish.

How did you establish the musical direction for this album? What reflections lie behind? 

The whole album is based on gut feeling and intuition. Whatever felt right, was kept. Whatever felt wrong, was dismissed. Since we have a very similar musical taste, it was an easy process. The direction was not based on a strategy or a specific criteria. It is the end sum of emotions and subjective opinions. 

Can you talk to us a little bit about the visuals for “Going To A Town”?

If you are talking about the music video, we based it on my (Thorunn’s) sister Runa’s idea of what we call “the slow-motion panther”. We wanted to honour Rufus Wainwright’s original statement but avoided (like him) any political taste to it. We have not spoken to Rufus, but we can only imagine how he feels about the current American president. Although he did not write this protest song during Trump’s presidency, we feel his song is very contemporary and relevant. We, therefore, dedicate this song to Trump’s administration. With love from Iceland and Luxembourg:) 

Watch the video for “Going To A Town” below:

What are your plans for the near future, take the current situation globally into consideration? 

The pandemic will tell. We had to cancel concerts, and this has, just like for everybody else, put our plans upside-down. We do not want to complain about our personal situation, everyone has to deal with the same issue. Consequently, we are now working entirely in a digital manner. Currently, however, we cannot shoot new video material (as planned). 

More When ‘Airy Met Fairy here