Dreampop trio Postiljonen on Chasing Stars, performing in HK for the third time, and living by one rule only: their creativity

Published: 
Listen to this article

Scandinavian group Postiljonen discuss their new music, and why they’re so excited – and a little nervous – to perform it in Hong Kong

Chris Gillett |
Published: 
Comment

Latest Articles

Scientists catalogue the markings on the tails of individual humpback whales

Hong Kong authorities look to make city an East-meets-West cultural hub

Hong Kong care home uses cafe role-play to help residents with dementia

Colombian tourist spot may be a metre underwater by the end of the century

Hong Kong wild boar population declines as authorities scale up culling

The band (from left): Nyström, Bøe, and Sjörs.

On Wednesday, Scandinavian dreampop trio Postiljonen will make a welcome return to Hong Kong, as they perform at MOM Livehouse in Fortress Hill, their first time back in the city since 2015. With the announcement of a third studio album early next year, the band caught up with Young Post to talk about their memories of previous shows here, their upcoming release, and their latest single Chasing Stars.

“This will actually be our third time playing in Hong Kong,” said Norwegian singer Mia Bøe in an email. “There’s always been a great audience, and the food is fantastic! We also have friends who live on Lamma Island, so we’re looking forward to spending time with them.”

Overseas tours have been eye-opening for dream-pop songwriter Amelia Murray, aka Fazerdaze

As for this week’s show, Swedish instrumentalist Daniel Sjörs explained, “We have new material this time around, and we’re bringing more people on stage. We’re always aiming for the audience to experience the show with us, so we’ll be trying to involve the audience as much as possible.”

“It’s always a bit frightening to perform new material for the first time, ’cause you never know how the audience will respond,” confessed Joel Nyström Holm, who also comes from Sweden. “It just feels like your giving away your baby, that you’ve worked on for such a long time, and when you play it live, it’s like you’re letting it run free in the world by itself.”

Despite the understandable nerves around road-testing new material for the first time, Postiljonen are most excited about performing their latest single Chasing Stars, which they have described as “a very Postiljonen-sounding song”.

Hong Kong shoegazers Thud are your perfect late-summer dreampop playlist

The as-yet untitled new album feels like a balance of their first two releases – 2013’s Skyer and 2016’s follow-up Reverie, Bøe said.

“There’s a wave of playfulness on the first album. Reverie was the tricky one, with a lot of feelings on how to follow up the debut, but we think it turned out great – it just took a long time. The new album is a mix of the planning and structure of Reverie, and the playfulness of Skyer.”

The band – who have often been compared to the like of M83, Sigur Ros, and Air France – have always produced their music themselves, creating their own distinctive sound with ethereal vocals from Bøe, woven into the dreamy soundscapes of Sjörs and Holm – while still managing to work in anthemic pop choruses. The key ingredient for their creativity it seems, is isolation.

Little Mix star on working with Nicki Minaj, female empowerment, cyberbullying, and inspiring the next generation

“We always go to one of our cabins in the woods, set up our gear and start writing and producing,” said Sjörs. There, the group cut themselves off from everything except music and nature.

“Creating our own Postiljonen bubble; it’s like meditation. We shut everything out and just focus on making music for a week, with no distractions – it’s the best!”

“There are no rules or ways to follow,” chimed in Holm, “only your own creativity.”

Edited by Charlotte Ames-Ettridge

Sign up for the YP Teachers Newsletter
Get updates for teachers sent directly to your inbox
By registering, you agree to our T&C and Privacy Policy
Comment