photo by Claus Troelsgaard

The music industry has gone through immense changes over the last years. In Denmark as everywhere else. Radio lost against streaming, the music channels on TV against Youtube and other video services. Press photo shootings were dismissed by Instagram channels. Surviving in this ever-changing scenario calls for very special artists with very strong personalities. There are not many of them. But there is one who definitely made it and survived over the last ten years with excellence: Clara Sofie.

As she is one of the most powerful female voices in the Danish music scene, we want to celebrate International Women’s Day with her! So, enjoy with us and listen to her view on the last ten years of the music industry which she shared with us in a little interview.

Good because Danish: First of all, congratulations – a 10 years anniversary is very special within the music industry. How do you celebrate this special “birthday”

Clara Sophie: Thank you! Well, first I felt a little old. Then I realized how much I had accomplished in that decade and felt a bit better. I celebrated the actual birthday by releasing my wildest video yet (“Lift me up”).

Looking back, was it always clear to you that you wanted to become an artist?

Yes. Apart from a few childhood years, I wanted to become a jockey – which I soon realized was ridiculous with my height of 186 cm.

How do you feel the Danish music scene has changed since your very beginnings?

The most obvious change is the rise of the streaming services and online media. When I started there was no Spotify or Facebook and Radio had all the power. But now that has completely flipped around.

Over the years, do you think, has the Danish music industry become easier or tougher for new artists? And especially for female artists? 

Hard to say. Everyone can be in the game now. Not just major labels. And that’s a good thing, but it also increases the competition. Unlike before there is no certain way of breaking an artist. So everyone has to be super creative. Women have always had a little more to prove, and I don’t think that has changed very much. But everyone has to step up their game and take more responsibility.

For you personally, what were your biggest challenges to stay on top of the Danish music scene for so long?

My biggest challenge was to sharpen my expression musically as an artist. I love so many different genres and I have done so many different things, which confused me at times. Probably also confused the listener. So basically finding my own personal expression in music has been my biggest challenge. But everything is a process, right? I do think that I’m at that point now, where I know myself better after I made my latest album “Understrøm” which was where I started producing and doing everything on my own. Only now after a decade of releasing music, I’m able to outlive some of those things I imagined when I first started making music. It’s only the beginning!

photo by Claus Troelsgaard

10 years full of intense moments – is there one moment in your music career, that makes you especially happy?

When I realized that producing was not only something the boys did but that I actually was able to do it myself. Giant revelation!

Did you also have times, when you felt that you needed a change or that your career won’t continue?

Yes, all the time :) After almost every song, I’m afraid I will never be able to write another one again, haha. But that’s a part of being in the creative industry. Always sitting on the edge of the chair. It keeps the fire going.

I’m glad that I got into songwriting for other people as well. That fulfils me completely when I’m not on stage myself.

10 years of creating new art require a lot of inspiration – where do you get yours and has this changed over the years?

Inspiration comes from everywhere and that hasn’t changed. But over the years the process of songwriting has become more conscious. Like a muscle, I trained. I can sit down any day and write a song and know what I’m doing. Some days are just more inspired than others and that reflects on the song. It’s impossible to predict when inspiration is going to hit you, but when it does, it’s my responsibility to harness it and make it into a song.

Over the last decade – how did you change as an artist? Are you still nervous on stage?

Yes. But good nervous. The moment I stop getting butterflies in my stomach is the moment I stop making music. I don’t think that will ever happen tho.

Again, I changed in the way that I sharpened my expression as an artist and I have become more aware of what I’m doing when I’m doing it. That goes for songwriting, performing and also the visual side of things. The visual part hasn’t always been something that interested me. But then I discovered that half of the musical experience at shows is actually what you see. So I required an interest in it.

Are there routines from the very beginning that you still keep?

No. I’m quite inconsistent that way, haha.

Looking in the future – we are of course curious to hear, what are your plans for the next ten years?

Ha! I’m not sure what I’m doing in 2 months! Nowell, I’d like to keep on releasing music and make that music without compromise. Have the guts to stay true to myself. And perhaps write a song for Rihanna ;)

 

Want to hear more from Clara Sofie? Check out her current album!

 


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