Ladies and gentlemen – let’s have a jam session! We want to introduce you to a pretty amazing jazzband from Copenhagen – Girls in Airports. The band, that was formed in 2009 and owes its name to one of its first songs, consists of five very talented guys: Martin Stender, Lars Greve, Mathias Holm, Mads Forsby and Victor Dybbroe.
I remember my excitement while discovering Norwegian jazzband Jaga Jazzist or Swedish Oddjob years ago. Finding out about Girls in Airports was like a delayed birthday present – delayed as they actively exist in the Danish jazz scene for many years already. Their music is unique, fresh and as they themselves describe it: „dance-friendly” (what a great expression!).
Curious about the sources of their inspiration and what else is happening in Danish jazz scene, we asked Girl in Airports a few questions:
Good because Danish: What kind of music do you find inspirational?
Girls in Airports: First of all, we all play in other bands and that brings about a lot of inspiration. It is hard to name just a few names since there are so many bands that inspire us. On the spring tour that we are currently doing, we have been listening to The Beatles, Gnawa music, King Curtis, Pinkunoizu, Marvin Pontiac, Gnags and Future Islands.
I would say you play independent jazz. Do you feel connected to classical jazz music?
Yes and no. Some of us consider ourselves out of that tradition and listen a lot to jazz while others in the group, don’t view it like that at all. We don’t feel that connected to musicians who play classical jazz today.
You travel a lot, does it influence your music?
Yes! First of all it brings us closer together as a group. On longer journeys there is just more time to talk and experience things. So after 5 years as a band we really know each other. Secondly, the local cultures we get to meet are a great inspiration. In Brazil and China we even played with local musicians.
What do you think of the Danish jazz scene ?
It is hard to sum up. It seems that Danish jazz has been doing quite well for the past 10 years. Artist like Jakob Bro, labels like Hiatus and venues like Mayhem and Jazzhouse have especially made a difference.
Do you feel that your project somehow stands out from other jazz bands?
It is not that normal in jazz that bands work this close together for such a long period. Group sound and vibe is really the core of what we do.
The guys recorded 3 albums so far and are slowly getting ready to prepare new material to release it in spring 2015. We can’t wait to hear it, since their latest work was so promising: the nostalgic self-titled debut “Girls in Airports” from 2010, the strong and vibrant second album “Migration” from 2011 with some African references and the poetic and subtle long-player “Kaikoura” from last year are truly must-listens.
Make sure you won’t miss the hopeful and optimistic indie jazz with many musical references from Girls in Airport – this dance-friendly and heart-friendly jazzband.
One of my favourite tracks from their latest album “Kaikoura” is “The Grass by the Roses” – give it a listen here:
Our small team of music lovers runs Good because Danish with one goal: to share songs and stories that spark emotions. We believe that music is the great equalizer: it’s for everyone. Therefore, we keep our content free. There’s no ads, no clickbait, no sponsored posts. Every article was written out of pure love. If you like what we do, please support us via a PayPal or Patreon.
You will help us cover website maintenance, software, equipment, and travelling to events. In return, we will continue to set an example of unbiased music journalism. More info HERE
