Danish artist Nikoline Corline, aka NikoCorlin has released If You Can Dream It, a five song collection that delves into ambition, relationships and introspection. Here she tells Entertainment Now how she locked herself in a small room to focus on her music and nothing else.
How did your musical project first start? Is there a story to tell about it?
The project really took off when I started producing my songs with my boyfriend Milo and one of our good friends Emil, and that was when I decided to make an album. I’ve always written songs on my guitar but opening the universe and letting others into it felt very much like the beginning of something new and different for me. That’s when I realized that this is something I can share with others, and not just something I do for myself.
What was your first gig?
My first gig was as the support act for one of my friend’s bands at an underground venue in Copenhagen. I had put together a band, we played my songs, and it was the first time I showed my friends and family what I had been working on for so long – it was a cute and beautiful experience, and it gave me the drive to keep going.
What three words best describe your musical style and why?
The three words I feel best describe my musical style are personal, playful, and melancholic. I write about my own personal life and explore it through my songs, hoping that people can relate to the things I go through. I feel my music is playful because I’m not very formally trained in music, and I remain quite open and intuitive in my approach to songwriting for example when I play instruments, and when I’m in the studio. I also don’t feel confined to one genre and find it exciting to express myself in different ways. My music is melancholic because I’m always most inspired by the dark, the difficult, and the longing.
Who are your biggest musical influences?
My biggest inspiration are women in music. I’ve always listened to Cat Power a lot, and we would always play her in the living room when I was a child. Her voice, her uncompromising nature, and her distinctiveness move me every time. I’m also very inspired by Lana Del Rey and her melancholic and nostalgic universe, as well as Lykke Li’s productions and exciting songwriting.
Tell us about your new release.
My new release consists of songs I wrote in New York last winter, where I isolated myself in a small room in Brooklyn and wouldn’t come out until I was satisfied with my songs. They are about loneliness, finding your place in the music industry, and learning to be alone with yourself. Since coming back from New York, I’ve worked with many different people who helped produce it, and I feel like the EP is the result of an isolated songwriting process combined with a very open production and mixing process. The EP is about the fragility of dreams and how they sometimes tend to shatter when confronted with reality. But they are also what keeps us going and motivates us to keep on going.
What inspires your lyrics?
Lyrically, I’m inspired by what comes to me in the moment. When I write a song, the lyrics often follow right after, so it’s rare for me to spend several days finishing a set of lyrics. For me, lyrics and melody are closely intertwined and are often written in the same moment. I draw inspiration from my own life, which is why the lyrics are deeply personal, but I also try to make them relatable. The most important thing for me is that people can see themselves in them.
Do you have any upcoming tour dates?
I actually just canceled a show because I need to write new music, take a step back, and reflect on what I want to do next. It’s easy to feel a bit empty after a release, and I want to see what happens when I sit with those feelings for a while. I have a gig in November in Aarhus at a venue called Radar, which I’m really looking forward to. It will be a more intimate show where the songs are completely raw.
What are you/your band working on next?
I’m currently working on new songs. I’m considering renting a studio on a Danish Island called Bornholm, where I plan to invite my favorite musicians in the spring to write, record, and produce together. I think it’s going to be really exciting.
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