Neu Sierra writes a new chapter in the story of Nordic Noir rock
Neu Sierra writes a new chapter in the story of Nordic Noir rock, as she and her warm insistent voice release the dusty and loud debut EP 'Sulphur and Molasses'.
The title handpicked from jazz standard 'Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most' refers to a 'spring tonic', that supposedly cleanses your blood after a long and dark winter. "The song describes a lasting melancholy that intensifies during spring, as life and light 'returns' and all you can do is sit there paralyzed and watch. You wish you had a spring tonic to blow away the dark clouds, but it'd take more than just sticky, bittersweet sugar water" sighs Neu Sierra.
Darkness is a recurring theme for the singer and autoharpist, and the foreboding of a long winter wasn't easily missed on lead single 'Dirty Me' which marked Neu Sierra's November debut. Premier Danish music magazine GAFFA described it as a "folkish and gloomy song about abuse, channeling equal parts Nico and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. A raw, dreamy and relevant song about the seriousness of sexuality". This was followed by the alluring and sensuous 'For the Last Time', and between the two, Neu Sierra was able to celebrate more than eight months of heavy rotation on Danish national radio P6 Beat.
Boy Of A 1000 Tears
'Sulphur and Molasses' also includes the romantic noise-ballad 'Boy of A 1000 Tears', a song with almost 40 years worth of history, since Nils Lassen - who also happens to be the producer of the EP - first sang it to his then girlfriend. The song has since been in the hands of some of Denmark's most prominent artists and producers. The song becomes something both filthy and grand as Neu Sierra breathes life into its thousand tears. The video for 'Boy of a 1000 Tears', edited by the singer herself, is cut from footage of abandoned refugee camps in both Syria, Afghanistan and Greece.
"To me it's really a universal song of comfort. It's about wanting what's best for the 'boy of a 1000 tears' and all the other sad souls out there. I know I'm not alone in feeling powerless about how our elected representatives handle refugees. The video kind of became postcards from abandoned refugee camps, culminating in an eerily fascinating rain of missiles, that might as well have been fireworks at a wedding. And once again Afghanistan is even back on everyone's mind, which is just more proof of the futility of war" tells the singer.
Tickets were long gone, when in May she played her first two shows ever, at HUN SOLO x CHARLOTTENBORG, and when she and her band, consisting of Manoj Ramdas (Raveonettes), Mathias Gørtz (Leizure), Nils Lassen (BlackieBlueBird) and Tomas Ortved (Sort Sol), headlined legendary Freetown Christiania venue Loppen a few days later, the show had been sold out more than a month in advance. She has since filled the old dancing pavilion at Karens Minde, played iconic Store Vega with indie-dance/psych band Fribytterdrømme and conquered renowned Copenhagen Jazz Festival.
Upon the EP's release music magazine GAFFA awarded it with ★★★★★ and wrote "She is a competent and extremely skilled musician with great international potential – this is only further established with Sulphur and Molasses".
'Sulphur and Molasses' is out now on FIVE FOOT ONE Records.
