Åsmund Nesse On the Making Of ‘Indiemann’
Punk Head: What does the word Indiemann mean to you beyond independence in a musical sense?
Åsmund Nesse: The word Indiemann was a play on the two words indie and mann (man). Artistic freedom is very important to me, and it’s about being uncompromising when it comes to letting the art come from within. In the term, I also include a quiet protest against the use of artificial intelligence in artistic expression. Music should come from real emotions and lived life. Many of the songs are recorded live, without autotune or excessive polishing. For me, this is also part of being an Indiemann—allowing the expression to remain genuine, even in the recording process.
Punk Head: You release music on your own label and control every stage of creation. What are the biggest risks and rewards of operating completely outside traditional industry structures?
Åsmund Nesse: The risks of releasing music on your own label—especially in physical formats—are that you have to handle vinyl distribution yourself. It’s a lot of work, and you’re going against the current when you don’t have dedicated people to do that job for you. You have to get out and play concerts to sell records. There’s no large company marketing the album for me, and there’s clearly a financial risk in potentially losing a lot of money when all the costs have to be covered by yourself. Recording and releasing music is expensive, but for me it has always been important to document the music in the best possible way. That’s a risk I’m willing to take.
The advantages are that you get to decide where and how the record is sold, and there are no middlemen setting conditions for sales and income. If you’re lucky, it can even be profitable—but it’s a long and winding road.
Punk Head: You sing exclusively in the Bømlo dialect. Why was it important that this album speak in that voice? And how does writing in dialect change the emotional weight of your lyrics?
Åsmund Nesse: Singing the way I speak, in my own Bømlo dialect, is the most authentic way for me to convey my songs. It allows me to express myself across a wide emotional range, and I believe our dialect on Bømlo is among the most beautiful in Norway. Through my lyrics, I try to preserve old words and expressions that are in danger of disappearing.
The oldest members of the Bømlo community have a rich vocabulary that is unique to our identity. Incorporating some of these linguistic gems into my songs feels enriching, and I also see it as an important form of cultural preservation—to take care of the unique dialect here in the west, on the beautiful island of Bømlo.
I believe there is an added emotional weight in being conscious of this. I also experience that many people above retirement age come to my concerts, which I see as a gift—while younger audiences are also embracing my songs.
Punk Head: Do you ever feel tension between local language and global accessibility, or do you see them as compatible?
Åsmund Nesse: I see local language as compatible with global accessibility. Of course, there are some barriers to understanding, but I firmly believe that music should have no borders, and that it can reach beyond national boundaries with the right marketing. Singing in a larger language like English may potentially be more effective, but for me, I don’t believe I could convey the same depth in a language I don’t speak as fluently or feel equally connected to.
Punk Head: Do you see yourself as continuing a folk-protest tradition, or reshaping it for a different cultural moment?
Åsmund Nesse: I see myself as a continuer of the tradition, while also hoping to bring something new and fresh into it. I greatly admire many of the major folk singer-songwriters from the US and the UK in the 1960s and 1970s. At the same time, there are many fantastic songwriters in the Nordic countries who also inspire me.
I try to carry these traditions forward into a new cultural moment, and going forward I want to focus on current social issues of our time. I care deeply about equality, and my lyrics are firmly rooted in humanistic values.
Punk Head: “Stikke du innom” confronts regret and loss with startling directness. Do you believe grief should be confronted loudly, quietly, or without rules?
Åsmund Nesse: There is no single correct way to confront grief. For me, writing has been an important process in working through grief on several occasions. Sometimes you need to scream to get something out; other times, still waters can be the therapy. Grief has no rules—but everyone needs to grieve.
