Blackout: Q&A Ulrika Spacek

• Describe Ulrika Spacek in 3 words.
  The Album Paranoia
   
• At the time of recording, the 10 songs of The Album Paranoia were the only songs you had. What made you decide to make a record straight away and not wait until you had more songs?
  We never really saw it as ‘forming a band’ in which we wrote songs, rehearsed them then recorded them. We just started recording, and wrote as we recorded. The two sides of the LP were originally 2 separate EP’s, but then we decided it worked better as one piece of work.
   
• In what way do you think the record would have been different if you hadn't lived in KEN?
  I think it would have been completely different. We often worked in short 2 day bursts, able to write and record without the notion of ‘being in the studio’ and paying per hour was liberating. It would just start with an idea and we would spend a few days losing track of time and exploring it until the song was pretty much done. We certainly didn’t think it was going to be the album, just a way of recording ideas. We are really pleased that it became the album though, as there is nothing quite like playing something for the first time. For this record it was definitely better this way rather than re-recording in a more formal environment.
   
• What do you prefer: the process of writing songs, recording them or playing live? 
  Each thing has its qualities. It’s been a great feeling taking these songs out of our bedroom, forming a band with other musicians and reimagining them for a live setting. It is a cliché, but the songs really take on a different path in a live setting.
   
• You've already got 8 songs ready for the next record. Could you tell us more about these songs? Are they in line of your debut album, or how are they different?
  They were the first songs written after we finished TAP. Though the process has been similar in terms of writing we are experimenting with re-amping. We don’t want a bunch of rehearsed songs that are then re-recorded in a studio. We want the second record to be a progression in terms of production and have a nice collection of microphones this time. The first record was pretty much done on one SM57.
   
• You've written all the songs with the two of you, and afterwards ended up forming a band. How do you think the band has influenced the creative process?
  It has certainly made it grow. We hope it enriches the second record. It’s has also enabled us to explore other things such as production and live visuals etc.
   
• Why did you decide to start Oysterland and what would the next step be?
  We wanted to play in an environment which included other things we liked. For artists who do stuff other than music, it seems far harder to exhibit your work. We wanted to do our first live shows with bands that we liked and with a series of different exhibitions. We hope to return to this after the summer.
   
• If you could make Oysterland into a festival, who would you invite to play/show their work and where would it take place? 
  A big dark space that has everyone who’s been involved so far, all under one roof.