The Baker's Dozen #46 The Last Hurrah (!!)
These days, with a seemingly inexhaustible amount of music available at the click of a mouse, it is easy to miss things in our search for instant gratification. The art of getting to know an album over repeated listens, allowing it to slowly reveal itself, is in danger of being lost. A case in point is the aptly titled ‘Modern Nostalgia’, the latest release from The Last Hurrah (!!), a project helmed by Norwegian musician/producer HP Gundersen. ‘Modern Nostalgia’ blends a distinctly European (Serge Gainsbourg/Marianne Faithfull) approach with the California sound of Gram Parsons and The Byrds, utilising a variety of singers and instrumentation along the way to reveal its charms. With this in mind, we caught up with HP Gundersen to learn more about HP and his collaborators in The Last Hurrah (!!).
1. What is your earliest musical memory?
Hearing ‘True Love’ by Cole Porter performed by Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly. That was in 1956 when I was 3 years old. It was the first record my parents bought and I had never heard music before. They say I wanted to hear it non-stop, and was not interested in the B side. I have realized that ‘True Love’ is, in a way, my foundation as a composer. The harmonies, smooth modulation, colourful arrangement with soulful performing. Still one of my dearest recordings.
2. Do you remember the name of your first band?
The young Questions
3. Which current artist do you find the most impressive and why?
It might sound corny, but it must be my wife and fellow musician in The Last Hurrah(!!), Cecilie Leganger. The reason why I could write a book about her. She is a true genius composer and a wonderful musician. But she didn’t dig into music before she was 40, 8 years ago. The reason for that is that she was a professional handball keeper from the age of 17 until she retired at 39. She has been voted as the best keeper in the history of the sport worldwide!
When she retired, she kind of isolated herself in a house she bought, far out in the countryside to live out many other interests she had besides sports. She got a piano and used an entire year to learn 3 piano pieces by Grieg. In doing that she broke the code to how to play and how to compose in that style with independent melodies in both hands. When I met her 3 and a half years ago I taught her the whole chord theory in one day. The day after that she composed a fantastic pop song based on that theory. It is entitled ‘Karma’ and is on Spotify with the group Gunderzheng. Three months ago she started studying classical Theramin. She rehearses 7 hours a day and can already play songs such as ‘Over The Rainbow’ in 3 octaves with a ‘goosebumps’ factor. I have never met a talent like her….and her taste is on a cosmic level.
4. Do you sit down to actually try to write songs or wait until inspiration strikes?
My songs just come to me, melodies and chords. I am able to record them on my phone before they disappear. My phone has hundreds of melodies I love. My inner melody is what I love the most. It’s a mixture of all the elements I have truly loved in my whole life as a music lover and it can come from any style.
5. If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your younger self?
Do the same thing all over again. It ended up with a wife I was meant for and I/we live and work in a nature paradise. I also have so many close friends that are also great musicians. I think my life has been a scary road to heaven. If anything was different, I wouldn’t be here now. And there is no one I’d rather be than myself.
6. You’re stuck in a lift with your musical hero (living or dead) and they ask you to play them something - who is it, what do you play and why?
Gram Parsons. And I would play him a country song I have written called ‘Uncle Johnny’. I think he would have found it funny.
7. On the road, do you have any pre-show rituals/superstitions?
No. I have non-rituals.
8. Should music be free?
No, the world needs musicians.
9. Can you remember the first record you bought and what have you bought recently?
The first record I bought was the very first Donovan record. The last was ‘Jazz på Svenska’ by Jan Johanson.
10. What was the last song that made you cry actual tears?
A song by Foster Timms that isn’t released yet. The title is ‘it safe to be sick’.
11. In the digital age, we have more music and video at our fingertips than ever before. Do you have any guilty pleasures or recommendations in film or TV?
No. I don’t watch entertainment.
12. Your house is on fire. You already have your loved ones slung over one shoulder and your guitar in one hand. With your other hand you can rescue three CDs or LPs…What are they?
The first Flying Burrito Brothers album and both of Gram Parsons’ solo albums.
13. What is the most important thing to you that you can see from where you are right now?
Relate to love, respect and honesty all the time.
HP Gundersen | Cecilie Leganger
These days, with a seemingly inexhaustible amount of music available at the click of a mouse, it is easy to miss things in our search for instant gratification. The art of getting to know an album over repeated listens, allowing it to slowly reveal itself, is in danger of being lost. A case in point is the aptly titled ‘Modern Nostalgia’, the latest release from The Last Hurrah (!!), a project helmed by Norwegian musician/producer HP Gundersen. ‘Modern Nostalgia’ blends a distinctly European (Serge Gainsbourg/Marianne Faithfull) approach with the California sound of Gram Parsons and The Byrds, utilising a variety of singers and instrumentation along the way to reveal its charms. With this in mind, we caught up with HP Gundersen to learn more about HP and his collaborators in The Last Hurrah (!!).