Although singer-songwriter Ane Brun insists “she was never meant to be a musician”, the Norwegian talent carries with her a successful, 13-year-long career.
“I was a sports girl! I did gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics specifically,” Ane laughs.
“But when I was in my early 20s, I was really searching for something to do. So I picked up the guitar, and it felt right from the first day I started playing. It’s very strange how these sorts of coincidences change your life. If I hadn’t of picked up that guitar, I’m not sure if I’d be singing today.”
Now, the artist boasts an expanding list of festival line-ups graced, an endless string of international tours, and eight albums released: each scoring critical acclaim around the world.
She describes her career as her “music college”, having been self-taught in music. “During the first years, I just played and played, I loved playing.
“And I had no plan to become a musician. When I started university, I soon started writing songs. And it slowly merged into a job. When the first album came out, I didn’t have time to do anything else. And that’s how it all started.
“When I listen to my first album, I can still hear the essence of what I do. I like the fragility, and the innocence of my voice: you can hear that I’m new. “Now, I can feel that I’ve lived 13 years in my voice and in the touring that I’ve done. I feel I’ve expanded my music and my voice over the years.”
Titled after her two 2013 albums, ‘Songs’ and ‘Rarities’, the 'Songs & Rarities' Australian tour will celebrate all that is Ane Brun: an all-encompassing solo expedition that touches on moments and music from throughout her entire career, including both original works and covers. “It’ll just be me, the acoustic guitar, and the piano.
“That’s how I started during the first years of my career. Over the last year, I’ve done a full tour with seven different people on stage. The fact that I even have a choice between the two now is a massive luxury,” Ane reveals. “The tour itself is essentially inspired by ‘Songs’, which was an album that included bits and pieces from previous records. ‘Rarities’ came quite quickly afterwards, only six months later.
“We’d been through a massive publicity process with ‘Songs’ and it didn’t feel right going through another round. So we slid it out there without warning to see what people thought of it: funny, because it happens to be one of my most popular albums to date.”
Her upcoming Australian gigs will also showcase her most recent record ‘When I’m Free’, an album inspired by love, hurt, and her roller coaster of personal health issues. “I became really sick for six months or so, because I have an auto-immune disease and had a very serious flare.
“When I bounced back from that, I felt a change in my perspective of life and how I took on challenges. I altered my way of living. That album has an undertone of strength, and it has a lot of hope. But it also has a lot of love, of course,” she explains.
“I’m always inspired by life: questions that come up in me, about relationships, or about the world, about friends. It’s usually an emotional dilemma, even society, if something really bugs me or makes me upset. It’s emotions.”
Ane is currently recording another album of covers and originals, set to be finalised over the coming year. “Recording covers is different in a sense that, when I sing my own lyrics, they need to be something I 100 per cent believe in.
“When I choose a cover, of course, they’re not my words, but I read through the lyrics and I ask myself whether or not I can sing them. I stand there and actually determine whether I can say those things with my head up.”
Leading up to the album’s release, the Norwegian talent is thrilled to be returning to Australia, having only performed at one festival in Adelaide in the past. “What I really enjoyed when I was there, and what I’m sure I’m going to enjoy when I’m there again, is the friendly atmosphere.
“All [the] people I met were so nice. And it’s going to be particularly lovely for me, because I’ll be over during the darkest hours here [in Norway]. So I can get some sunshine!” Ana exclaims.
“I feel that over the years I’ve had quite a lot of Australian fans: I could see it on my social media. It’s going to be so much fun to come over and feel what songs connect to people.”
Ane Brun Tour Dates
Sat 7 Jan - City Recital Hall (Sydney)Mon 9 Jan - QPAC (Brisbane)
Wed 11 Jan - Hamer Hall (Melbourne)
