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I am always happy when I can interview a woman for the Groundcast, because one of our philosophies is to open for everyone, regardless of gender, ethnicity, country, and other stuff. So, first, could you tell us a little bit about how you started in this universe called music?
Kate: Well, thank you right back for taking an interest in my work! Music was always present in my childhood home, somebody was always listening to music or playing music in the house! I guess I got into the universe of music kind of by osmosis, haha!
I remember when my parents took me and my friend to our first concert, we were maybe eight years old. It was a children’s music event, but I remember we sat through the whole thing like we were in a trance almost, like we were witnessing something magical.
I have seen you are Finn, and I can imagine how wonderful it is growing up in a country that breathes heavy metal. How did you choose to follow this music genre?
Kate: I grew up in the countryside close to the town of Porvoo in the south of Finland, and there was a big metal scene in the area with many underground bands – in the late ’90s and the first decade of 2000, metal music was so popular in Finland that you would hear it being played on the radio everywhere, even in the supermarket!
So, becoming a metalhead was quite natural for me, I fell in love with the raw power and strong emotions expressed by the music! My brother was playing in a few metal and punk bands, and my favorite weekend pastime was going to those concerts.
I won’t deny that I secretly wished to do the same! And now, after many years of researching and writing, I’ve finally completed my debut album as a solo artist!
How was your decision to move abroad? I can imagine the difficulty of moving to a country where the language is completely different, and many habits are also diverse. How has Italy changed you?
Kate: Well, what happened was I met this incredible Italian guitar player in Finland, and it was a match! Two years later, he was moving back to Italy for a business opportunity and it felt natural that we would go together.
Of course, there was a bit of a culture shock since there are many differences between Italian and Finnish social life – for example, as a Finn, I am very comfortable sitting with a friend in silence. But for Italians, silence becomes unbearable after just a few seconds! I can assure you, it’s very strange to learn how to make proper use of small talk when you’re in your twenties.
I started browsing your YouTube channel and saw you singing traditional songs in other languages. How did this interest, especially for languages, come about? I am a linguist and I find it fascinating to know other languages, especially in literature and music.
Kate: In Finland, we have two national languages, Finnish and Swedish, although most of the population only speaks Finnish. My mother tongue is Swedish, so I needed to learn Finnish at school. I really enjoyed reading as a child and I guess I developed a kind of special interest in languages in general!
I’m fluent in Italian as well so that makes four languages! But it would be great to find the time to learn French as well. That’s my latest hobby, trying to figure out the French language at least for basic conversations. Sooner or later I will be able to communicate with my friends from the Belgian band Ethernity in their own language!
I guess you like videogames, don’t you? I have seen your cover for a song from Dragon Age Inquisition (Dragon Age is one of my favorite game series, as I am a huge fan of RPG and strategy games). Do you have a favorite game?
Kate: I had a great time with Dragon Age Inquisition! Fantasy RPGs are another great way to escape everyday life for a little while! I love my video games, although sometimes I secretly wish the stories might be shorter – I don’t have a whole lot of time to dedicate to gaming anymore since I opened my recording studio. So, I have to choose carefully which games to actually play! Lately I’ve been taking a bit of a nostalgia trip with Oblivion from the Elder Scrolls series.
I’m looking forward very much to the next Hellblade installment, because the first one was truly a work of art! You were playing a Pictish woman descending into a version of the underworld from Norse mythology, or perhaps into psychosis, which one it is the game seems to let the player decide. That was a very different and intense experience, not just for the beautifully creepy sound design (if you play with headphones you literally have people whispering in your ears), and I wrote a piece for Noveria inspired by Senua’s Sacrifice immediately after I finished that game!
It may sound like my ignorance and I apologize if it is, but the feeling I have is that not many women are involved in power / symphonic metal bands. How was the idea of starting a project / band in a scene that is still very masculine, despite having great names like Tarja Turunen, Floor Jansen and Sharon Den Adel?
Kate: Women are still quite underrepresented in the metal genre overall, it’s true. But there are also some really cool bands, like Nervosa, with all ladies as members! It wasn’t really to make any kind of statement that I created this project, except my love for the genre!
Tarja Turunen and Nightwish were actually the whole reason why I got into the idea of mixing classical music with metal guitars, and they were also the inspiration for my studies in classical vocals!
As you also wrote some lyrics for Noveria and got inspiration from Tolkien for the debut album, I imagine you like literature. Do you have a favorite genre and author?
Kate: Learning about the works of J.R.R. Tolkien was truly a life-changing event for me! The Lord of the Rings and its world building was something that absolutely blew my mind more than any other story. I confess I tried to create something similar on my own as a teen, but the task was so immense that I eventually caved and just focused on creating music that would have a similar effect of transporting you to other dimensions!
What can we expect from “Compass To Your Heart’s Desire”? Could you comment a bit on the music and lyrics? I am a big fan of fantasy; it has always helped me a lot in difficult times and I think an album like this is always welcome in an increasingly cold and hopeless world.
Kate: With Compass To Your Heart’s Desire, I hope to take the listener on an escapist journey to a place where fairies are real and the North Wind has a voice of its own! I’ve taken inspiration from Norse mythology and medieval ballads, as well as a few personal experiences.
Aeternam Vale, the last track of the album, is the most personal song that I’ve written to this day. It is one in a series of attempts to write a song for a friend who was lost way too early in her life. That’s the only track where I’m singing in Swedish on this album, which was her mother tongue as well.
That said, even though I’ll oftentimes write about sad and dark themes, it’s always my goal to leave in a shimmer of hope – after all, without knowing the nature of darkness, one wouldn’t be able to recognize the light.
Groundcast is a Brazilian music website, and we always ask here: do you know any bands from Brazil?
Kate: I think I’ve already mentioned Nervosa, but in Finland, the most famous Brazilian metal band must be Sepultura, hands down! I’m also a big fan of Angra in all their different formations over time!
Now we must finish this interview and, at first, I thank you very much for your attention. Leave here your message for our readers.
Kate: Thank you very much for chatting with me! It’s been a pleasure!
Related Links
https://www.katenordmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/KateNordOfficial/
https://www.instagram.com/katenordcreations/
https://www.youtube.com/KateNord/
https://soundcloud.com/metalmessage/kate-nord-the-north-wind-and-the-troll