An artist should always yearn to be different. We are all individuals and all have our own influences and preferences. These should be put into our music to create a unique sound. Our recent find Rasmus Fynbo has quite the varied taste and builds a sound that is truly all his.
The singer-songwriter from Denmark takes from the pop, folk, and rock genres but adds in flavor from Balcan music and Salsa. The resulting Rasmus Fynbo sound is close enough to mainstream music to interest all listeners but then offers enough twist and turns to blaze its own colorful path.
Earlier this month Rasmus Fynbo released his latest album The Greater Good but let me say right off the bat, it is more than Good. As we delve into the opening track “Whisper,” there is a carnival atmosphere that sets the vibe for a fun journey. The party continues on “The Freedom To…” but with a slightly darker tone.
The music goes in a mellower direction with “Your War”. Rasmus Fynbo shows real emotion both in the vocals and the elegant guitar line. Truly a beautiful song. Again we go a little darker with “Shadows”. The straight drum beat is the basis while other instrumentation comes in to add a flair that perks up the ears. The album closer “Become No One” leaves us off with a relaxing yet interesting storytelling style song. Rasmus Fynbo is a true songwriter.
We had a chance to chat with the artist and get a little deeper into his music:
First off, what is it that draws you to create music?
Well, it used to be a need I had to meet. I would grow restless if I didn’t create music. These days it much more driven by a playful desire – I think creating is fun and I am in a position where I don’t have any limitations apart from time. I have kids so I have no time. This means that I have an urge to try out things that seems fun. In the creation process I don’t play much attention to much else.
How would you describe the Rasmus Fynbo sound?
Uh, that is complicated. It is not my favorite question, but as a musician it is a question you often get. I defintly have a sound, but I have a hard time describing it. I think my trademark is simple catchy songs with complicated arrangements and a lot genre crossing. The music industry is not overly happy with music that doesn’t conform to boxes and it might be one of the reasons why my music is a bit hard to sell.
Which artists have had the biggest influence on you?
On a personal level, it must be The Beatles, David Bowie, Pixies, The Auteurs and Aimee Mann, but I am not sure this is really obvious when you listen to the music. I am also extremely fond of Balkan music, British folk, and Russian folk.
How does a song come to you? What is your songwriting process?
I almost always create my songs on guitar, which means that the melody comes first. If my songs work well on an acoustic guitar, chances are that they will only be better in the right arrangement. In my production state, I usually have something I want to try out – like what a mix of reggae and Balkan music would sound like. I am very open to input from the musicians I work with so when every they suggest something that might seem outlandish we try it out.
You have put together a few interesting lyrics videos for songs from your new album The Greater Good. Tell us about those.
It has been a long time since I last made a music video, and much has changed since then. It used to be a very expensive and time-consuming effort. But lately I have realised that there are a lot of people out there – apparently all from Turkey –who creates music videos from stock video. I found a guy who does it really well and so far he has managed to translate my wild ideas into something that can actually be created using stock video. I am really happy how the videos came out and this is definitely one of my major focus points for later releases.
What is next for Rasmus Fynbo?
Promotion, promotion, promotion. The world needs to hear my new album and I’ve been spending a lot of time trying to make sure that happens. The learning curve is pretty steep and I most likely doing things in the wrong order, but eventually, I’ll get the hang of it… I when I tire of that part I am also working on a new album.
Keep tabs on Rasmus Fynbo on his FACEBOOK.
