When you are making music, there is no right way of doing things, but you’ve got to create an environment in which nothing can get between you and your ideas. Where you’ve got space to game it out, guitar tones, melodies, and all.
Take Girl In Red (stylized: girl in red), a lo-fi indie rock project of Norwegian singer-songwriter Marie Ulven. Girl In Red describes the early stage of her writing process as mumbling over chords. It’s tentative. The guitar is there from the start, and crucial, fleshing out the song, but not more so than the context; she’s alone, and that is when she can best open up. “I definitely work best alone while writing lyrics,” says Ulven. “Being alone allows me to write with relaxed shoulders and actually take time to write lyrics I find interesting.” For Ulven’s sound – all unguarded passions and bittersweet verse – the lyrics are crucial, around which the guitar can then do its thing and make the song happen. Ulven found her sound with a Strat, moving to a Vintera 70s Telecaster when performing with her band. “My guitarist kept saying that the telecaster is the guitar like there was no other,” she says. “They’re both great guitars with different tones and vibes. I like switching it up. I have a Mustang and a Lead Series, too.”
This story is from the October 2020 edition of Total Guitar.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 2020 edition of Total Guitar.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
POSITIVE GRID SPARK 2
The sequel to the world's most popular smart guitar amp is here
JACKSON PRO PLUS XT SOLOIST SLAT HT6 BARITONE
We get low with this fast-playing, all-black modern metal machine
GUILD POLARA DELUXE
A’70s staple gets a bit of are-jig, o4 years after it was introduced
NEURAL DSP NANO CORTEX
Neural DSP's second pedal might be the ultimate compact all-in-one rig
EPIPHONE JIMI HENDRIX LOVE DROPS FLYING V
Prepare to kiss the sky with Epiphone's latest 'Inspired By...' model
JIMMY PAGE
\"I was using what was really meaty!\"
EDDIE VAN HALEN
“You either capture the vibe or you don't!”
MYTH BUSTERS: THE CABLE DESTRUCTION TEST
Need to know whether gear is worth your cash? Who you gonna call...
JOHN FRUSCIANTE'S LETTER FROM AMERICA
Our July 2006 issue featured none other than John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the cover, with a line of text promising discussion of meditation, drugs, Hendrix and some chat about the band’s then-latest album, Stadium Arcadium.
CHALLENGE CHARLIE
Ata time when TC's staff were getting, frankly, rather silly, one man stood up to take on the daftest of all our challenges...