Q: I love how vulnerable “You’re My Wild Storm” is. Can you tell us
more about the story behind it?
RUNAE: It’s a song about our inner conflicts, hidden desires, and passion- the shadow sides of us that make us vulnerable.
You’re My Wild Storm is about feeling attracted to the wild and tells the story about being in love with a wild person who is unpredictable and has a power over you that you cannot control. Someone who is like a savior to you and shows you the way in good times and bad times. Someone you are lost without. And you don’t care what this person is hiding.
Q: What inspired you to write the song?
RUNAE: I wrote and composed the song in my bedroom in Hundested in Denmark where I live. I sent the files to a producer in Berlin, that I usually cooperate with, and he helped me with the final touch of mix and mastering.
The story of the song is based on my own experiences, and I like to explore the shadow sides and duality of human beings; the hidden secrets, desires, and inner conflicts that we have inside. I am inspired by the raw nature here where I live, and I like to use elements from nature in my lyrics and compare human nature with nature.
Q: Tell me a bit about yourself as a musician and a creative person?
RUNAE: My name is Christina, I am 37 years old, and I am from Denmark, Scandinavia. I didn’t start singing until the beginning of 2019. I have hidden my passion for singing inside- or kept it like a secret in the shadow so to speak. I don’t really know if it’s unconsciously or consciously (that’s probably my inner conflict!), but it didn’t strike me as a surprise that I would become so passionate about making my own music when I started taking singing lessons. I have always loved music and have listened to so much different music since I was little. The challenging thing for me was to get rid of my fear and open up about it. To “step out of the shadow”. My singing teacher encouraged me to start writing my own songs, and when I did, this just triggered something inside me- a new feeling of complete freedom. And when I found out that there are people out there who actually like what I create and want to connect with me about it- that’s just an amazing feeling!
I am inspired by the cycles of nature and how they affect the everchanging minds of all people. My artist name, RUNAE, stems from the Nordic name, Runa, which means “to flow” and “secret love”. I like to see this as a symbol of the flow of nature and the hidden stories and secrets we all carry within us. Two elements that affect us from the outside and the inside. This also symbolises my own story of having kept my passion for music hidden inside for many years.
Q: Is there a specific aesthetic or feeling that you try to encompass
with your music?
RUNAE: I write songs about duality and the hidden. It’s all about the dark sides that are inevitably connected to basic human emotions; the dreams that stay unfulfilled, frustrations of human existence, and about love when it becomes an obsession and a power play. The premise is that there are several perspectives of a seemingly simple matter – there is always a hidden story and a level of complexity.
My musical universe changes between danceable with elements from 80s and 90s pop and more melancholy moods – I like to make a dreamy, dramatic and mystical sound and atmosphere in my music.
Q: How has your creative journey been? Has it always been smooth?
RUNAE: No, it hasn’t always been smooth! I came out with my first music release in the beginning of 2020 just when the pandemic lockdown happened. As you know this situation threw a dark cloud over us all, and it was discouraging to see so much suffering around in the world- also for so many artists! But I quickly realized that I could spend this time wisely in isolation to develop myself as an artist and build up my business online. I quit my desk job and dedicated myself to my music alongside with a local day job as care helper that gave me more time for the music and at the same time could JUST cover my monthly expenses! I spent the year of lockdown in my home studio writing songs, teaching myself music production from scratch, and building my own website and little shop with merch.
This year my husband, Peter, also lost his job because of structural changes in the organization- probably also as a result of the pandemic- so this gave us a new challenge and a bit of stress in our daily lives (fortunately, now he has finally found a new job that he is happy with).
Throughout this journey I have also met a few people who second guess my ambitions of starting out at my age to make music in the pop genre thinking it would be too late for me to pursue a music career.
In my opinion age shouldn’t even be an issue! I thought to myself “Wow, isn’t that a bit old-fashioned thinking in 2021?!” After having posted about it on Instagram and sharing my own story, I received so many messages with personal stories from my followers about their own struggles to find the right path in life. It really touched me deeply, and it was amazing to feel all the support and understanding from so many people who understood my feelings. Life is full of complications and obstacles that can prevent you from looking deeply inside yourself and finding out what you really want.
It’s about keeping yourself on the right track that is defined by YOU and YOUR values and beliefs and not anyone else’s!
Q: Are you currently working on something?
RUNAE: Yes, I am always working on something! 😉 I have something coming up in November. This new song will hopefully trigger some of peoples’ longings inside for adventure. Adventure in old worlds with hidden gems where the forbidden is law.
I also find myself moving into a more provocative kind of mood these days and have started working on some things that I think will be recognizable issues for many people and something they can relate to- or at least will have an opinion about!
Interviewed by Katrina Yang
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