Q: Hi there, so happy to be talking with you! I absolutely love the calming, tranquil sound that is “Dopamine Mind”; it reminds me of old-school music that I haven’t heard in a long time, but also has such a contemporary sound. Can you walk me a little through the creative process in making this track?
BREGN: Thanks for your positive vibes on my song Melissa. With Dopamine Mind the creative process started by humming along while playing the guitar on just another evening trying to relax after a stressful day. Because I had the experience of catching myself scrolling down endless streams of posts on my phone I came to the conclusion that this scrolling habit had to stop. Initially it was a way of having a break but it became something that took too much time away from having real breaks. So this night I began singing along to a little tune with my recent revelation in mind. Then shortly after I recorded everything into my recording software and mixed it all together.
Q: I’m always interested in an artist’s musical journey; did you grow up with a musical family/do you remember what or who first made you fall in love with it?
BREGN: I started playing music in an early age. My mother created a drum for me and give me a little piano when I was about 6 years old. I remember that my mother often played the guitar for me while singing children songs for me. I always loved the impact that music made on me and especially the kind of relieve that comes when playing an instrument and making up my own little tunes.
Q: Your vocals are really unique and also very dreamy; I love voices like this; you get totally lost within the vocals & instrumental! Who are your biggest influences?
BREGN: First of all thanks for your positive feedback on my voice. I am inspired by a lot of different artists. I think some of my biggest influences are The Beatles, Elliott Smith, and The Velvet Underground.
Q: What’s the music scene like in Denmark? Do you have any advice to give to other up-and-coming artists trying to get their music out there?
BREGN: I know little about the Danish music scene. Most of my inspirations and also my listeners are from elsewhere. Now that the listeners seem to be from many different countries I have been thinking about playing live on my youtube channel. Regarding advices to other up-and-coming artists I strongly believe in the importance of being true to your own artistic direction and focus on what you think sounds good. Ultimately art is a personal selection of what we have been exposed to along with some personal touch and maybe some coincidences too. I think it is important to enjoy the journey – your music likely starts as being for you and then maybe somebody else resonates with it – but you never know. For me, the process of making music is invaluable to me and keeping my creative freedom makes me truly grateful.
Q: What do you hope listeners take away from “Dopamine Mind?”
BREGN: I hope the listeners will be inspired to always stay in the drivers seat of their own lives. It is super easy to get distracted by phones and social media. So even though one might feel the urge to be online and connected all the time I hope the song will help empower people to break free if the tech has taken a little too much over.
Q: Was there a pivotal moment in your life when you decided to follow your path as a musician?
BREGN: I have always been searching for freedom. Art is freedom for me. Freedom to express my feelings through music. The concept of freedom is in many ways an illusion. We are all connected and dependent on each other which is often a good thing. But everyday life can sometimes get to a point where it feels quite restraining and “unfree”. For me, creating music is a way og practising the feeling of freedom and a way of finding peace. I feel music has very few boundaries in the making.
Q: Tell everyone what’s coming up next for you!
BREGN: I released four tunes this year and three other songs since late 2020. I have experienced and learned a lot from these releases. I also feel I have experimented a lot with my sound and soundscapes. In 2023 I will focus on producing more coherent deliveries of songs. I might want to re-record some of the released songs along with writing new ones. Performing live on my youtube channel and doing some productions live would be a really cool challenge for me in the new year.
Photo credits: Jonas Mikkelsen
Interviewed by Melissa Cusano
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