From Iceland — Björk: I Work More Like A Writer Or Director

Björk: I Work More Like A Writer Or Director

Published February 7, 2015

Nanna Árnadóttir
Photo by
Inez & Vinoodh. Wellhart Ltd / One Little Indian

Addressing how each album differs from the last, Björk admits in an interview with the Grapevine that she works more like a writer or director.

“After I made Vespertine, all these guys kept sending me beats. And I was just, ‘No, now I’m making an acapella record’,” said Björk. “I hope I don’t sound ungrateful. I mean it more like, I think I work like a writer works, or a director. Someone like Sjón will write a book, like his last one, about a gay man in Reykjavík at the turn of the 20th century, and then he maybe writes one that’s set in the Westfjords in the 17th century… Each work comes with different themes, a different approach…I think my albums are more like that, you know? That’s why I like to explore new places on each one. Like film directors; they’ll make a costume drama and then a sci-fi comedy… Perhaps Biophilia was my sci-fi film?”

As reported, Vulnicura, Björk’s new album on heartbreak was released last month following a leak and quickly topped album charts globally.

“Well, the leak happened just a day after the record was mastered, so, the album was ready, you know?” said Björk. “I probably would have reacted differently if it hadn’t been, if the songs were half finished or the sound was off. But this just seemed right.”

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