Art by Enne Goldstein, you can find more of her work here
Norweigan based musicians FOAMMM (comprising of lead vocalist Chiara Cavallari, drummer Mikkel, guitarist Bendik, Emil on bass, and Daniel behind the all-important synths that give the group its unique sound) are pretty difficult to categorize as far as musical genres go. Soundcloud has sidled them with an array of oxymoronic combinations ranging from alternative rock to dream pop (is that possibly a real musical style?), but really it seems like whoever chose those tags was just afraid of narrowing down the genre to something completely incorrect. FOAMMM has dubbed themselves “Dreamy Stuff”. And that is probably as accurate as it’s going to get.
FOAMMM‘s self-titled debut album can only be described through the feelings it evokes. Tracks such as “Leipzig” and “Rollerblades” leave you wandering through a misty, psychedelic haze. “Isengard”, one of several tracks written in their native language, is an easy-going piece, suited to mornings in bed, or evenings in some sort of vegetable garden. It’s all very pastoral.
If you’re wondering if the band itself is as weird and wonderful as the music they make, the answer is, absolutely, and then some. FOAMMM is comprised of a multi-talented group of individuals, as suited to arts and crafts projects as they are to music. If you’re not so into their particular brand of dreamy, eclectic indie pop rock (it really is hard to pick a genre here…), Chiara has some bathtubs you might be interested in.
What is the most psychedelic experience you have ever had?
Mikkel: I wasn’t there, but the rest of the band tell a tale about rescuing the biggest chihuahua that ever lived after a gig! They would not give any further comment, but it sounds pretty intense.
Your videos do have a dreamy quality about them, do you often remember your dreams? Do they ever inspire your songs or your videos?
M: It is important for us that the videos we make/other people make for us fit our sound, which is often described as dreamy.
Often our songs spring out of ideas Emil (on guitar) gets while being awake and alive at work in a kindergarten!
Do you find it easier to get a feeling across when you make music in your native language? Do you find your songs coming across differently when you write in English?
M: Up to now all our songs have English vocals, but Norwegian is a very honest and direct language. I believe many artists in Norway see that as a challenge, but also an advantage.
Music started out as a hobby for you if it hadn’t been music that you had decided to dabble in, what would have been another hobby you could see yourself taking part in forever?
C: Except for playing music, bathing is one of my fav hobbies. I actually have a “blog” on Instagram that rates bathtubs! @in_da_tuuuub if you are interested in seeing the best tubs in the world.
Or the worst ones.
Your songs come across as very natural and low key. Is making music really as effortless as your music seems to be?
M: We like having a natural flow of sound layered with different elements without being super loud or over the top constantly.
A lot of our songs have 2 and 3 versions before we end up with a final result, and there is a lot of back and forth whilst writing!
I would not call our writing sessions effortless, but we love building songs around simple melodies, cool synth sounds, and weird drumming 🙂
Are you a shoegazer? What kind of dancing do you normally see at your shows? Do you prefer it when the crowd dances to your stuff?
M: A lot of people call us shoegazers, and our sound is definitely inspired by the genre, but if you listen to the album from start to finish it is a big mix of a lot of genres. Also, my drumming is far from loud enough 🙂
When it comes to dancing at our shows it’s pretty slow stuff, people closing their eyes and leaning back!
You can only pick one: Seafoam or Styrofoam?
M: Haha, let’s go with Styrofoam <3
https://soundcloud.com/sheepchaserecords/sets/foammm-foammm/s-jWCUB
You can keep up with FOAMMM on bandcamp, Facebook, and Instagram