Steinar Aadnekvam - Freedoms Tree (2015)

After many years on many roads I had to stop and plant my tree. I wanted to make a record with a musical and compositional content that represented all that I am. I wanted to let my dreams come true, all that I was hearing in my mind. Throughout the years there have been ideas, melodies, songs that have been my personal gems. So precious to me that I have always guarded them until the right moment might one day present itself. In this album are many of them.

A ‘Cold Shower’ is what I really like to refresh the senses, and the tune was written specifically for this project. ‘Hillside’ is a composition that came to me when arriving for the first time at my home in Norsborg, a landscape that is characterized by its surrounding hills and Viking remains. ‘Viva Sagui' is something I wrote in Brazil while visiting a small nature reserve in Moreno (in the state of Pernambuco)-PE, when a group of little sagui monkeys appeared in the tree above me to listen to the captivating rhythmic melody. ‘You Are My Sunshine And My Smile’ was a special event for me. One morning I was sitting on the floor opposite my then 18 month old daughter Francisca. She was watching me playing my guitar and this song, both in the music and the lyrics, just revealed itself. ‘Agradecendo’ meaning ‘giving thanks’ in Portuguese, is a chorinho by the great composer Pixinguinha that I have adapted somewhat in a rather fiery manner. ‘Ecology’ is an alarm call about the state of our planet. Its 12/8 afro groove holds a ‘broken’ blues chorus and its lyrical passages remind us of what is beautiful, while its cutting rhythms and suggestive mood remind us of the urgency of our collective problem. ‘Come With Me’ is a lyrical ballad that belongs to a glittering cold winter’s night, while its whistled chorus is a melody that actually dates back to a composition from my early teens. We end on a happy note in ‘Dare To Dream’, about a love affair - or rather - how we try and god willing, never stop trying.

Lastly, I owe my heart’s joy to the fantastic musicians and their outstanding performances on this album.