On “Somebody Else”, Norwegian producer Wiese has crafted a clean cut piece of electro pop perfection that’s sure to be played on-repeat this fall. Released last month, the track joins the ranks of Wiese’s previous singles – which have already gathered over a million streams on Spotify each – as a well produced, catchy, and vibrant bop from start to finish. With sunny production and good vibes all around, “Somebody Else” is immaculately mixed. A beat that’s heavy and tight lays the groundwork for an electric summer feeling, great for playing loud in the club or in the car, while the lead vocals soar beautifully overhead. The drop at the chorus is vibrant and energetic with an infectious synthesizer hook that demands to be played loud and with bass boosted. On top of the earworm hooks and shiny instrumentation, lyrics paying homage to the culture of the 90’s give the song a reminiscent sense of nostalgia. Wiese’s production chops are in full swing on “Somebody Else”, a creative and energetic work from one of EDM’s most eye-opening new producers.
We had the pleasure of interviewing Wiese, and here is what he had to say:
Q&A with Wiese
This song is amazingly well-written and produced. Can you walk us through the writing and recording process for “Somebody Else”?
Thank you so much – I really had fun with this one! I grew up in the 90’s, and get a nostalgic feeling every time I think back to all the weird but nice things that characterized this decade. The theme of the song is the epic 90’s music we all hate to love. I find it fascinating how people tend to forget about all the cred songs and start asking for 90’s music as soon as time passes midnight. And so, I started writing the song and had so much fun playing with lyrics such as “Whatever happened to doin’ all the small things, Blink 182?” and “So where are they, that rock like Mötley, smooth like Sade?” After finishing the song, I tried a few vocalists before I ended up with this really talented LA-based artist who I immediately heard would be a perfect fit for the song.
If you don’t mind sharing, what was your motivation behind moving on from Warner and onto pursuing your own label?
It’s actually nowhere near as dramatic as it sounds. We only had an agreement for one song, and after that both parties were free to do what we wanted. Major labels can be a huge and important resource if you are among their biggest and priority artists. In the time that followed, I did not feel that it was right for me to release music on a major label, but rather to release independently and eventually maybe on a minor label where I have top priority. If everything goes as I hope, I will gladly sign with a major label later, when the time is right for it and I have proven that I am worthy of being prioritized.
What has, in your experience, been one of the biggest highlights of your music career so far?
I think we need to go all the way back to May 1 2004 when I played my first really big live-performance in front of more than 15,000 people at a football stadium. Since I was four, I had a dream of walking out on the pitch in front of a large audience representing my team, Viking FK. However, with limited football talent I quit playing football when I was 16, about the same time as I started doing music. Then one thing led to another, and suddenly I’d made this football song and was given the chance to perform it on the pitch during the opening ceremony of their new stadium. Standing there alone, in the middle of the pitch with a mic in my hand, in front of a sold out stadium was an emotional moment and a dream come true. Since then I’ve played several times at this stadium, last time about a year ago, and it’s still an incredible feeling.
Was there a pivotal point in your life that you knew that music is your passion?
Well, I guess it’s just something that evolved over time. I started hammering on my mom’s kitchen pots before I could walk. After a few years she sent me to a piano teacher, who I went to see like four times before we both decided it was best for both parties to split. Then some years later I had a teacher who used to drag with him a guitar and started all the classes playing and singing a song. I thought it looked fun and when I got a guitar for Christmas I just had to learn to play it. I went on and taught myself to play it, with some help from my friends. Compared to the very few piano lessons I took earlier, this was a much more fun process, because then I could play and do just what I wanted to. Over the years, my musical interest and playing field evolved, and I started singing, writing my own songs and eventually also producing.
What is coming up next for you?
I’ve already released four songs so far in 2020 and if everything goes as planned, I’ll release at least one more. That’s a pretty tight release schedule but I thought it was important to quickly get a catalogue of songs to build on and establish myself as an artist and not just someone with a song or two. I’m currently working on seven or eight songs in parallel and trying to figure out which one to proceed with and schedule an appropriate release plan. At the same time, I like having the flexibility to be impulsive. I mean, in this industry you never know what’s going to happen. For me, the most important part is to keep building a catalogue and making myself heard, which will hopefully lead to some cool gigs once the world is back to normal again.
Any parting words for your supporters out there?
I just want to say thanks for having me and it’s been a blast talking to you. And thanks to everyone who follows me and plays my music. I’m grateful for every single one who listens to my songs, put it in their playlist and even shares it with others. That’s not something I take for granted and I enjoy every second of it. Oh, and follow me on Instagram @iamwiese.
Written by Derek Tate
Interviewed by Music & Fashion Blog
