Jarle H Olsen: the guitar 9 interview

Dan McAvinchey: Your latest CD, "Quadrasonic", was self-released. Was that your intention from the beginning, or did you try different independent labels first?

Jarle H. Olsen: I never worried too much about it to be honest. It has always been a dream for me to release the exact music I feel and think, so the importance was just to reach that goal no matter what. It doesn't matter if you're on a label if they don't do anything apart from owning the rights to your music and absorbing all of your earnings. And that's what it's all about for record companies in the end - money. Of course, they are trying to make a living out of it. But hey, so are the artists.

Dan McAvinchey: How did you write the songs for "Quadrasonic"? Was it a collaborative approach, or did you work alone?

Jarle H. Olsen: To me, writing music is a very lonely and isolated experience. I'm a very moody person and can't come up with music if the circumstances are not exactly how I feel they should be. I guess I'm not a very social or fun person to be around when I'm into the writing process. But I like taking a lot of time thinking through every possibility, chords, phrasings, melody lines, etc. I'm a perfetionist, and a bit of a control freak (hehe).
Sure I could come together with a band and write a billion standardized tunes based on three chords, a chorus and a bridge and that's it, but that's not music to my ears. Music to me is something progressive, that stands out and has it's unique wibe, feel and atmosphere. So when you listen to it, you don't get an endless deja-vu.
I believe that if you're with a group of people writing music, it's much easier to let things go through due to the schedule.. And most people are afraid to have too strong opinions in a group. It can of course have its advantages too, but I prefer composing alone.
My buddies on the album did of course contribute to the overall sound with each of their unique styles, and I'm happy to be working with some of the best musicians. http://www.guitar9.com/interview164.html