After abandoning black metal for Nordic folk on 2020’s Folkesange, Mykur made another left turn in 2023 with Spine, embracing grandiose, alt pop sensibilities – with the odd blastbeat, of course. “Someone said to me it sounded like ‘if Enya caught fire’, and I can’t stop thinking about that,” she says with a chuckle, speaking to Hammer days after debuting her new material live at London’s Rough Trade East.
Ever since the black metal experimentation of her debut, M, in 2015, Myrkur – real name Amalie Bruun – has pushed stylistic boundaries, and admits Spine was a reaction to the minimalism of Folkesange. “I needed amplification!” she exclaims. “For the longest time, I didn’t even want to pick up an instrument. It’s something I’ve experienced to some extent on every record. Not quite writer’s block, I just wasn’t thinking creatively.”
Stirred by picking up an electric guitar for the first time in months, the first song Amalie worked on – “basically a black metal ballad” – didn’t actually make the final record, not fitting in with the vision she had for Spine. But what a vision it is: expansive, luscious and filled with a sense of wonder, Amalie admits many of its lyrics are a response to becoming a mother in 2019. “Every aspect of my world has been turned upside down. It would be weird if that didn’t affect my record,” she says.
There’s much more to Spine than motherhood, however. My Blood Is Gold explores Amalie’s connection to her father, who passed away shortly after her son was born. “It was really tough,” she says. “He was also a songwriter, so it was a real comfort to me to think about his music living on in the universe and living on through me. That helped me cope.”
Further still, she began writing during the social isolation of the pandemic, and Spine is as much a response to current “inhuman” and “unnatural” developments such as AI and the metaverse. “They say it takes a village to raise a child, but suddenly that village was completely cut off,” she bemoans. “The song Like Humans was about feeling so much longing for that human connection – we can’t live happily if we live soullessly.”
Thankfully, Amalie found a friend to help her through: The Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, who had taken her out on tour in 2018. “Billy actually ended up being a little involved in this record,” Amalie reveals. “He helped me through some personal struggles and has been a close friend. He wasn’t quite a producer or songwriter, but his input helped me gather my very chaotic thoughts.”
Spine has been so fulfilling that Amalie’s keen to take it on the road in 2024. “Anyone who knows me knows I hate touring,” she admits. “But I’m actually quite excited to play these songs. I will definitely play black metal in my sets – but I don’t think you’ll get folk songs any time soon!”
Spine is out now via Relapse. Myrkur plays Manchester Academy 2 on April 9 and Islington Assembly Hall, London on April 10
