Getting To Know: Amilost

Norwegian/Scottish duo amilost is set to make waves with their latest single ‘Bloom,’ marking their debut release with Stockholm's influential label Icons Creating Evil Art. Dropping on 5th June 2024, ‘Bloom’ is a deeply personal track that explores the aftermath of a toxic relationship and the liberating journey towards self-discovery. Unlike their previous work, ‘Bloom’ ventures into new electronic territory, blending rich percussive elements and haunting vocals to create a unique soundscape. In this interview, amilost opens up about their creative process, the inspiration behind ‘Bloom,’ and their evolution since their breakout hit ‘Pillowside.’

1. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your new single 'Bloom' and what it represents for you both personally and artistically?

Sigrid: Bloom is about coming out of the wrong relationship and feeling really good about life again. To me, it represents just that and it’s written based on a personal experience I was going through at the time. It was so liberating writing it and not feeling guilty for feeling how I did and enjoying my life on my own. I'm hoping a lot of people can relate in a positive way and feel really good about being single and that they’re not with the wrong person.

Ross: Sigrid came up with the original concept for this song whilst we were driving up to Leicestershire for a writing session with our producer. It was a frosty day and the lyric “why am I frozen, waiting for myself to thaw” directed us. During the writing process, we related the idea to self discovery - about breaking free of a stale relationship and gaining control over your own happiness, opening the door to new experiences. Artistically, I’m super excited about this new direction for us - it’s the first time we’ve pushed our sound into a more produced alt-pop sphere and it’s something we’ve both really enjoyed. 

2. 'Bloom' marks a shift in your sound, incorporating new electronic textures. What motivated you to explore these new sonic landscapes, and how did you approach the production process?

Sigrid: This is the first single we are releasing that we wrote with Mark Elliott and it has been such a fun process. Previously, everything was done in house and although I love the thought of it all being very much a product of our creativity, I feel Mark has been such a great extension to amilost and he has been able to bring a sound out of us that feels completely right and also very exciting and new. We kind of said we wanted to write an upbeat track and it was very easy from there on to get to where the song ended up. 

Ross: As Sigrid said, we started writing and working with a new producer - the first time we’ve really done that. It’s allowed us to push ourselves a bit more, having that extra set of ears and ability! We also just had loads of fun with it and brought individual inspirations to the table. It was a very organic and experimental production process…Even though we’ve got more electronic textures in Bloom, we wanted my parts to feel organic at the same time, so we re-recorded all the drum parts that had originally been sampled, live. We’re still a band at the end of the day and we want to stay true to that! 

3. The lyrics of 'Bloom' deal with the end of a toxic relationship and the new beginnings it brings. Can you share more about the lyrical process and the emotions you aimed to convey through this song?

Sigrid: The lyrics kind of relate to you being frozen just under the surface of who you are, unable to move forward and pursue the life you want. Then, how finally being able to break free from the situation feels like thawing and gets you on such a great high that you don’t want to come down from. The lines ‘why am I frozen, waiting for the buds to bloom, the ground is overflowing, I’m running out of room’ - refers to all those dreams you planted that just won’t grow cause you’re frozen in life.

The lyrics also taps into how liberating it can be to be single and free to explore yourself and others in a way you had forgotten pre the relationship. It’s all up to the listeners interpretation I’d say…

4. You've described 'Bloom' as a 'bittersweet anthem' about the journey to being single and finding gratitude. How do you hope listeners will relate to and interpret this track?

Sigrid: I hope the listener celebrates life on their own terms, where they are free to chase their dreams and live in harmony with themselves. Either if that means breaking out of a bad relationship or changing your life up in other ways, once you’re on the right path for you, you’re going to feel it. 

Ross: The beauty of music is that people resonate in different ways. I just hope it brings them joy and good vibes! Or if they’re struggling (in a similar situation to how Sigrid was), I hope it brings them comfort in the knowledge it will be ok to break free. 

5. Since signing with Icons Creating Evil Art and releasing your debut EP 'Introspective Souvenirs', how do you feel your music has evolved, and what can fans expect from you in the future?

Sigrid: Bloom is definitely creating a wider horizon for us in terms of what music to expect from us in the future, but that doesn’t mean that the sad love songs will go away. We love those too so I think you can expect a mixture of upbeat alt-pop and cinematic melancholic numbers from us. We have a lot of new music on the way. 

Ross: We loved Introspective Souvenirs - it felt like a nice entry and a real reflection of us artistically. We made it all ourselves and it was a very honest EP; It was however quite melancholic and I think moving forwards we want to push our boundaries a bit more - push what we thought we ‘should’ make and just make songs we enjoy. 

We have lots more music in the pipeline and it is a mixture of both of these things. It will be big and grandiose, but also small and intimate at times. Expect explosions and tears.