The Swedish trip-pop duo Anwai, consisting of Mons Lorenzen and Amadeus Rudolfsson, released a beautifully soothing single entitled “Move Along” last year and subsequently caused a ripple on the electronic music scene. Following the release of “Move Along” they seemingly went underground, until about a week ago when they emerged with a new hit.
“Waste of Time” is a dreamy pop song composed of atmospheric guitars and synths intertwined with gorgeous harmonies. Perfect for late summer nights. We caught up with one half of the duo over email to extract some extra information and see what’s in store for the talented musicians.
To start off, how did you guys get connected?
Well, we kind of met by chance at a Christmas gathering a few years back. I already knew who Amadeus was before that since we come from a fairly small town. Given that it was a Christmas gathering, alcohol was involved. A bit woozy Amadeus picked up his guitar and we started singing. After that we met up a few days later and hit the studio for about a week, that’s when the magic started happening. So our friendship has grown with the music, which makes it way more interesting.
What is your creative process?
It varies a lot. We used to live pretty close to each other when we first started out, which made it easy to just team up as soon as we felt the urge to create. Now that we’re an hour away a lot more planning is involved. We can go without talking to each other for months and suddenly realize that we have to do something. But that’s also a beautiful thing, to let our minds wander individually and gather inspiration and then meeting up to share and create.
Who would you cite as your biggest inspiration?
I’ve always found this question terribly hard to answer, but I can only speak for myself. I don’t find individual artists inspirational the same way as I would find a certain song inspirational. There is also different dimensions to a tune. A song could either tug on your heartstrings lyrically, or it could provide you with energy musically. That’s where the inspiration comes from, to create just that, something that stirs emotion. So that’s what we strive for, and it is indeed a very tantalizing concept.
Where are you currently based?
Amadeus lives in Stockholm and I live in Västerås. So we don’t have a headquarter just yet. Typically we would go for Stockholm. So let’s say, Stockholm.
Are you guys independent or signed to a label?
Independent. But our first single (“Asking” which they released in 2014) is signed to a label.
What are you hoping to accomplish this year?
Definitely releasing more music, and there’s more to come.
Listen to “Waste of Time” below. The song is also available on Spotify. Enjoy!
#Peace.Love.Anwai
