TVINNA – An Interview with Fiona Rüggeberg

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Interview by Miriam Cadoni

Photo by Samantha Evans

TVINNA is not a band. TVINNA is a community. TVINNA is a sisterhood of woman that are connected between each other. And no, I’m not referring to “The Witches of Eastwick”. No, it’s something much more ethereal and more aesthetically more fairy-tale like. The ambient/neoclassical collective elegantly fuses electronics with amazing graphics and out-earthly vocals. Let’s learn more about with one of the members, Fiona Rüggeberg, about their upcoming début album “One – In the Dark” published via Wardruna‘s By Norse Music on 19th February. Enjoy!

Hi Fiona, welcome to Femme Metal Webzine. How are you and how these precarious days are treating you? 

Actually, I’m lucky because I live on the countryside and I can go outdoor as much as I want. I’m even not realizing what’s happening around me and the world.

You know, we are forced to stay at home on the other hand as a musician, it’s a pretty tough time for all of us.  

First of all, how TVINNA came about? Also, since TVINNA aptly defined themselves “a circle”, what lies behind the gathering of these musicians?  

The idea behind being a community stems from our strong connection that I have with the other girls in TVINNA. Also, from the beginning we had the idea to share solidarity between us in the band.

If truth to be told, I noticed that there aren’t a lot of band where more than more a woman in the band. I think, it’s a nice thing to behave sisterly between each other in a man’s world such as the musical business. Since our past experiences, we want that TVINNA can be a safe haven for the three of us.

Indeed, it’s working really well and both three of us are busy with the promotional and creative aspect. We working really hard and at the same time, we are sharing everything equally. 

Following the band formation, TVINNA has signed a deal with Wardruna’s By Norse Music. How was the first approach with them and how is it treating TVINNA so far? 

The decision of joining By Norse Music’s roster wasn’t taken lightly. It was a well-pondered one because we received offers from other and maybe bigger labels. But the fact is that me and my colleague Laura have been in tour with Einar Selvik a few years ago together with Faun.

So, we knew each other personally and from that collaboration, it was born a beautiful relationship based on trust which it still lasts. In a way, joining a label demands a lot of trust because most of the times the labels tend to persuade you in chance something in your style. However, with By Norse Music, we felt that we can be ourselves as we are and as we want to be. Thus far, it feels like that.  

Recently, it was announced TVINNA’s debut album “One in the Dark”. What can you tell me about its writing process?  

As a matter of fact, we started to work on “One in the Dark” quite a while ago. However, when we gathered for our first writing session in March 2019, everything went really smooth and fast. At the time, we had booked a little house in the middle of the nowhere embraced by the nature when both of us re-joined together and we began to compose our songs.

As I said before, it worked out so well that in that session we composed songs such as “The Gore”“Twelve” and “Kretz” and we wrote all the lyrics for the début within 3 days. It was a really productive session and a good kick-off for our cooperation. Consider that, we live quite far apart from each other and of course, we met in different locations.

For example, it might be happening that we met in The Netherlands were Fieke lives and owns her home studio. Notwithstanding where we meet, we work a lot remotely by sharing files between each other. It’s really nice because you can totally rely on your friends and colleagues to have a flowing process throughout the composition.  

Photo by Samantha Evans

According the press release, “One in the Dark” represents the first of four chapters. Would mind explaining me to what it relates to and how they connect to each other? 

So, we have decided from the beginning to release just concept albums because we like the idea of offer a theme on it. In fact, our début album deal with the element water. Instead, all the upcoming albums will focus on elements such fire, earth and air. In addition, with water, one of the main themes is birth.

Take for example, the title album “The One in the Dark” is the state before birth where the feeling that the mother has with his baby. She feels in unison with his/her creature. In essence, it’s quite a feminine theme and a personal album too. In the album, you’ll find a lot of our personal stories both in the lyrics and the feelings. 

Almost one year ago, out of “Out in the Dark”, it was released the single “The Gore”. How do you think the band has evolved since then? And, what is it about? 

Essentially, the theme of the song is the connection between us and our fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters. Also, it highlights the connection between us as a band because this single is the first song we ever wrote together. 

It helped us in researching the connection between the musicians and TVINNA. In general, “The Gore” is about connection, making connections and feeling connected. Also, the word ‘gore ‘means blood and in the end, this substance is what connects us.  

As a few weeks ago, it was published the single “Kreiz” that features the world-famous Far Øerese singer-songwriter Eivør. How this collaboration born and to what, it relates to? 

First of all, the language that it’s featured in “Kreiz” is an Old Germanic one. Basically, there are words that we have written ourselves. They connect with feelings of inner strength, letting go, fear and revitalize inner strength in ourselves. Together with “The Gore” it is one of the first lyrics we have composed.

In such regard, sometimes I think it might represent a hymn for starting anew. Instead, for what concerns the collaboration with Eivør, it’s a friend of Fieke. She’s has offer recorded music with Eivør and in some occasion, she plays the accordion live with her. Basically, Fieke proposed to Eivør the song and she accepted it. We are so lucky and happy that Eivør’s collaboration could happened.  

Many of our readers and fans remember you for being part of the German neo-medieval, folk rock band FAUN. Which role has played your past experience in FAUN? And, what did you learn from that?  

Of course, I’ve learned a lot of things. So much things. You know, it was my first band that I joined immediately after school. In the end, I had played with FAUN for almost 20 years and it represents half of my life. Given this, I’ve learned everything from that. For example, how to record an album, what it takes to make a CD, how it works with promotion and releases. You know, over the years I’ve acquired so many skills that now are turning useful in TVINNA.

Even if, I’m really grateful for all the time spent in FAUN, but for me, it was time to step up because I needed a band that was touring less. Since I live in a farm, I needed time to dedicate to my animals for be taken care of. Due to FAUN’s hectic touring schedule, that was basically impossible to manage. 

What the future holds for TVINNA

We’ll see. Naturally, what we would like to do is to reach many people as possible with our music. Then, we already working on our second album and we have tons of ideas for it. We’re looking forward and we’re really excited about it.

For what concerns touring, we’ll see how the situation evolves. Still, we have just announced our first date in The Netherlands at the Castlefest. If 2021 looks difficult, we’re looking forward to 2022 for schedule a proper tour.  

Sadly, we’re at the end of the interview. Please be free to say hi to our readers and your fans. Thank you so much.  

Thank you, thank you so much for having me and I wish all the best to you and your readers. 

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