Silje Espevik of Yndling, photo courtesy of Celina Morken

As we emerge from the contemplative fuzz of another spring between four walls, we may find ourselves grappling with repressed emotions and different conclusions. New seasons offer new beginnings, and the chance to tie up loose ends from moments passed. Pairing perfectly with this ordeal is “Cotton Candy Skies,” the second single fresh from the mind of Yndling – also known as Silje Espevik, a Norwegian dream-pop artist and songwriter.

Through intoxicating breathiness and playful synth motifs, “Cotton Candy Skies” gives a pastel-coloured peek into Yndling’s psyche. This track comes from a place of heartbreak, straddling the line between overindulgence in self-pity and motivations for tomorrow. “Cotton Candy Skies” sketches a musically-immersive atmosphere, skating through influences of sultry lounge and shimmering indie-pop. The musings that Yndling expresses shift between coyness and nerve, offering a satisfying demonstration of transformative vulnerability: “Cotton candy skies / My pride is running high / I think my life is leaking / I miss the sound of you breathing…”

This track serves as the follow-up to “Childish Fear,” Yndling’s debut released this past February. “Cotton Candy Skies” reaffirms Yndling’s mission to be honest and true in her craft, offering what the artist calls a “kaleidoscope of imagination and feeling” through her music. She explains that she is guided by “...letting a feeling or experience be all-consuming, just for a little while…”

I had the pleasure of chatting with Yndling, where we dove into the intentions behind this new project and the emotional and physical influences that inspire her dreamy work. Read on, and drift along with “Cotton Candy Skies” – out now.

Cover art for “Cotton Candy Skies”, credit to Aleta Ramirez

Rebecca L. Judd for Also Cool: Hi there Silje! Thank you for chatting with Also Cool today. Congratulations on the release!

“Cotton Candy Skies” marks only your second release as Yndling – describe your musical background and how you came to form this project.

Yndling: I’ve been writing music for years, and [have previously] been involved with some projects that didn’t go anywhere for different reasons. With Yndling, I wanted to be in control of my music and have something of my own. I started self-recording and producing at home, and after dabbling with what would be my first single (“Childish Fear”) for a while, I thought I might have something and wanted to take the project a step further by bringing in a producer.

I contacted Adrian Einestor Sandberg, who is an Oslo-based producer and musician, after attending a concert with his band MARBLES. This was pre-pandemic – it feels like a lifetime ago (laughs). I liked their sound, and figured whoever produced them could be a great fit for me as well. Through working with him, the project really came to life, and we found the sound that now defines Yndling. I am super excited about it, and have a lot of music coming that I can’t wait to share.

Also Cool: You’ve mentioned that your influences include Beach House, Mazzy Star, and Montreal’s very own TOPS. What role have these artists played in the formulation of your own sound, and what do they mean to you as a person?

Yndling: Beach House was my first real introduction to dream-pop, and led me to find Mazzy Star as well as other dream-pop and shoegaze bands. For me, that kind of music has always been perfect for a bit of everyday escapism, and allows me to just be with my own thoughts for a while. I wanted to create that same feeling with my music, and bands like that have been important in figuring out my own sound.

I take influence through music I love, so music that is important to me as a person will also be a formative factor. As I’ve gotten more into the production part of making music, I often use a specific song or album to kind of get a vibe going and think how they have layered their elements in order to obtain their sound. I try to think of that as I make my own music. For my next single, I’ve used TOPS a lot for that purpose actually, as I really love their sound.

AC: What I love about “Cotton Candy Skies” is its pensive nature. The authenticity of the freefall truly shines through – for a young artist, your work comes across as very introspective and seasoned. How does music play a role in sorting through your own emotions and personal reflections?

Y: Thank you! That is really nice of you to say. I write about my life and personal experiences, and “Cotton Candy Skies” is a song I wrote to myself more than about myself, in a way. I was going through a bit of a shitty time, and had kind of gotten to the point where I wasn’t even trying to do anything to shake out of it and feel better.

That’s where the song came from, it’s basically me telling myself to take some responsibility for my own happiness. Writing music is a big help for me to sort through my emotions, and writing helps me to sort through things in a way that really works for me.

AC: With the muted observations of the verses and the vibrance of the chorus, “Cotton Candy Skies” offers a strong sense of duality. Can you elaborate on the intentions with this production?

Y: The production is meant to back the lyrics, really. [As] I mentioned, I was going through a bit of a shitty time and let heartbreak slide into a kind of emotional apathy where I wasn’t even trying to be happy. Staying sad can be comforting in a way, because if you’re really in it, it sometimes feels easier to just stay there because at least it’s familiar and you’re not exposing yourself to something that could make you feel even worse. At least, that is a tendency that I have (laughs).

Lyrically, I’ve used the verses to sum up how I was feeling at the time. For me it’s important to recognise my feelings in order for them not to be all-consuming. If I don’t do that, I tend to kind of romanticise being sad. In the chorus, I’m telling myself to try to shake out of it and accept that, you know, life can’t be good all the time, but that doesn’t mean that I should isolate myself and expect it to get better without any effort.

I wanted that sort of duality in the production as well, with a mellow and thoughtful feeling in the verses and a bright “shake out of it” - vibe with the chorus, so that is definitely something we thought about in the production. It’s really cool to hear that it shines through in the way we intended!

AC: It’s a strange time to be an emerging artist – how has the past year treated you? How have you and your creativity navigated these “unprecedented times”?

Y: It is really weird, and Yndling is actually a project that came to life under the pandemic. I think I started working with Adrian just a month before everything closed down in Norway in March last year.

Because of that, I’ve never been able to take Yndling to a live setting, and I am really looking forward to being able to do that. That said, we’ve had a year of really being able to find Yndling’s sound, writing a lot of music and preparing for when things start to open again, so all in all I feel super lucky in comparison to so many other people to have had something inspiring to work on in these isolated times.

AC: Thank you so much for your time, Silje. Really looking forward to following your artistic journey. What can we next expect from Yndling?

Y: Thank you so much for having me! I have a video for “Cotton Candy Skies” coming in a few weeks’ time, and another single in a couple of months or so that I am also super excited about. I have a string of singles coming this fall as well, and as the world is slowly opening up I am excited to play live with Yndling, hopefully in not too long! So stay tuned for that…

“Cotton Candy Skies”

Out May 14th, 2021 via Kerry on the Cake

Written by Silje Espevik (music, lyrics and arrangement) and Adrian Einestor Sandberg (arrangement)

Produced by Adrian Einestor Sandberg

Artwork by Aleta Ramirez

Yndling

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Rebecca L. Judd (she/they) is the features editor of Also Cool Mag. She writes and creates out of her studio apartment in Ottawa, kept company by vivid dreams and a cuddly grey kitty named Dora.

This interview was conducted over email, and has been condensed and edited for clarity.