This artistic research project delves into Lamentation in Songwriting, looking at it as a compositional, emotional and ethical practice. It is distinct in its grounding in personal narrative, historical roots of lamentation and influences from selected songs. The project aims to uncover the ways in which songwriting can give form to the unspeakable.
Rather than treating songwriting solely as a craft or discipline, it is understood here as an ancient human act, a place of remembrance, a way of expressing communication and existential experience. The songs that emerge within this project unfold in the space between intuition and structure, vulnerability and form. Central to the exploration is the notion of the in-between, the liminal zones where sound and silence, metaphor and ambiguity intersect. Within this in-between, the unspoken is given space, and the listener is invited into a shared, interpretive encounter. In this way, what is left unsaid becomes as vital as what is sung, allowing lamentation to transcend its function as an emotional outlet and become a transformative, connective experience.
The project also examines the fine line, the ethical tension in lamentation between expression and exposure, representation and transgression. How does one preserve the rawness of lamentation without succumbing to oversimplification or exploitation? In this project, songwriting must respect the depth of experience while allowing the listener to find their own meaning. Lament songs must remain deeply personal and universally resonant, ensuring that individual pain becomes a collective voice. This raises an essential ethical dilemma: whose story is being told, and for what purpose?
Bio: I am a singer and songwriter with a degree in popular music performance from the University of Agder (2012-2017). Since 2018 I have taught singing, songwriting, interpretation and concert production at Ansgar University College. The main area of my performing work has been as a band member in VIAN, as a singer, songwriter and co-producer. I write lyrics in my native language.
At the Artistic Research Forum, I will present my artistic research project, in which I explore how lament can inform and challenge the expression of songwriting. I am in the process of expanding my vocal and compositional expression, seeking to find a sound that can hold the unspeakable without being constrained by established aesthetic ideals.
I will share insights and challenges from my work so far, which combines improvisation, vocal experimentation, and historical explorations of lament traditions. I will also reflect on my history and background and present how I plan to explore the tensions between my starting point in a Nordic popular music context and lamentation traditions beyond the Nordic region.
During the presentation, I will showcase sound examples, reflect on songwriting as an affective process, and highlight how this project can potentially contribute to the development of songwriting as an artistic practice and a research field.