8lanco - «Walk Away»
An interview with August Hvide a.k.a. 8lanco
Photo: Roj Ferman
Text: Jonas Irmer
I don’t like to limit myself within any genre
August Hvide, better known as 8lanco, is an artist who has made quite the impact on the Norwegian music scene in recent years. The now 20-year-old from Bergen has a musical expression that revolves around the concept of vulnerable pop rap, but that has not always been the case. In the beginning he made more hard-hitting rap songs, but in recent years the expression has become more pop - but not without its root from hip-hop. This summer he released the single "WALK AWAY", which is a pointer to precisely the new expression. It will soon reach 130,000 streams on Spotify, while during the summer it was radio listed on NRK P3 and he has attracted over 20,000 monthly listeners on the Swedish streaming service. Not bad for an artist in the starting pit.
We had a little chat with him below:
Hi August! How are you and what are you up to these days?
– Hey, I'm fine! The music goes well and Brann wins everything. Can not complain:)
Great to hear that all is well! Can you tell us a little about yourself and what characterizes you as an artist?
– I'm 8lanco, 20 years old from Bergen and have been making music for 5-6 years now. I write, produce and sing. As an artist, I'm very versatile, I don't like to limit myself within any genre.
Good to have no restrictions, freedom ftw! How would you describe a typical day for you?
– A normal day for me usually consists of studio time, meetings and rehearsals. I also spend a lot of time filming and editing videos for social media. That's how life as an artist has become.
That sounds really nice! When you're not making and playing music - what do you like to spend your time doing?
– I really like playing golf! It's something I've done all my life and still enjoy. In the winter, I tend to focus on things like tennis and padel. And then I follow quite a bit of football, but am not a big player anymore.
Nice to have something to break up the creativity in the studio with :) You've been making music for 5-6 years, but have been releasing music since 2020. How would you compare your sound from when you started releasing music, to what you're making now?
– When I started releasing music I was more in the rap/melodic rap bubble. Now I've moved a bit away from that and make more straight pop. I'm going to do that for a while before I switch it all the way up again :) The level of songwriting has also become a lot better than when I started.
I can hear that the songs have become more oriented towards pop (that’s a good thing)! As with your last song, «WALK AWAY», it was released on June 1st. What was it like releasing it and how do you want to break down the song?
– «WALK AWAY» was a fun song to release! Am very proud of it. It is about a breakup, and all of the thoughts and feelings that come to light in the time after. It was made in the bedroom, not in Bergen, but in Los Angeles. The process was as it often is, I was sent a beat by the producer «prettiboi», and freestyled my way to a finished product.
The freestyle was a success! Among other things, it has had it’s rounds on NRK P3. How has it been to have a song listed on the radio (C-list) and when did you hear yourself on the radio for the first time?
– Awesome that «WALK AWAY» entered P1 and P3's lists, it means a lot. I actually don't quite remember when I heard myself for the first time, but I can well remember friends and acquaintances saying that they had heard me. Not that I believed in them at the time.
Haha, you may have heard it enough in the studio :) You started very young to both create and release your own music. Do you have any tips for others who want to do the same?
– Make a lot of music. Don't spend too much time on a song. The hundredth song is always better than the first. And try to release a lot of music too. The only thing that is certain is that you will get nowhere if you keep all the music to yourself. You never know what might happen.
Well said! Summer is completely over now. How has it been and what memories do you take with you?
– The summer went by quickly! I take with me memories of family times and some nice trips. I have a small studio at the cabin, so I've made quite a few songs as well.
Yes, agree, it went way too fast, but sounds like you had a good time! What happens next for you then?
– In the future, there will be a lot of music. More than ever. I have two projects ready, one for the fall of 2023 and one for the spring of 2024. For the winter, I'm thinking of returning to Los Angeles, to work with producers and songwriters over there. Not too keen on winter in Bergen.
It seems like a good plan to go to LA for some heat and vibes. Good luck with the projects, so we'll stay in the loop :)
Listen to 8lanco's music on Spotify.
Disclaimer; this interview was done at the end of August.