The songs & their stories
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Start all over again 3:370:00/3:37
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Just not today 3:260:00/3:26
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Final Goodbye 4:590:00/4:59
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0:00/4:06
Love lost and returned - sometimes love can seem lost forever, when in fact it's just hiding from view until we are ready to see it again.
Artwork by Vera Chlóe Sternang
This landscape, also painted by my mother, reminds me of the hills in Malaga where Start all over again was written, and so very much inspired by the swallows in the village where we were staying. Artwork: Vera Chlóe Sternang. Design: Monica Krogstad
Start all over again
Start all over again is a very different type of song to my previous singles, and one very special to me and my co-writers, Patrick Phelan and Louise Wisechild. It was also written during the songwriting camp in Spain in May 2023
Despite the cold weather we had our meals outside on the roofed balcony, enjoying the view of the Spanish hills. Overhead on the ceiling beams several barn swallow couples had built their nests, sticking them directly onto the beams as barn swallows do. To avoid the nests from falling down into someones dinner plate, the owners had secured the nests by carefully wrapping teabag cartons around them, nailing them to the beams, so to us it looked like there were 3 boxes of teabags stuck up there. Until one day there was only 2.
When asked, the owner told me that they had taken one down as the chicks in the nest had died. Still there was a swallow flying in and out under the roof, clearly distressed and looking for the nest and chicks. It was so sad to witness, but also a reminder of a sometimes inevitable part of life and nature. The next day however, the swallow came back, along with her mate, and they were already starting to build a new nest.
Moved by this I took my observations into the writing room to Loise and Patrick, and with the sound of the swallows singing outside, our song was born. The guitar in the recording is as Patricks played it in the writing session and with Ivan Blomqvist's soaring string arrangement, it feels as if the swallows came back with me from Spain.
When we observe and listen to nature, we are so often shown the best way to move forward when life tries to stop us in our track… Simply by starting all over again.
Monzie Blue
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START ALL OVER AGAIN: Music & lyrics - Monica Krogstad, Patrick Phelan, Louise Wisechild - Arrangement - Ivan Blomqvist - Vocal - Monzie Blue - Piano - Ivan Blomqvist - Guitar - Patrick Phelan - Cello - Kaja F. Pettersen - Violin / viola - Lise Sørensen Voldsal - Producer / mixing - Ivan Blomqvist - Co-producer - Monica Krogstad - Mastering - Espen Høydalsvik - OSLO:Fuzz - Label - Blue Day Records - Artwork - Vera Chlóe Sternang - Design - Krogstad Kreativ
Just Not Today
Just not today is a smooth vintage style jazz ballad for those days when you just need to take a time out from the world. Sometimes it is ok to say no and just be still in your grief. Until it's time to face the world again.
This song was written on a songwriting camp in Spain in May 2023, as a collaboration between Miles Young, Mark Norman and myself, with invaluable input from our song writing mentor Paul Statham. It was a cold and rainy day and as songwriters who had just met in person for the very first time that day, we quickly got into a very deep and (for me at least) quite emotional conversation. It was already lunch time and we had not written a single word. In came Paul to check up on us. He asked us if what we were discussing was the topic we wanted to go into for our song. - Yes! Just not today! was the answer, and this song was born. By the evening's playback we had a song to perform, and after the retreat we all met up again to finish it. I am so happy with how it turned out!
And the other song that we didn't write that day? Well, that's still a tear stained sketch in my notebook, but one day I'll pick it up again... Just not today.
Monzie Blue
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JUST NOT TODAY CREDITS: Music & lyrics - Monica Krogstad, Miles Young, Mark Norman, Paul Statham - Arrangement - Ivan Blomqvist - Vocal - Monzie Blue - Piano - Ivan Blomqvist - Double bass - Erlend Olderskog Albertsen - Producer / mixing - Ivan Blomqvist - Co-producer - Monica Krogstad - Mastering - Espen Høydalsvik - OSLO:Fuzz - Label - Blue Day Records - Artwork - Vera Chlóe Sternang - Design - Krogstad Kreativ
Beyond darkness lies the light. Again I'm so happy to present one of my mother's beautiful paintings to accompany my song as artwork for this single. Artwork: Vera Chlóe Sternang
The artwork for "Final Goodbye" was painted by my mother, Vera Chlóe. I will be sharing more of her beautiful paintings as more songs from my album are released. Artwork: Vera Chlóe Sternang
Final Goodbye
Final Goodbye is a fragile and emotional jazz ballad about having to say goodbye for the very last time to someone close.
I wrote the song a few days after my mother passed away in January 2023. To be able to stay the final night with her, together with my aunt, meant so much to me. There was such a special atmosphere of silence, peace and just waiting for the inevitable final breath. For my mum to finally be free from her illness and suffering from the confining illness that dementia can be. I still miss her and think about her every day, yet I am so grateful for all the memories she left behind, also in the form of the art she created, and the thousands of photographs that she took through her life. I am so very proud that her beautiful paintings will be featured throughout my entire album “Love lost - and returned”, due to be released in April.
I met pianist, composer and producer, Ivan Blomqvist, at a music creators' conference in Oslo, only days before my mother's passing. I had dreamed about making an album for years, but had felt overwhelmed with even the thought starting the process. Meeting Ivan turned out to be the best place to start, and in the Spring of 2023 we started recording in Oslo. Ivan has made the most magical musical arrangements to my songs and I am so excited about sharing them with the world piece by piece in due time, until my release concert in Oslo on the 21st April.
It feels so right that “Final Goodbye” should be the first single to be released from the album. So often when something ends, something else begins...
In loving memory of my mother, Vera Chlóe.
Monzie Blue
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FINAL GOODBYE CREDITS: Music & lyrics - Monica Krogstad - Arrangement - Ivan Blomqvist - Vocal - Monzie Blue - Piano - Ivan Blomqvist - Cello - Kaja F. Pettersen - Violin / viola - Lise Sørensen Voldsal - Producer / mixing - Ivan Blomqvist - Co-producer - Monica Krogstad - Mastering - Espen Høydalsvik - OSLO:Fuzz - Label - Blue Day Records - Artwork - Vera Chlóe Sternang - Design - Krogstad Kreativ
Promise me nothing
Promise me nothing is a sensual jazz ballad, inspired by a painting by Icelandic artist Björg Thorhallsdottir called ‘Love does not hurt’. When I saw this in a local art shop years ago, I instantly fell in love with it. This painting is now one of the first things I see every morning, stepping out of my room, reminding me what love ideally should be like. Easy.
Through my studies with The Songwriting Academy in 2021, I was introduced to the highly accomplished Swedish jazz pianist, producer and songwriter, Anders Wihk, who travels the world with his piano.
I sent him the lyrics and the start of a melody that I had, and a few emails and zoom calls later, he came back with the most beautiful full orchestral arrangement. I am so proud to finally send this song out into the world with both our names on it!
I hope you enjoy it!
Monzie Blue
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PROMISE ME NOTHING CREDITS: Music & lyrics - Monica Krogstad and Anders Wihk - Arrangement - Anders Wihk - Vocal - Monzie Blue - Piano - Anders Wihk - Strings - Anders Wihk Orchestra - Producer - Anders Wihk - Co-producer - Monica Krogstad - Mixing - Bernard Löhr - Mastering - Espen Høydalsvik - OSLO:Fuzz - Label - Blue Day Records - Cover photo - Brian Marum - Design: Krogstad Kreativ