Low-Fi Backstage with Karen Kousgaard

Growing up in the Danish countryside can prove to be a toll for any aspiring young artist. Lack of easy access to musical education forced Karen to practice on her own. She started singing when she was around two years old. At first she would sit close to the speaker just as some other kids might be sitting inches away from a TV screen. She would try to mimic overheard sounds and voices. Very early on Karen started showing an “If they can do it, so can I”– attitude. This pushed her to practice even more. She spent a lot of time locked in her room, practicing different voices and using it to find her own one.

Aqua, Spice Girls, Christina Aguilera – many pop stars played an important role in shaping Karen’s musical journey. After hearing Whitney Houston sing for the first time, Karen complained to her dad for not introducing her to the artist earlier. The story rapidly took off from there. Her guitar teacher urged her to push for the guitar and voice combination that characterizes Karen’s music today. While in high school her classmate played a supporting concert in Herning. In the spirit of the aforementioned “I can do it”-attitude she immediately asked him how he landed the gig. He pointed her towards a guy that worked with promoting young talents. Karen promised herself that she will call him and that if he will pick up she will give it all to the music. The rest, as they say, is history.

In her music Karen is not afraid to play with form, style and emotions. Happy songs can have a melancholic melody and vice versa. An up-beat sound can be accompanied by the most depressing lyrics. The usage of contrast and humor is what sets Karen apart from other similar artists. While many might try to impose on the audience what they should feel at any given moment, Karen is after emotions in general. What the audience feels is secondary to the fact that they feel something and that the emotion is pure.

The musical road of Karen Kousgaard is marked by many twists and turns. The music was ever-present in her life even though she was not brought up in a musical environment. She grew up with limited access to new CDs and latest releases yet managed to acquire a taste that sets her apart from any single music style. Finally, she is not afraid to break away from music to search for inspiration in other areas like design. All the above put forth a picture of an artist that has a complex and interesting relationship with her own sounds and music in general.