Until a couple of weeks ago, I was unfamiliar with Agnes Obel. She is a singer songwriter from Denmark that will be playing the Dakota Jazz Club on Thursday night. Her debut album "Philharmonics", dropped back in 2011 and garnered her five awards at that year's Danish Music Awards: Best Album Of The Year, Best Pop Release Of The Year, Best Debut Artist Of The Year, Best Female Artist Of The Year and Best Songwriter Of The Year.
I had the opportunity to do a brief telephone interview with Ms. Obel this morning. She is spending a couple days at home in Berlin, as she prepares for the upcoming US tour.
MNU: Agnes, we appreciate you taking the time to chat with us. Can you tell me a little about what you are up to at the moment?
AO: I only have a couple of days between the end of my European tour, before I head off to the US. Just trying to get some things done while I'm here.
MNU: You will be playing at a great venue here in Minneapolis, the Dakota Jazz Club. Have you ever been to Minnesota before? Have you heard anything about the music scene here?
AO: I do know that Prince was from there. I actually had a full size cut out of him in my bedroom when I was younger. (She laughs) I don't know much other than that though. I've never actually been there.
MNU: I know you grew up in a very musical home. What was the first instrument you picked up?
AO: Definitely the piano. There is an old family story where my great-grandmother supported her entire family by playing piano. A bank had collapsed and my family lost everything. I think my mom wanted to see me carry on the family tradition.
MNU: We are just barely a year past the initial release of "Aventine". What inspired the re-release?
AO: There were many reasons, actually. I had a number of instrumental pieces, reworks of a couple songs and we felt we needed to get it out there. We had plenty of material to make it a 2-disc release and we are all very proud of the outcome.
Tickets are still available for Thursday night's show. Get them HERE.