ifitbeyourwill Podcast
“ifitbeyourwill" Podcasts is on a mission to talk to amazing indie artists from around the world! Join us for cozy, conversational episodes where you'll hear from talented and charismatic singer-songwriters, bands from all walks of life talk about their musical journey. Let's celebrate being music lovers!
Season Four runs from September 2024 to December 2024
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ifitbeyourwill Podcast
ifitbeyourwill S04E12 • Namra Beatrix Saleem of Crybaby Claire
Namra Saleem, better known as Crybaby Claire, shares her inspiring journey from a small Norwegian town to the bustling streets of Oslo, and how a spontaneous moment at a "nachspiel" with the Talking Heads blaring sparked her passion for music. Without formal training, Namra's determination led her to pick up the guitar and bass, form a band, and explore the energetic realms of punk and Riot Grrrl music. Her story is a testament to the power of DIY artistry as she eventually took an Ableton course to create music on her own, crafting a distinct sound that combines nostalgic elements with raw emotion.
Immerse yourself in the colorful world of Crybaby Claire, where deeply personal lyrics meet upbeat, danceable rhythms. Namra shares how her influences, from Le Tigre to the DIY spirit of Molly Nilsson, shape her music-making process, which often begins with the beat before the melody finds its place. We explore her creative journey, focusing on the authenticity and simplicity that drive her art, and how she captures the raw essence of her first vocal takes to preserve genuine emotion.
The path to a solo career is paved with challenges, but Namra's story is about overcoming fears and finding joy in self-expression. A turning point came when life circumstances prompted her to embark on a solo project, using a cassette player for her first gig's backing tracks and planning to incorporate her cultural heritage into future works. As we anticipate her upcoming EP and live performances, this episode celebrates the courage of a DIY artist stepping into the spotlight, marking the start of an exciting new chapter that promises to resonate with listeners and music lovers alike.
all right, welcome back. Another episode of if it's euro podcast, season four. Um, this is my first guest from Norway and I'm really happy to welcome this. I mean rising artist, I would say Crybaby Claire. I have Nomar Salim who is coming in from Norway. Who is Crybaby Claire? So far, we have two songs that have been released, but hold on, because October 25th is coming out. You should all be crying, we'll be following, and Namra does very synth-driven indie pop, but it just has a great spirit, great lyrics. So, namra, thanks so much for coming in and joining me today.
Speaker 2:Thank you for having me, and I feel very special that I'm your first Norwegian guest.
Speaker 1:First, I'm so happy. I hope that you are not coming in too late at night or too early in the morning.
Speaker 2:No, it's six o'clock in the evening, so it's actually the perfect time.
Speaker 1:Well, it's very lovely to meet you and I've been really looking forward to talking to you. I kind of like starting, though, off with a little bit of your history, of your music, and before we hopped on here, you were saying that you've lived your life in Norway, maybe moved from a small area into Oslo. How did music start for you? What were your first moments where you can recall where music blew your mind and you just wanted to do that?
Speaker 2:I feel like I've always loved music and I always felt like I had rhythm and I kind of want to. I know I really like to dance, but the playing music came a bit later on because I didn't know that I could make music. I think you had another guest on earlier. Uh, make music. Uh, I think you had another guest on earlier. Uh, I think she was called julia sophie and I kind of um, uh, I could connect to her because she also talked about uh starting making music a bit like later and not like at a very young age, uh. But I have like some key moments of like when I was in university just being more and more interested in music and concerts, and I have like this memory of someone putting on. We have this thing in Norway that we call nachspiel, which is like after you have been out clubbing, then you go home to someone and then you party more like an after party yeah, like an after party.
Speaker 2:So I went hesitantly to uh after party where I didn't even want to be but I was with a drunk friend and she like I felt like I had to take care of her, but anyway we were at these two guys's apartment and they actually didn't even want us there and then this one guy just put on like a music tape which like from a concert, and it was this guy coming out in a huge like oversized suit jacket with a cassette player and then he puts on the cassette and it's. It was talking heads right that was my like.
Speaker 2:Oh my god, what is this? This is amazing, but I didn't think that I wanted to be on stage, but I, that was my first like, um, I feel like my mind-blowing experience with music yeah, and then was it?
Speaker 1:was it a particular song that that?
Speaker 2:was the song that you first heard.
Speaker 1:Do you remember that? Or it was so many great songs.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but it was the, you know the, is it psycho killer?
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:I think it was.
Speaker 2:And then there was this and there was a girl playing the bass, the guitar also. So I think at some point I started learning to play guitar myself and playing bass guitar. And then I started a performance band, which was not serious at all, it was just meant as a fun performance thing. We had like two concerts. It was just meant as a fun performance thing. We had like two concerts. And then later on I moved to Oslo and then I moved into a collective. It was a vegan collective, even though I'm not vegan, but I was like how hard can it be? It was kind of a little bit difficult, yeah, you can imagine, but I really like the people so I wanted to move in with them and they want me to move in as well and they they were mostly like people from a like punk world and straight edge and they kind of introduced me more to punk music and right girls and that was.
Speaker 2:I think it was around that time I thought that, oh, I can actually make music myself, like you don't have to have got, uh, gone to a music school, you don't have to have that picture perfect, uh, angel voice right um, and then I just kind of right, um, and then I just kind of, uh, yeah, started from there, I think, and suddenly I was in a band and with, like real musicians and I learned so much I think I was in that band for seven years or something I learned so much from that band but at some point I quit that band and then I started my own thing.
Speaker 1:Uh, and then yeah, and now I started Cry Baby, claire, yeah Right. And when was it that you first started writing these songs that are going to be on the EP that's coming up um in at the end of the year?
Speaker 2:I think it was um last year, uh, and last year I decided to. I think I really wanted to produce myself and also I wanted to do like whatever I wanted to do and not be so dependent on other people. So I I signed up for it's almost like a's rock camp kind of a course thing. It's called AXE. I signed up for a course in Ableton so I could learn how to produce myself and that's around. That's when I started.
Speaker 1:Yeah, making the writing your song songs. And how did you come to the aesthetic? Because I find it like so intriguing, like I look. If you go to your, your instagram, for example, the color blue is very prominent and also this buzz, you know kind of haze that you like to.
Speaker 1:Well, the two videos that you'd put out kind of the um aesthetic to it and and I did read further that you'd put out there's a kind of hazy aesthetic to it and I did read further that you really love these old recording equipment and you know you're recording on like old video cameras for your videos. Like how did you start to come to the idea that you wanted that kind of aesthetic of kind of this old 80s kind of feel coming into you?
Speaker 2:I think okay, so I've started one project before right, baby claire, which is a band called filthy burger girl, and it has it's pink. Okay, that's, that aesthetic is pink, but I've always had the idea of a blue aesthetic in mind. I've always been very inspired of, like the visual stuff yeah and with both of these music projects I've always had the idea of the name and the color first, which is kind of weird and maybe like the concept right um, but you had that um.
Speaker 2:You had that in your mind before you even started writing like song lyrics and and like you kind of had this idea of what you wanted and then started to build upon that yeah, I knew it was going to be uh called cry baby claire. I knew it was going to be blue and I also knew that I want I also uh, because what triggered the start of crybaby claire was also that I was uh, I was sad, right, I was, I was in a sad place and I also felt like I have people around me but I felt uh, lonely in a way. Um, so I kind of just wanted to express that and that's how, like that kind of, and I actually wanted to make like really, really sad songs, but when I started making the songs they turned quite dancey in a way, absolutely.
Speaker 1:That's great. I love the kind of the juxtaposition you have. Where I mean the lyrics. You're correct. They are quite personal and almost feeling like you're going through a healing process in some ways of just trying to get these ideas out of you and into the world so that you can have more of a perspective on them. But then the music comes in too, and it's just like I mean fun and light and airy and danceable, for sure.
Speaker 2:I kind of was thinking.
Speaker 1:It's kind of like synth dream-ish kind of style you know, like a new genre, almost that kind of, existed in the past a little bit and you, kind of, are resurrecting this genre or style again. Does that speak to you?
Speaker 2:Yes, because I remember I really liked, uh, latigre and they use like these drum machines, and I also, of course, I like robin. But there's a earlier song of her called konichiwa or something. Maybe it's even, maybe it has a swear word after that again. But yeah, you know what song I mean. It also has like these old drum loops things, and when I started, like the other band, I actually wanted to do like these old drums, but then that project turned it into something a bit else. So I've always wanted to have these old drum sounds. Um, and then this project I could like finally do it and I could, yeah, do it the way I wanted to. Um, so, yeah, I'm, I am quite nostalgic, I think, and um, for me, cry, baby claire is almost like a experiment project. It's supposed to be like low effort and like, yeah, that. And that's why I'm also not concentrating that much on an album. I'm just thinking like singles and ep and I want to make one more ep where I can do other stuff.
Speaker 1:So um, yeah, is this? Is this a project that you see yourself doing long term? Is it something, or do you see it just having a certain amount of of length to it?
Speaker 2:I think um, yeah, I think I can see myself doing it long term. I wanted um because this is like, yeah, my solo project and I think it's nice to have something that is just mine, that I can develop, uh, in the years to come in a way, and I'm also very inspired by um. Have you heard of the artist molly nilsson? She's like a. She's a Swedish artist.
Speaker 2:I'll look it up, but no yeah, but I just, I kind of she's been, she's existed for a long time, but I just like found out about her this year or last year and I just, yeah, I can connect to her as well and I just think like she's doing very a lot of. She's a quite DIY artist and she's very inspiring as well.
Speaker 1:So yeah, and how did? How did like. If we pick out one of the two singles that you, that you put out into the world, how did those songs come to be? Like? What's your writing process like, for you know, example, writing blue. Like, is your process always a little bit different, or do you always follow a similar trajectory where you you start with this or a line, or like how does, how does a song like blue come from an idea to something that you put down on a on tape?
Speaker 2:I think it's some of some processes. Processes are same and some and at the same time it's different. But I almost always start with the like music production before I start with the vocals. Okay, but yeah, sometimes I can have a vocal idea first and then so it's. Yeah, I don't know, it depends a little bit, right, and it also depends on what I'm feeling, mostly inspired by um.
Speaker 2:Before before I started crybaby claire, I would always start the song with the bass guitar first, always. But now, when I, uh, when I started learning ableton, it was just so inspiring, all the things you can just like, program, yeah, um, but with the blue, I think I, yeah, I start with the musical stuff before and then, when it comes to the vocals and the text, um, especially, uh, I've tried to think like, what comes first, the melody or the text, but I think in my case it came, comes very close, like almost at the same time, and I also really uh, like to um, what is it called? Like, like, when it's stream of consciousness. So it's almost like a diary, and I've tried. I've tried because I've heard that you're supposed to work a lot with your lyrics and rewrite and rewrite, and rewrite, and I've tried that and they yes, the lyrics become better in a way, but it's not what I want it to be. I feel like they become too fancy in a way, right?
Speaker 2:too, personal, yeah, so I, I, I really like it when it's like simple and and it is naive and it is coming from a real or inspired from a real place sometimes your first, your first take is like the keeper right, because it embodies that soul in that, that authenticness, that you might not get once okay, one more take.
Speaker 1:Okay, one more take and it kind of like, sucks the life out of it, um it is does.
Speaker 2:And I hate when, uh, because sometimes I've done the vocals in a studio and that's cool, but sometimes I have an idea I have to just do it at home. But at home it's more like noisy and I'm thinking, yeah, I can just record these vocals later on. But then it's almost like I've lost the soul right, right, you lose it yeah very annoying cool and like what do you?
Speaker 1:what has been the response from you know, your communities and and your people about what you've put out so far? Like, um, what has been the reaction and what has been your reaction as well? What do, what do you? What do you think about what you've put out so far?
Speaker 2:First of all, it was extremely scary because it was the first time producing for me and it was the first time it was just me alone. So it's very, very scary. And also so I decided on the first song, I decided to do a very soft launch that I was. I was, um, uh, afraid that it wasn't. Even though I'm saying it's supposed to be low key and low effort, I still started thinking, oh my god, what if it's bad?
Speaker 2:I don't want to release something bad and then I got yeah, I got a little bit cold feet actually, so I just did like a soft launch. I didn't um contact that many uh blogs, but then of course, afterwards you're the. I always feel really sad when the songs come out, because it almost feels you worked really hard with something and then it's out and then it just feels like the air comes out of the balloon yeah but yeah, I've gotten like mostly positive feedback, of course, from my friends.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sure.
Speaker 2:And a little bit from small blogs here and there. And yeah, I think it felt safe that way.
Speaker 1:And are you still feeling that safety on the eve of putting the EP out as well, like you're?
Speaker 2:you're yeah, now you're okay with it.
Speaker 2:It's like, yeah, you're excited, maybe a bit yeah, no, I'm just, yes, I, yes, I'm, I am excited. I'm always excited before like I just have to get out. Sometimes I find it also difficult working on new songs when I'm in the process of releasing, but because, also as a diy artist, I'm like doing everything, uh. So, yeah, I'm really looking forward to releasing it, and a little bit also because I think it'll be easier for me to work with new songs as well yeah, kind of like, yeah, uh, then let's focus now on moving forward you know, yeah, it's very true what you're saying about releases.
Speaker 1:Like, I've talked to many artists and they all have that same sentiment as you expressed, kind of like letting the air out of the balloon that there's so much build-up and so much effort and concentration put into these songs and then the release comes and it's like it like evaporates into the air. You know it's like yeah it's. It's kind of a a false closure, right, because it's still out there and people are going to be listening to it, but like your work is kind of done right, like yeah it's in everybody else's hands.
Speaker 1:So, so, um, you get the bravery, though, Like cause you were saying you know, like it's scary, and it is scary, Um, particularly when you're, when you're opening yourself and putting yourself out there with your own personal stuff. Where did you, what process did you have to go through to find that bravery within to say I'm doing this Like I don't care, I'm going to do it Like. How did that manifest itself?
Speaker 3:Hmm.
Speaker 2:I don't know. I think that when I was starting my first project I was too afraid to do it alone. So then I did it with a friend and of course then it turned into not my baby anymore but like our baby, and I think that gave me a lot of like safety and I love that project, of course, as well. But then last year, um, my bandmates uh got got pregnant and she had to give birth and go on a maternity leave, which is which is nice.
Speaker 2:So then I knew, that, oh my god, there's going to be a break, a little band break, and then at the same time I lost my job because, um, yeah, they were just closing down the oslo uh section because they have offices like so then I didn't have a job, uh. And also, yeah, I was kind of depressed, but I think that was the time I was like okay, but now is the time I have to use my energy somewhere, and I had already like started a little bit and then I kind of just did it and I tried to always remind myself that this doesn't matter, like I tried to trick myself into. This doesn't matter, it's very low key.
Speaker 3:It's very low effort.
Speaker 2:We're just going to put it out there. We're not going to overthink it.
Speaker 1:I don't care if anybody listens to it. Whatever, I don't care, I'm not going to be sad if Spotify artists show me that six people have only listened to my song so far stuff like don't hold your breath on making money off of spotify, because, uh, that just doesn't happen, yeah and then now I yeah, I'm not holding my breath on that, and now I also have like my first gig, which I was basically I.
Speaker 2:I was pushed into it because I was also thinking like maybe I will, I will not have that many concerts, maybe I'll just have like one here and there and be like mysterious. But, then suddenly I got a friend of mine kind of like tipped a concert place and now I'm warming up for a band called Fleur. Have you heard?
Speaker 1:I will check that out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's really really cool and it's like so cool that I couldn't even say no, uh, so yeah. So that way, before we started recording this, we were talking about that. Today, I went to three different flea markets to buy a cassette player and it's yeah, I want to use the cassette player on the concert. Since I'm going to do it alone and not with a band, I want to have like the tracks on a cassette like backing tracks. Yeah, that's my plan to make it a little bit more charming, but it's more risky.
Speaker 1:What would your setup be then? So you'll put your backing tracks on the cassette, you'll have your synthesizer and your vocal.
Speaker 2:I think I will not have the synthesizer, because I don't. I'm not, I'm not sure if I can play the synthesizer and sing at the same time at this point, because I haven't started, like I only have one month right. But yeah, I think, I think I'm going to have backing tracks, uh, on the cassette, and then for two of the songs I'm going to play a little bit electric guitar just to like, yeah, and then I I'll um. Next year I want to spend a little bit more time on how the concerts should be, but I think I I have this uh vision of wanting to do it like more artsy or like theatrical in a way.
Speaker 1:But yeah, I don't know well, congrats on doing that too. I mean, I'm sure it was. It's not easy to say okay, yeah, I'm gonna do these things, live um yeah and then having to think about okay, how am I gonna do this live?
Speaker 2:yeah and also alone. I've never done that. I like stood on the stage playing alone. There's always been a band, or at least the other girl that I was playing with. She like if it duo gigs, but never like alone.
Speaker 1:So yeah, well, I wish you a ton of luck with that. Um thanks, success. Um, I know you're gonna nail it. Your songs are just so beautiful. Thank, you I think that they will resonate with people very well. So, just kind of as we wrap things up, what can we anticipate? Do we know that the EP is coming out? You're doing a show. What else is in store for your music for the next handful of months that you can tell us about?
Speaker 2:Yeah, after this EP I will start on my next ep. I already have two songs, so I have to just make a few more. But I've had like a writer's block for a little while, but I'm just getting out of it. Um, and I think I want to, um, I think I want to do more, um, maybe have more elements from my cultural heritage. In one of the songs I've used these tabla samples, which I'm really excited about. So I think I want to do that more, because that is also one thing that I've always wanted to do and now I can do it. So that's the plan One more EP, and then I don't know what happens after that, but I'm definitely making more music.
Speaker 1:And hopefully showing it to people in front of people as well. I mean, if you feel comfortable with this show, is that something, too, that you would like to try to replicate again or try to try it again?
Speaker 2:yes, for sure. I think I think it's a great challenge for myself to actually just do it and I think, like with I think I've I feel a bit more safer now since I've had have done it ish with the other band. It's like it's like baby steps towards it's been baby steps towards doing it alone.
Speaker 1:So I'm definitely, I definitely want to do shows more yeah well, I love your fight, um, and your dedication and pushing yourself in uncomfortable areas sometimes. I mean, it takes a lot of knowing yourself to be able to do something like that. So congrats on this kind of self-exploration and, at the same time, sharing it with us so that we can partake in our own exploration and also share in yours as well.
Speaker 2:It's been really fun listening to your your tracks thank you go ahead yeah, I was saying thank you for having me, and uh, yeah I appreciate it because, uh, especially as, like a diy artist, you're not making, I'm not making music just for myself uh, it comes alive when it it's out there and it communicates to you and the people listening. So it actually means a lot that people like you invite me to their podcasts well.
Speaker 1:I've really enjoyed it. I hope you have too. I've. I loved your origin story as well and how it all kind of started and the struggles. I mean I think that you're very relatable to a lot of DIY artists out there that go through similar processes that you're going through. So it's a big world but sometimes it feels really small. But it's very big and there are a lot of people out there going through what you're going through and breathing it through. So I mean good on you on that, breathing it through. So I mean good on you on that.
Speaker 2:I admire you for that Because a lot of people would just stay at home in their bedrooms with their guitars and their synths.
Speaker 1:So for you to go out and do it is absolutely awesome. So congrats on that and again, thank you for joining me. It's been a real treat and I'll be watching and I'd love to have you back on down the road. We'll see how your, your ep comes out and the next one evolves and how shows start evolving. Um, I love starting off with um emerging artists, as yourself is. Um, because now I get to join your voyage, uh, right from the get-go. So thank you thank you you have a great day you too sometimes I make mistakes, pretty stupid ones.
Speaker 3:The stakes are high. I know your heart is made of gold. Oh, I don't know this game. Maybe you can show me Baby you can hold me. No, I don't know this game. Maybe you can show me Baby you can hold me. If I could start again, I promise I'll do better. I'll risk it all this time, leave nothing else behind, but I don't know this game. Maybe you can show me, maybe you can hold me. I don't know this game. Maybe you can show me Baby you can hold me. Oh, I don't know this game. Maybe you can show me Baby you can hold me. Yeah, I don't know. Maybe you can show me Baby you can hold me.
