{"id":71650,"date":"2018-11-02T12:00:57","date_gmt":"2018-11-02T12:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/?p=71650"},"modified":"2018-11-01T23:44:44","modified_gmt":"2018-11-01T23:44:44","slug":"interview-normandie-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/interview-normandie-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Coming Into Their Own: Normandie"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Normandie\"<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay to give up, to change paths and to not always have to ‘push through it’.”<\/em><\/h2>\n

Normandie<\/strong>‘s debut ‘Inguz’<\/em> was released in 2016, where it was apparent that the band had found the line that caressed both commerciality and authenticity. With the culmination of both solidifying the Swedes a fanbase, the album seemed to somewhat hinder the outfit garnering a sense of identity in a colossal alt-rock landscape. Now, with the release of ‘White Flag’,<\/em> Normandie<\/strong> have the ammunition to shoot them forward.<\/p>\n

Building on the anthemic rock of its predecessor, their\u00a0sophomore full-length sees a more focused\u00a0Normandie<\/strong>. It’s the result of two eventful years for the quartet that has seen them tour throughout the UK and Europe several times, with spots at Download and Reading & Leeds proving to be beneficial. ‘White Flag’<\/em> is also their first offering with\u00a0Easy Life Records. They signed with the London based label earlier this year, and can now call bands such as\u00a0Waterparks, Lower Than Atlantis and Fatherson as label mates.<\/p>\n

With a burgeoning reputation,\u00a0frontman Philip Strand, guitarist\u00a0H\u00e5kan Almbladh, bassist Lucas Englund and drummer\u00a0Anton Franzon were allowed to bide their time when it came to making album\u00a0number two. Ultimately, it led to Normandie<\/strong> to flex their creative muscle rather than repeating what has come before it.<\/p>\n

“On the production side, I\u2019ve taken huge steps into detailed writing. ‘Inguz’ was a quick process and ‘White Flag’ has given me time to try out new stuff and experiment on the things that I was unable to while writing ‘Inguz’ because of the limited time”<\/i> explains Strand ahead of its recent release.<\/p>\n

With this transition, the band have had time to nurture their sound at a rate they were comfortable with, \u201cI think tracks like ‘Ecstasy’, ‘Dead’ and ‘Maniacs’ could\u2019ve been on ‘Inguz’ – but this album just has more flavour and sides of the cube. We\u2019ve filled the whole spectrum.\u201d <\/i>Although Normandie<\/strong> already came armed with pop-rock anthems that exude rollicking hooks with galvanizing vocals, ‘White Flag’<\/em> demonstrates a growth in songwriting that presents Strand’s emotions bare.<\/p>\n