Dawn Spiritual
On her latest album, Elevation, Susanna Wallumrød rekindles her passion for Charles Baudelaire’s poems but embraces more traditional song structure. The experimental Norwegian musician takes Prog on a musical journey through the work of one of France’s most controversial writers via the art of a 20th-century occultist, Cameron.
Words: Julian Marszalek Images: Signe Fuglesteg Luksengard
Something wickedly good this way comes:
Susanna Wallumrød.
Susanna is putting Baudelaire to music, with stunning results.
susanna Wallumrød is excited. It’d be nice to think that her enthusiasm has been triggered by the prospect talking to your scribe, but the truth of the matter is that the respected composer, singer and musician is due to take to the stage in her native Norway in just a few hours’ time. And, in common with many of the musicians who found themselves in a state of artistic suspended animation over the last few years thanks to the super-lurgy that spread with all the speed of a bad rumour, the notion of performing in front of an audience has heightened her mood of anticipation.
“I’ve missed playing live greatly,” she tells Prog via Zoom. “I also have found out that I’m really dependent on actually being out and playing live and also interacting with the other musicians. But meeting the audience playing live – I’ve missed it more than I ever knew.”