A Gifted Cellist Sails Beyond Sweden, Across 'Fields Of Love'

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

Finally this hour, we'd like to introduce you to an artist whose enchanting voice and masterful cello playing have captured audiences well beyond her native Sweden.

LINNEA MATILDA OLSSON: My name is Linnea Matilda Olsson, and I'm born on the west coast of Sweden, in a small city called Halmstad.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

OLSSON: I had collected a lot of inspiration during, I don't know, maybe years. I just felt I had a lot of music inside me that I just had to get out of me. And so then I just - I sat down with a cello and I - a lot of songs are based on improvisation, at least the instrumental. I didn't struggle with writing these songs. They just already had written themselves inside of me.

But, yes, there is a bit of heartbreak in these songs and also a big amount of restlessness, I would say. I'm a restless person and I think that's also one reason why I actually wrote these songs.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "AH")

OLSSON: The song "Ah" that we're hearing right now is - it starts off with this effect delay or echo. I just like the way that the delay just make everything sound bigger and fatter.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "AH")

OLSSON: (Singing) The tears that I cry are for no reason. Empty hearts are so last season.

The tears I cry are for no reason. Empty hearts are so last season. It's just, stop feeling sorry for yourself. Go and take a dip and you will feel better.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "AH")

OLSSON: (Singing) I want to dance. I want to twirl because I have been alone for so many days.

My parents are musicians and when I grew up, I had music all around all the time. For them, it's one of the purposes of life. And it just made me feel the same way.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "GIDDY UP!")

OLSSON: (Singing) Honeybee, what do you want to tell me? Whisper secret words in my ear. Do you, like me, wonder what the moon would say if it could talk to you, darling? (Unintelligible) Where will you take me?

This song, "Giddy Up!" it's - this is the most fairytale-like lyrics of the album. It's about me. I always saw myself doing all the things that I sing about in the song.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "GIDDY UP!")

OLSSON: (Singing) Giddy up, giddy up over the fields. Giddy up, giddy up over the fields.

Yeah, I literally picture myself riding a horse across a big field.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "GIDDY UP!")

OLSSON: (Singing) Of love, of love, of love.

Field of love. I don't know what that looks like but that's what I'm doing.

(LAUGHTER)

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "GIDDY UP!")

OLSSON: (Singing) Behind golden, a curtain of clouds, closed our lips with tears all over our cheeks. She hopes a hundred magic things.

For me, music is the absolute source of joy in my life and it's got to be something that I want to do for the rest of my life, as long as I can.

SIEGEL: Linnea Olsson's debut album, "Ah," is out this week. Her U.S. tour begins in February. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.