🎶 MMM with Ragnhild og
i'm dancing, i'm smiling, i'm entirely rearranging the furniture in my living room
Welcome to Max’s Music Mondays. My ~music discovery newsletter~ where I get too excited about songs I love. I hope you love them too.
Lately - and by lately I mean almost two years, time simply not computing in my silly little head - one of the most exciting things to find on youtube dot come is an incredible youtube saga, as Laura Kampf brings a 120 year old house back to life. (it’s so worth watching from the beginning. the project growing so beyond it’s initial scope)
She bought the house in Feb of ‘22, and with every single project, she discovers a new potentially catastrophic issue with the house. Pulling back a wall to expose rotted beams, replacing that beam revealing issues in the floorboards, and two years later, she’s still finding and solving problems. My partner and I have talked a lot about how she’s the only person who could’ve taken on this house. The only person that could find each problem and vow to fix it the right way. No bandaid solutions. She’s doing the work. In the most literal sense. And even as it faces the Ship of Theseus struggle, it has provided a lot of metaphor and life philosophy.
Kampf has taken on this house with so much love. And it makes me think, this is really how life is, in its most fulfilling moments.
In the course of all of our “what am I supposed to do with my life” panics, I’ve been coming back to this house. What are the things that I’m willing to work on like this. To replace every floorboard, rebuild each clay wall, to spend all of your time and energy on, even if no one ever sees the difference. It applies to plenty of different parts of my life (i’m being so generous with myself here), but of course here in the newsletter. Hard to put in a days work hammering away at something, only to find another problem to tackle. Week in week out so deep in the weeds, yet the change doesn’t often feel proportional to the work. And again, another week, another intro where I continue to remind myself that the work is the success. That I love following these metaphors, that I love finding and sharing special music. And whatever comes of it, comes of it. In Kampf’s world, she’s taken on a behemoth and been rewarded with years of projects and learning. It’s inspiring, in what others might roll their eyes and walk away from, she has found a calling. I can only hope we might all be so lucky.
Ragnhild og - To Renovate a House
Of course, all of this has been on my mind for a while, but just felt right to explore when I came across Ragnhild og’s To Renovate a House. I fell for og’s music as soon as I heard it and I have a feeling you will too.
The songs all feel a little bit magical. My gut doesn’t want to call them songs, but saying something like “compositions” feels too serious for me. I’m pulled to say something different because they all feel so complete and immersive. Each song a universe within itself. The Past was the first thing I heard, drawn to the bouncing synth, the tight drums, and the lush waves of vocals. Even in the first minute you can hear the talent and the creativity. Each band member delivering, and og finding new melodies and rhythms for the lyrics to fall. It’s a joy to ride with.
Flip to the titular, TRAH and you’ll get much of the same. A pianist swirling and exploring over some lovely drums. Full of pop without dominating the mix. og slides into frame so casually, her voice warm and rich. Intimate and conversational storytelling, it’s a beautiful start. The story itself has a real Okay Kaya surrealness to it. It feels personal and real, but also writing from a self-aware point of view without winking too hard. og sets the tone with the first line, “Had to remind you to buy a frame before next Friday / How could you forget” Taking this softly disappointed stance, but needing to keep working to get the house ready. The couple seeming to almost rehearse (or at least rehash) the same tried and true stories about buying their home, and how they are now working on the reno. The vocals stacking up like the two talking together, or maybe repeating the stories again.
The second verse kicks off with that bouncy bass, giving the whole song so much more groove. Decorating any space like this creates a lot of give and take, the two negotiating how things should be, where they should go. Which, as og isn’t shy about, can be difficult - needing the bedroom to be dark but then light.
Trying to ignore / boxes in the hall
The band holding off, giving og a chance to breathe a chance to focus. Amid the clutter of moving, the clutter of change, trying so hard for everything to be in its right place and feeling on edge when that’s not the case. Just as the moment quiets, the never ending checklist of things to do reappears, unable to avoid the thought on how to decorate before their friends come visit. Now with a sharp guitar shaking things out, adding so much movement and texture to the track.
Even as the song progresses, finding its footing so well, the two can’t seem to come together in their journey. you are miles away from my vision / i can’t see us figuring out / what we want. Is this just about the house? The piano hops back, with such a fun rhythm, moving with such a swing. Again og trying to breathe and find some solace, but the feelings explode through, unable to hold it all in. And honestly, thank god, we get spoiled by the result. The vocals soar and the band comes full force, every element shining before the pianist goes tf off. A crazy solo, showing off with such an undeniable tone. The piano sounding a little old, a little out of tune, but absolutely confident in what it can do. The bass starts to get wild, the drummer more bold with every fill.
It’s a great end, and a great reminder that all these pieces were here all along. So much beauty once they were all in their right place. Special jazzy bop, I’m loving it so much.
Follow Ragnhild og on IG / Spotify
Back next week for our All The Other Days monthly wrap up.
Cheers to the freaking week!
Max
WHAT AN INTRO <3 also now fully obsessed with laura's home journey and this ragnhild track tysm