BREGN – Dreaming | Modern Folk

Denmark-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist BREGN is well known for his lo-fi induced alt-indie-folk sound, and came out with his first track of the year – “Dreaming” recently. He’s inspired by artists such as The Beatles, Johnny Cash and The Beach Boys, and incorporates their classic acoustic sound in his music. BREGN’s latest release showcases a fresh sound that is bright, moving, and slightly psychedelic as well!

The song begins with guitars and rich layers of vocal harmonies. BREGN creates a unique sonic texture with his vocal melody and the instrumentation; very dreamy and bright. He sings about love, survival, emotion and dreaming, telling a moving a story throughout his performance.

• Q1: “Dreaming” has a lovely mix of harmonies right from the start, making it quite lush and colourful. Which artists influence your production and songwriting style?

Thank you for your positive vibes on “Dreaming”. I am inspired by many artists from the 60’s and 70’s. I really like the Beatles, the Velvet Underground, Led Zeppelin and Mama’s & Papas. I love their sound and the kind of raw sounding vocals. It is really rare to hear that today. Much music is really polished and hi-fidelity today which is really cool. At the same time I think there is something soulful in having e.g. lo-fi saturated, layered, echoed vocals.

As the track progresses, we can hear strings, percussion and a some more harmonies in the choruses. The mix is very dynamic and suits the feel of the lyrics. It also features a pleasant instrumental piano bridge that plays along with the acoustic guitars and strings beautifully; a perfect end to this soft, modern-folk song.

• Q2: The instrumentation on the track is simple and effective, really liked how the guitars play with the percussion and strings as it progresses. When it comes to making music, what comes first for you, the lyrics or the melody?

That’s a good question. I have no rules about this. Sometimes the music comes first and then the lyrics and sometimes the other way around. With this song the guitar chords and the lyrics was written pretty much at the same time.

BREGN hopes to spread positivity through his music, and he has done exactly that with this composition. He’s also has a knack for trying out new things in his productions and blends in vintage effects and saturation along with analogue gear in his songs to make them more interesting. “Dreaming” has vocals that are inspired by The Beatles and an upbeat, almost rock sound to it.

• Q3 – The song has deep and moving lyrics that are both heartfelt and relatable. What inspired you to write this track?

Oh, thank you so much. A person close to me really struggles with nightmares and I want to do something about it. So I thought a song emphasising on positive things like “I am here for you” and “I care” would hopefully help just a little. Even though nightmaring is a struggle that is so much out of reach I wanted to focus on not being alone. The song was originally written as a quiet acoustic lullaby – a soft song suited just to sing and play quietly to the person.

• Q4 – If you had the chance to collaborate with any artist in the world on an alternate version of “Dreaming”, who would you choose and why?

There are so many great artists I would like to work with. Of course the band members of the previous mentioned band would be a dream to work with. Jacquire King is such a great producer and I think he would have done an amazing job in the genre of “Dreaming”. I would also like to collaborate with younger artists and producers like FINNEAS who has really shown how to write effective, classic sounding records and he is not afraid of trying something new and I love his use of saturation. He knows how to make a song develop impactfully throughout the listening experience. I am pretty inspired by that. Of those just mentioned that would be quite out of reach and of course many other musicians and producers would be amazing to collaborate with. I want to figure out how to approach collaborations in the future. Right now the situation allows for creating music where I need to do all the steps of the process myself which is also very fulfilling, rewarding, and educational.

The four-minute long track is an amazing representation of BREGN’s sound, and his drive and creativity are what make his songs special. His take on folk music is a modern representation of the genre, and he manages to recreate the feelings associated with it brilliantly.

• Q5 – With “Dreaming” being your fourth track out from your discography, the fans are thrilled to hear your first single of the year. What can we expect from the BREGN project in 2022?

I am working on three more single releases for this year. As I am doing everything myself I think it is realistic. I must say there are many different jobs to do from recording, producing, mixing, mastering to doing promotion and being online on socials. I know it is a process and hopefully I will get better doing these things over time. As I am 100% indie I work long hours on the releases whenever my schedule allows for it.