Heading To The West Coast: Susanne Sundfør's 13 Favourite LPs | Page 13 of 14 | The Quietus

Baker's Dozen

Artists discuss the 13 records that shaped their lives

12. Carly SimonNo Secrets

It’s a favourite from my teens, another one from my dad’s collection, and another brilliant songwriter. She does this thing in her songs where she starts very soulful, then goes on a harmonic journey before landing safely again. I’ve stolen so much from her. She taught me how to write music, basically. And she wrote the best James Bond theme. I also think we share the same shyness. I feel very close to her, and her music. I like that some of her lyrics are quite childish. That’s refreshing, and I appreciate that; I’ve always appreciated music and lyrics that are very direct, and she’s very good at that. With the titles of my two last albums – 10 Love Songs and Music For People in Trouble – I wanted them to be a bit stupid. I’m drawn to that kind of art where you’re told: "This is what it is.” And then you have to figure out yourself the depth of it, instead of having a very extravagant and deep title and trying to work out what it’s about. Music is a different language, and whenever I talk about it, I think afterwards that I wasn’t able to say what I mean. That’s why music is so mysterious. It’s not language. It’s not talking. It’s singing, and it hits a chord in us that we can’t explain, but it’s very strong.

PreviousNext Record

The Quietus Digest

Sign up for our free Friday email newsletter.

Support The Quietus

Our journalism is funded by our readers. Become a subscriber today to help champion our writing, plus enjoy bonus essays, podcasts, playlists and music downloads.

Support & Subscribe Today