#sofiatalvik

Sofia Talvik February 24, 2018 at a CenPho Home, Phoenix AZ [Touring for her Big Sky Country album]

This was my second time seeing Sofia Talvik. It was in a much more intimate setting… A house show in Phoenix at a friend’s neighbor’s house. I didn’t mean to be late, but I was baking up a storm for a party that was happening at the same time frame, but as I was passing by, I decided to see the show, too. Sofia was already performing when I got there… As I walked to the door, I could hear her finishing up a song and then starting a Swedish folk song as I stood in the doorway, scared to open a strangers door in the middle of the performance, so I texted my friend and luckily she saw my text and let me in. I guess the door was hard to open–it felt locked to me. I stayed back at the counter bar, so as not to bother anyone or block someones view, but after the folk song, Sofia welcomed me and introduced herself and said: “For this type of show, those who show up late have to sit in the front!” Little did she know I AM the short-girl-in-the-front! I was up and at um and plopped myself right in the front thinking, if that was the case for all shows, I’d show up slightly late to every one!

Sofia hand some banter in between each song, the ones I remember most from the show: “Cold Cold Feet” was inspired by all the moms out there, providing for their family… imagery of a Sofia at a store behind a mom with kids and one of her kids was wanting a treat but what she had was not enough for such luxuries much less necessities. Before she sang the song “Cars,” she told us about Lil Chief, their RV and driving down from Prescott in the snow with summer tires. Here, she dropped her husband Jonas’s nickname as white trash MacGyver… Saying it was self dubbed, so she could say it. “Blood Moon” was about seeing a moon somewhere… Montana I think Red from the forest fires and thinking on how others elsewhere looking at the moon saw it differently. And that that was how life is… Depending on where you stood, something could seem different from what it was… The moon that night brought her that understanding of Perspective. It reminded me of The American Tail… linda Ronstadt singing about being somewhere out there, underneath the pale moonlight… “Something good”… A song written about and for her Father, an artist and his lesson to her about what being an artist means. It’s a song that reminds her, when she has low days and think about getting a regular job,of her father’s words–that the amount of money or popularity means nothing, but that you are being able to share your unique talent with others doing what you love is what matters. “Florida,” Sofia’s gateway to the US. She arrived expecting sunshine–as it was the “Sunshine state,” but it was raining when she arrived… What sunshine? “Die Alone,” Sofia’s song answer to a question oft asked at shows about whether or not she has children and isn;t she afraid she’ll die alone? But in answer, she states won’t we all die alone? Fittingly, she ended on her latest album’s title track: “Big Sky Country,” a tribute song of all she’s seen on her trip through America. We helped her sing, “I’m going home.” Midway through the set, there was an intermission where I got to chat with Sofia. I told her about being fine with being in the front row–and wished every show was like that–it’s like being sent to your room, where all your toys and games are–not really a punishment, and you smirk to yourself as if you’ve one some secret game that only you are playing.

In support, I decided to purchase the Swedish folk songs EP and Big Sky Country, her latest. For the EP, she said go to her website, click on the album and it would have both Swedish and English translations, to which I told her I used to translate non-english songs all the time–some Swedish, even, so I thanked her for not having to do so for this folk album. I also asked her how to say Sweden really and when she said it, it sounded differently than how they say I heard it on the Kent Album that has a song devoted to Sweden–or rather, Sverige. After the show my friend and I took pictures with Sofia and because we’re so short, she stooped to our level, no, beyond our level. It reminded me of my friend Jordan in Highschool and how when we would “fight,” he would put up his dukes and stoop to my level so it’d be fair. I can’t remember what we’d fight about though! I also asked if I could take her set list but her list was a master but she let me take Tim’s–her special guest Pedal Steel Guitarist. I really liked Tim’s Pedal steel adds to Sofia’s songs and even his about the Pedal Steel portion of the show that happened between songs in the second set… How it’s a Hawaiian by Portuguese instrument in origin… He also did a dance solo prompted by Sofia before she sang Starwalker which looked a little like Freddy Krueger Dancing a ballet. Ha. Back to his instrument… He said that pedal steels are hard to come by and very frustrating to learn… But that he, and I am going to steal–pun intended–this quote: has a proper obsession with the instrument. He showed us how, in addition to the guitar like top, he has three pedals below, 5 knee pedals and Jonas reminded him of one more pedal for volume control. When we left for event #2 for the night, I told him I appreciated his pedal steel 101, especially coming from Hawaii… and showed him that I stole his setlist. He said I should have Sofia sign it, but Sofia said I said no. I would’ve but, we had to go, go, go! Sofia’s music is simple and straightforward. I could see it being a sort of Hotel Café if it was based in Nashville vs California venue. I find it so interesting how a Swedish artist can sound so American… and do Americana so well… with Sofia and First Aid Kit showing the world how Folk/Country is done as if they were June Cash or Allyson Krauss…