You’re Not Mine
Gothenburg-based Kristina Issa and her art pop band don’t usually make love songs. But “You’re Not Mine” needed to be written, as a form of closure to years of departures. The song’s pristine synthesizers seem to whisper goodbyes from a forgotten world. An ethereal sound that reminds you of Swedish indie pop acts like Lykke Li in her most intimate songs.
“You’re Not Mine is about getting to know yourself by saying goodbye to different parts of your life, and maybe different expectations”, Issa explains. But the haunting synthesizers weren’t present from the beginning: It all started as a humble piano ballad.
Kristina Issa collaborated with producer Simeon Hiller (A.K.A. Silveräpplen) to create a soundscape evoking echoes of Nils Frahm. “We made a magical version in his studio, just one day with many synths, and suddenly this was the version we wanted to do.”
“You’re Not Mine” is the mellowest song of Issa’s upcoming album. “It has more of a dark side to it.”, she tells us. “It also has a very flowy rhythm and makes you wonder what is about to happen.”
The song’s peaceful nostalgia comes as a strange continuation to “Can’t Stay”, the first single of the album. The song was released in the spring and got featured on Swedish outlets like Djungeltrumman, HYMN, and Popmuzik.
Kristina Issa has become a household name in the Swedish indie music scene. As a composer, she has worked on audiovisual shows like “Arabic Spring” and “Queen Zenobia” in venues like Stora Teatern (Gothenburg) and Södra Teatern (Stockholm).
Her songs about exclusion and longing are deeply rooted in her cultural identity and have been performed on stages all over Europe. Issa is currently preparing for the release of an album at the end of 2021, an exploration of the different forms of goodbye. “You’re Not Mine” will be released on September 3rd.
Cover art by Linnea Jardemark, Graphic Design by Elina Birkehag.
Press photos by Nadim Elazzeh.
Cover art by: Artist: Linnea Jardemark, Graphic Designer: Elina Birkehag