Swedish-American jazz vocalist, artist, and songwriter Åsa Orbison whose intricate musicality bridges European jazz heritage and the timeless American sensibilities is a powerhouse talent whose classic yet contemporary style feels deeply personal and universal all at once.
Her newest single “Hand I Used To Hold,” is a haunting exploration of the heartache of feeling someone slip away even as you hold on to the fading connection.
Delivering a vulnerable yet cinematic musical experience, Åsa Orbison speaks to Lyrical Muse about the inspiration behind the song, the most rewarding parts of her craft, hopes for the future and much more.
1. What is the message of “Hand I Used To Hold?” What first sparked the inspiration behind the song?
It’s really about that painful space where you can still love someone, still be holding onto them, but somehow feel them slipping away at the same time. I had the line and the image of someone “slipping through the fingers of the hand I hold” in my head for a long time. I never like to force a song just because I have an idea, so I waited. Then Ulf Wakenius sent me this beautiful melody and suddenly I knew exactly where those words belonged. I wrote the whole lyric that afternoon.
2. The lyrics seem to have a deeply personal yet universally relatable touch to it. How would you describe your songwriting/creative process for the song?
I think I write from feelings more than stories. I don’t necessarily want to tell you exactly what happened or who something is about. I’d rather capture that one emotion that hopefully makes someone else think about their own life. With this song, I kept coming back to the realization that love really does need two people. You can love someone deeply, but you can’t hold onto them for both of you.
3. For you personally, what’s the most rewarding part of making music? And what’s the most challenging part?
The most rewarding part is when something that started as such a private feeling suddenly belongs to other people too. Someone hears a song and says, “That’s exactly how I feel,” and that’s pretty incredible.
4. If someone tunes into your music, what message do you hope they get from it?
More than anything, I want them to feel something. I love beautiful melodies and romantic music, but I also like there to be a little sadness underneath it. Life is rarely just one emotion at a time. If someone can put on one of my songs and disappear into it for three minutes, that means a lot to me.
6. What’s been the most surreal or memorable moment of your musical journey so far? And what’s on your bucket list for the future?
There have been so many strange full-circle moments. I grew up in Sweden going to public music school, and somehow that eventually led me to America, recording with musicians I admire, performing on television and making records with my husband Roy. I’ve also been lucky enough to sing on recordings with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, which was pretty surreal.
But I still feel like I’m at the beginning of what I want to do. I want to make more original music, play beautiful jazz rooms around the world and keep finding ways of bringing the Swedish and American sides of my musical life together.
Connect with Åsa Orbison : Instagram
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