Life is a bitch and then you write a song about it
Sometimes drums, bass and vocals are all you need, at least when it comes to Nelson Can, who makes their 'dogma rock' work without too many frills. They just rely on a strong vocal, catchy hook, addictive bass guitar riff and a solid drum foundation.

Dogmas push creativity
Nelson Can was formed in 2011 by childhood friends Selina Gin (vocals) and Signe SigneSigne (Signe Wisby Tobiassen, bass), later adding drummer Maria Juntunen. Inspiration came from the punk movement and the urge to do something else, such as adopting a dogmatic strategy:

"Drums, bass and vocals create the framework for Nelson Can's 'dogma rock' sound. When we create music, we operate with several dogmas and a very noticeable one is that we have no guitars."

"The – on paper – minimalistic setup actually pushes our creativity and ways of approaching the music in new and unknown directions."

We talk to bass player Signe SigneSigne on a hot summer's day. It's 11.30 am and she's still eating breakfast, banana pancakes, while her favourite television show, The Undateables, plays in the background. When it comes to motivating and inspiring the band, Signe says it boild down to three things: sangria, mojito and beer:

"It sounds so corny, but… life is a bitch and then you write a song about it!"

Cracking the code
Nevertheless, their musical aspirations are high, and they work hard to get the music just right, including during the development of their minor hit, Break Down Your Walls:

"We had been working on Break Down Your Walls for several years before we finally cracked the code. It happened in the recording studio. We went in with low to no expectations and with no strict deadlines for a record release. That seemed to do the trick and we finished the song in one day.

Another track that stands up on our latest EP is Stonewall Frank. It has a very punky feeling and story-driven lyrics about hooking up with a giant woman named Frank." she says.

The ultimate riff
"The essential ingredients to a good song… that's easy. You just need a great hook, an addictive bass guitar riff, and a catchy chorus."

Then you sprinkle a charismatic lead vocal on top and make sure it is built on a solid foundation, in other words, well-executed drumming.

That sounds a lot like Nelson Can, but in order to identify a good song further, the band names three songs they wish they had written:

"Led Zeppelin's When the Levee Breaks. It's a blues song written and first recorded by husband and wife Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie back in 1929. The Led Zeppelin version has the biggest and most amazing sound ever. We have tried several times to create the same kind of big open sound in the studio.

Then there's The White Stripes', Seven Nation Army. The ultimate riff. So simple, so iconic. And finally, the B52's, Rock Lobster. There are so many amazing and crazy elements in this song. We definitely need more organs in our lives.

People have forgotten to listen to good sound
When it comes to good sound, Nelson Can is ambivalent to new ways of enjoying and listening to music:

"I love that all music is right at your fingertips. But I hate the fact that people either have forgotten or never learned how to listen to music with good sound. I love streaming music, but either the quality of streaming or the quality of the speakers is crap. You don't necessarily need to spend a million bucks on high-end speakers. People throw out really nice hi-fi equipment or you can buy good quality speakers second-hand."

Moving on
In short, Nelson Can is not a compromise, and though they've established a name for themselves and a strong, unique musical expression, they're always trying to evolve further and break new ground.

This is exactly what they plan is going to happen in the future:

"World domination of course!" Signe SigneSigne jokes, concluding:

"But right now, we have set our sights on the UK. It's relatively comfy to be a musician in Denmark, so if we are going to evolve as musicians and artists we need to learn to go off the deep end. By the way, bonus info: our lead singer Selina is half-English and was actually born in the UK."

Discover more at: www.facebook.com/nelsoncanband

Fotos: Dennis Morton, Mike Garnell, Curdt Christiansen.