Through the music and photography, Henrii creates a portal to a world where imagination knows no bounds, where melodies and visuals intertwine to evoke a sense of wonder. Alongside her artistic pursuits, Henrii claims an ability to communicate with animals, further amplifying her connection to the natural world. As she prepares to grace the stage at the upcoming Up To Date Festival, we embark on a journey through the extraordinary life and creative spirit of Henrii Havaas.
You was born in Oslo. How did your childhood go and what influence did it have on your artistic career?
My childhood was filled with testing out different activities, traveling around the world and moving to different neighborhoods in Oslo and South of Denmark. The folks on my dads side all live in North Norway, so each summer I flew up there on my own and stayed with my grandparents.
We traveled around in Europe, Asia, North and South America when growing up, so the love of meeting new people and traveling with my music like I do today feels very natural to me. Sharing feelings was never something we cultivated in my family, so discovering and listening to all kinds of music genres, playing the piano and singing became my gateway. Music and photography as mediums to express myself, to feel alive, to bond with other people and hold space for whatever shows up, is something I can’t live without. Its quite beautiful.
I think that way you discovered something what can let you keep your childhood forever. Doing art is putting your thoughts and feelings in it and in return you get rich identity.
Absolutely. Finding joy and fulfillment in doing something artistic is a virtue that will always be deep rooted in me. That is why I also see myself as a life artist. A person that takes opportunities to create and contribute to the community. For me that can be in the form of hosting ambient sleepovers or just drumming the shaman drum for my own pleasure. At the end of the day, I believe we must make the best out of our living circumstances and continue to make living an art.
Your photos are full of mysterious places, animals and people. What is your creative process of taking pictures? Do you search for specific places to go or it’s just the time and place you happen to be and you are able to capture it?
Thank you for noticing my photos. As a storyteller I like to communicate with the world in front or behind the camera lens. I just love losing track of time and taking pictures with poetic eyes. Scouting for new locations is something I want to do more of, its great to have those places that are like location gems. Often friends of mine also know about good places to check out.
Can you communicate with animals?
I have a pomeranian dog and we communicate all the time together. But I also like to think that I can communicate with other animals as well.
I feel that your music style is a reflection of your photography as it sounds deep
and magical. Is that right?
I am not so good at talking about my own music style. That’s more for you to interpret. If what I create and share makes you feel something, hopefully in a good way, then that’s all that matters to me. Deep and Magical are great words that you have chosen here. I mean, life and personal processes feel pretty damn deep if you ask me… If moments of magic can also be lived in this complex world, then I am very grateful to be doing that with my music.
Do you take inspiration from any other artists no matter what field?
For sure. I listen to so many different types of music. Both acoustic and electronic music. When I go to art exhibitions or listen to sounds that resonate with my internal world, I feel more drive and peace at home.
What was the most influential moment for your artistic creativity then?
When I got asked to play my first ever ambient set at Ozora in 2017. I felt a tremendous creativity of exploring ambient music through connecting my background in classical music. There is just some sweet magic that happens when you have the ability to understand music composition in a structured way and also let those structures dissolve into sounds with feelings and explore this new way of sharing a musical journey.
Indeed classical music helps you understand the basic rules of a composition. So what are the challenges of being an artist for you?
There are several ones for me. One challenge for me is to keep my mental muscle in a healthy state, so having a good sleeping pattern can be difficult when I play late night gigs. Also the part of putting myself out there for bookings is something that I feel discomfort around. I have been lucky to get invitations to play at amazing clubs and festivals, but I also want to push myself a bit more and take more chances on that part.
Do prefer to perform on festivals or at clubs?
Festivals are always my favorite. The people, the locations and the vibes is just wonderful. So I am very excited to come to Poland for the first time and be part of Up to Date!
I’m also excited about joining Up To Date Festival this year. I’m going take you some magical photos when you play. If you let me of course:)
Of course you can:) I am so happy to be connected with an amazing crew from the festival and looking forward to having a good time with everyone.
What do you enjoy most about what you do and what are your plans for the future?
Do you want to develop in any specific field?
What I enjoy the most is the different stimulations that it brings out. Its like the best medicine for me and I get to practice authenticity. For the future I am planning on doing more sound production. I am a teacher of the Non-Linear Movement method, a somatic practice that you do with closed eyes on your hands and knees while listening to music that is curated in a specific order. I want to produce and design my own music journey for my classes when I teach. It’s a wonderful practice, you go into your body with different rhythms and music moods.
Thank you so much for the interview, it is a pleasure for me to meet so unique artists like you.
Official page of Henrii Havaas: https://www.henriihavaas.com/