It's quite rare that something so beautiful can come out of a whirlwind, last minute decision but I think in the album 'Wandering Mind, Drifting Weather' we have one of the finest examples I've seen. It was mid May when Julia Gjertsen got in touch to send me her collaborative album with Gustav Davidsson, enquiring about the possibility of a digital release. At that time I had a gap in the schedule and so the timing couldn't have been better! I suggested a CD and we all had to move very quickly to send it off for production.

Despite time being against us, with the necessary organisation needed to arrange the mastering, artwork and a marketing plan, we managed it and weirdly, hopefully the artists will agree, it's been effortless! One of the truly amazing things that they've been able to capture for us, to coincide with an already incredible record, is this behind the scenes blog post. They met in late June at Gustav's Studio Glåsfegeln (literally translating to glass bird...) to take some photos and record some live video performances.

See below for a visual and sonic feast, with some insight from these two talented artists...

Julia on how this project came to be:

Back in 2023, I stumbled across Gustav’s studio while searching for a quiet place to work on my solo album (Shadow Light). At the time, I had no idea Gustav was also creating music in a similar genre, so it was a nice surprise to discover that we were part of the same musical community.

We began collaborating in late 2024. I was in Norway and Gustav was in Sweden. We started by sending sketches to each other. He sent me a few ideas and I sent some of mine. Then we started to build on each other’s material and send it back and forth. We spent time reflecting on the music along the way. I usually work like this when I collaborate with others, because I enjoy having time to think and add new elements over several days.

Even though we worked remotely for most of the album, the process felt close and open. There was no pressure, just curiosity about what each of us would add. Slowly, a collection of tracks came together, each one shaped by different moods, seasons, and states of mind. That is why we called the album Wandering Mind, Drifting Weather. The title also reflects how our thoughts moved through different places, days, and emotions, much like the changing seasons outside.

We were really happy to release it with Whitelabrecs. The label felt like a good match for what we had made. It was also exciting to release it physically on CD! That was not something we had planned in the beginning, but things just came together naturally, from the first meeting to the collaboration, and then to meeting again to record a video, which we wanted to share more about in this post.

Julia on the live videos:

As part of this release, we wanted to capture something visual, a live video performance of one of our tracks. So in the summer of 2025, I visited Gustav’s studio (Glasfågeln) again to record a live video performance of one of our tracks. Glasfågeln studio is located in a quiet place surrounded by trees and birds. It is just a three hour train ride and then a one hour bus trip from Oslo, which is a joyful travel in itself. It was great to return, and playing music together in person felt so natural, even though I am more used to remote collaborations than real-time performances.

Since the tracks on the album are mostly based on improvisation, we did not remember exactly how to play them note for note. So we improvised again during the video session, capturing something fresh. It was a fun experience. Josefin, who recorded the video, was also great to meet. We had a really nice lunch together, and then managed to record two videos of us playing live, which we are excited to share.

There was something calming and at the same time really exciting about the setting, eating lunch outdoors and listening to the sounds of the forest while preparing to record. It made the music feel more present, and we also recorded sounds of the forest and birds as a background while playing for the video!

Gustav on how he and Julia first met:

It has been such a joy to be making this album with Julia! As Julia said we came across by a lucky chance when Julia rented my studio for a residency. I did not know who she was at the time but then found out that I have listened to her music before. I felt a connection to her music from the start; the calm feeling and the evolving harmonic structures.

When we started to make music together it instantly felt natural and enjoyable. We sent sketches and recordings to each other and it was always a nice thing when I got something new to listen to. We let the process take its time and that felt really rewarding. I often let Julia's sketches play in my headphones for several days and let them rest before I picked up my trombone to see what sounds came out. To me it is not usual to let the process take so much time and it felt like something really special came from it.

Gustav on his studio space:

I mostly work as a studio engineer at my studio (Studio Glasfågeln). I love working with recorded music and have the privilege to work with a lot of other people's beautiful music. And this project with Julia has been kind of a sanctuary to me in the studio, a project I could come back to over and over and just experiment freely without any pressure, both with the composition itself and the mix/production. It has been a really enjoyable process to mix and master this music!

When the album was done we decided to meet up in my studio to record some videos and photos. It felt so nice to meet up in person and play together! Even though it was the first time we actually played together it felt like we knew each other musically. We were joined by Josefin Stacy behind the cameras who made excellent work with the video and photos; it felt like we connected artistically and the visual media really resonates with the music.

I’m really happy with how it all turned out and it has felt so good to work with Harry at Whitelabrecs with the release. It feels so nice to have this collaborative feeling to the whole project and feel that several people really care about the music.

Studio Glasfågeln:

Here's a short trailer to give an added perspective on Studio Glasfågeln, the space where the artists met. It was filmed by Marcus Friman and features some of Gustav's music, capturing some close-up visuals of the studio as well as panning aerial shots of its forest surroundings:

'Wandering Mind, Drifting Weather' is available in a limited run of 100 gatefold vinyl-effect CDrs, as well as a digital option in a range of high quality format options. You can take a listen to the album in full or buy a copy HERE!