The musician and pianist Anna Nordanstig is releasing her debut album, “FRI”!

“FRI” is a beautiful collection of songs, all of which have emerged in the past two years, during a period in which the artist has been in a phase of life marked by expansion, healing, and change. The eight songs in the album express both joy and sorrow, creating a blend of emotions that evoke both melancholy and a sense of joy in the listener.

All eight piano pieces have been created in her home at her grand piano and also recorded there. This has contributed to giving the album a noticeable personality. The artist herself describes the style of the songs as a mix of ballad, folk, and film music.

The emotions the artist experiences while playing and listening to the songs in the album range from calmness, joy, and sorrow to lightness and weightiness. In other words, it is a collection of songs with a broad emotional range where each piano track leaves its own imprint on the listener.

Listen to the music

Behind some of the songs on the album:

The title track “Försoning” was created during the winter of 2021-2022 and initially had a different title and lyrics. It has gained a deeper meaning as time has passed. The song is about a long journey, reconciliation, and accepting the conditions of life as they are. It revolves around endings and, above all, an exciting beginning.

The song “Soluppgång vid vatten” has its roots in the artist’s upbringing by the ever-present waters of Gotland. It tells of how strength is gathered by the sea, both in times of prosperity and adversity, joy and sorrow, as well as in melancholy and playful moments. The melody unfolds by the sea during sunrise on an early morning, conveying the message that anything is possible as a new day dawns.

The ballad “Bön om ljus” was born the week after the invasion of Ukraine in the spring of 2022. Originally titled as a prayer for Putin, the artist felt that it was no longer possible to confront darkness with more darkness and that it had to be met with light. The song is a prayer for more light in the darkness on Earth. Anna performs this piece alongside her friend Mia, who beautifully plays the viola.

“Noras visa” was created as a gift for the artist’s eldest daughter, Nora, when she graduated in the spring of 2023. She had just received her first piano delivered home, and this song was the first one she composed on it. The melody was born quite spontaneously and expresses the daughter’s temperament in its drive, energy, tempo, and glitter.