Aleksander Waaktaar – DREAM TOUR

In this Dream Tour segment, the acoustic artist, Aleksander Waaktaar, reveals who he would want on his ultimate tour lineup. You can check out their picks, after the break.

Imagine what it would be like to go on tour with Adrianne Lenker from Big Thief, Blake Mills, and Martin Miguel Almagro Tonne from Pom Poko. They are definitely some of the musicians of my generation who have influenced me the most, and bringing them together on stage would be a dream come true. Martin is the producer of my debut album, and definitely one of the musicians whom I admire the most. He has a unique sound as a guitarist and is a creative mastermind with a singing voice that fits perfectly together with my own. And not to mention a great cook!

Adrianne Lenker has written some of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. Mary is perhaps my favourite song of all time. I remember a couple of years ago, hosting a dinner party in the north of Norway for a group of musicians I didn’t really know that well. Due to unforeseen circumstances, they were to stay at my house for a couple of days while playing at a festival. They had traveled far and were quite tired I imagine. I put on Mary after we had finished dinner the first evening, and everyone fell silent. With eyes closed, we all listened intently. It was an intense and personal experience to share with strangers.

When it comes to Blake Mills he has mainly been an eye-opener for me when it comes to production. His second album Heigh Ho is filled with intricate and delicate arrangements. Such depth and nuance is rare, and it’s something that I deeply admire. It’s an album I often think about when I’m trying to envision how my own songs could sound.

I guess it would be a guitar-heavy lineup, but they are all so talented that I think it would be easy to find a place for them. They are musicians who write amazing songs, have beautiful distinct voices, and, in the case of Blake and Martin, play guitar like no one else. I’d love to sing two-part harmony together with Adrianne Lenker on one of my songs, while Blake and Martin play a thoughtful and sparse guitar arrangement. Although with such a lineup, there would be a good chance I’d just end up listening to them playing their own music.

Writing this text I find myself fantasizing about which musicians I would love to hear together, and it ends up being visions involving Blake Mills in different constellations. Imagine if he could produce/co-produce the next albums of Tom Waits, Frank Ocean, and Adrianne Lenker! That would sure be something to listen to.

Keep up with him on Facebook, Instagram and his website.