Photo: Kristin Støylen
Norwegian R&B/pop artist Natalie Sandtorv, aka Neon Ion, released her debut album Heart Echoes a year ago. Now she's back with the beautiful new single Cold War.
The new track marks a step towards an alternative R&B sound as Sandtorv continues to collaborate with producer Erlend Mokkelbost on her music. In April 2020, Neon Ion was invited to the legendary Ocean Sound Recordings studio in northern Norway to rehearse and record a live streamed show. Here she recorded acoustic versions of the songs from her debut album with her husband and drummer Ole Mojfell, Mokkelbost and Neon Ion's musical director Martin Vinje, as well as writing new material.
Cold War is light, yet emotionally charged, with beats and buzzing synths. The song title refers to a standoff in a relationship, and Sandtorv explains that "silence in a conflict creates a distance that takes our mind to the worst places and your inner saboteur comes out". She says the song is about being in limbo - sometimes the worst place to be - where no one takes a stand and no one is being completely honest, either with themselves or each other.
"You don’t wanna lose the one you love, but you don’t know how to literally break through the wall that they’ve built up in front on their heart and you have no control anymore (if you ever really did). It also explores the situation where maybe you’re also the one to blame for things coming to this... so what can you do?"
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