For Aarhus-based Faroese composer and producer Benjamin Djurhuus, music has become a way to create warmth, connection and a sense of belonging. He’s spent years working behind the scenes in the music industry, helping other musicians’ projects come to life, and yet working in the back of his mind, was his very own creative endeavours. Over two years, Djurhuus made a promise to himself to create and release his own music. He kept that personal vow and the result is his debut album, öð [øh], which through eight tracks explores community, faith, inspiration and the unexpected twists and turns of life. His tender storytelling is wrapped up in acoustic textures, indie-folk melodies and subtly complex arrangements, that’s inspired by Djurhuus‘ broad sonic pallette and fondness for unusual instruments. öð [øh] moves from quiet introspection to energetic revelation with ease, taking listeners along for a journey that invites them to also look within themselves to find what’s most important to them. For On The Record, we chatted with Benjamin Djurhuus about stepping out as a solo artist, the significance of his Faroese roots and how belief his been a guiding light for him throughout it all.
Welcome to Unrecorded! For those who aren’t already familiar with Benjamin Djurhuus, can you introduce yourself?
Thanks! I’m from the Faroe Islands, a small collection of 18 islands in the North Atlantic.
As a kid, I started playing the drums, and in my early teens, I switched to guitar. I grew up in the church, which gave me lots of opportunities to learn and play with musicians who were better than me. But really, all I wanted to be was a footballer.
That was until ninth and tenth grade, when we put on High School Musical 1 and 2. During that time, I had to cancel football practice, which made me realise that music was way more fun!
The following year, I stopped playing football and threw myself completely into music, especially guitar. I also started recording and producing, which led to my first production, with Dania O. Tausen, being released in 2020. Producing and mixing has been my main focus ever since.
Over the past two years, I’ve focused more on composing my own music, which culminated in öð[øh].
Congratulations on the release of your album! How would you describe öð[øh] in three words?
Warmth, community, and authenticity.
The title “öð” signifies a longing for warmth, so is warmth something you’ve sought out in your personal life and creative pursuits?
I’ve been lucky enough to travel a lot with my family. Coming from a cold country like the Faroe Islands, we’ve always travelled to warmer places. We always seek out the sun, and if the sun is shining, everyone is outside!
But warmth is also a big part of Faroese culture. The Faroe Islands are characterised by hospitality, close friendships, family ties, and fellowship. This is the kind of warmth I’m trying to express through öð[øh].
You spent years working behind the scenes as a producer, songwriter and collaborator, so what motivated you to create this solo project? And what challenges arose when you made that shift?
A couple of years ago, I wrote down that I wished I could compose more. Writing that down set off an urge to create and release my own music.
Through releasing this album, I’ve gained huge respect for indie artists. There’s so much work to do outside the creative process: social media, PR, a million emails and pitches, funding, artwork, and so on.
One challenge in particular is that I’ve spent the past five or six years actively not using social media. I realised that if I wanted anyone to know I was releasing music, I needed to tell them — and social media is a really great resource for reaching far more people than you can without it.
You seem to have a global approach to songwriting as the record incorporates a string quartet, Spanish-style guitar, banjo, mandolin and dobro. Have you always been drawn to music and instruments from diverse cultures?
I’ve always loved the guitar and folk music, as well as strings — especially close-sounding strings. Most of the music I’ve produced has been in the pop/folk and indie/folk genres, while the music I’ve been having fun with in the practice room has been Irish folk and bluegrass, which I’ve been drawn to for the past years.
I wanted the album to be completely acoustic, and the different stringed instruments give the music different colours. That’s why I went with such a broad palette of strings.
How does your identity as someone from the Faroe Islands come through in your music?
That’s a good question — and a difficult one, I find!
As I mentioned before, there’s a longing for warmth, community, and fellowship, all of which are a big part of Faroese culture.
Some of the titles are Faroese and carry particular meanings, too. Especially the song “Harrans varðveitsla”, which translates as “The Lord’s Protection”. I composed that piece after recovering from head-on car crash in 2020.
There’s also a duality, as I live in Aarhus, Denmark. I now feel at home both in Aarhus and in the Faroe Islands. That’s reflected in the artwork, too, which features our backyard in Aarhus.
I guess it somehow seeps through, as it’s just a part of who I am.
We’ve had the pleasure to interview fellow Faroese musician Benjamin Rajani before, so who are some other local artists we need to keep an eye out for?
Yeah, Benjamin is great! There’s so much great music coming out of the Faroe Islands!
One standout album for me over the past year is Marianna Winter’s album, The More You Know.
Some other standout artists are (I’m biased as I’ve had the honour to work with some of them): Guðrið Hansdóttir, Teitur, Marius Ziska, Dania O. Tausen and Ragnar Finsson – and I’m very excited about upcoming projects with Fróði Bjarnason, Tormodur and Jónas Gaard!
While all eight of your album songs are beautiful, ‘Badihu’ stands out for its sense of hope and reassurance. What does this song mean to you?
This song was one of the first to emerge from the project. I composed the initial idea in a tiny, smelly practice room. It’s one of my favourites on the album, and it seems to resonate well with audiences, with its uptempo, hopeful, almost poppy feel. I’m also really pleased with the string arrangements on that song!
“Badihu” was simply what I sang when I wrote the melody. At one point, ChatGPT said it could mean “divine inspiration” in Arabic, which I found very fitting… But apparently, it has now learned that there’s no such word, hehe. Let’s just say that’s what it means. 😉
What else do you hope listeners will take away from öð[øh]?
I hope they’ll listen to the album all the way through and experience a sense of community, peace and calm.
I hope they’ll imagine pictures as they listen and want to hear it again. 😉
Following the release of this album, what’s next on the horizon for you?
I’m working on lots of projects and ideas for the future, but on October 23rd, I’m releasing an album called Almost Home. It’s a soft, intimate, cinematic folk album created with the Copenhagen-based label A New Story.
Other than that, I have lots of exciting productions lined up for other artists, and I’m working on releasing a new concept EP featuring my own compositions in January!
You can listen to album track ‘Badihu’ in our Folk This Way playlist.
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