Wishful Thinking: Sissy Wish

WHEN SIRI ÅLBERG started recording her own songs in her late teens, she knew she needed a stage name.

"I think using an artist name instead of your original name gives one more to think about," says the Oslo-born, Bergen-based Norwegian musician.

A fan of the Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, the creator of Pipi Longstocking, Ålberg settled on Sissy Wish, an English approximation of the name Per Pusling from Lindgren's 1957 novel "Per Pusling flytter in." Suggesting both impishness and wistfulness, the name fits her perfectly.

After just a few years, Ålberg has released three albums and even won a Norwegian Grammy, although the name still leaves some listeners confused.

"I guess people think Sissy Wish is a band, and that's fine, because being a band or a solo artist isn't the point."

The point is to create inventive, insistent pop songs like those on "Beauties Never Die," released last year in Norway. The album represents a slightly new direction for Ålberg — from guitar-heavy rock to computer-driven dance-pop.

"I used to write songs on my guitar, but I never got any better on it, so I started with Reason instead," she explains, referring to the music software program. "I'm not an instrumentalist, but I love to make melodies based on beats and synths."

From that approach came the wide-ranging "Beauties," which incorporates dance, girl-group, indie pop, new wave, doo-wop, reggae and even tap dancing. Ålberg's songs never quite veer in the directions you'd expect, but hang on complex, infectious pop hooks and surprisingly poignant lyrics about devotion and doubt.

As Sissy Wish, Ålberg is bringing her synths, beats and tap shoes to the U.S. for the second time in her career, playing her first D.C.-area show at Galaxy Hut in Arlington on July 7.

» EXPRESS: When did you start writing songs?
» ÅLBERG: When I was 16. I got a nylon-string guitar for Christmas. I first learned how to play "Island in the Sun."

» EXPRESS: The Weezer song?
» ÅLBERG: Oh, no. It's a song we sang in kindergarten. A children's song, kind of. It's a song everyone in the world can manage to play on the guitar. And so I did. My brother made me move to Bergen and play with his band, so he was the one that helped me with that part. Before that I didn't quite find out what I was looking for.

» EXPRESS: What was his band?
» ÅLBERG: I was a big fan of my brother's band Sister Sonny. After getting some fundings to use on recordings, I asked the band for help. I booked a studio in Bergen for a weekend and invited Sister Sonny to come and have a jam. I lived in Oslo at that time; I was about 17. We made an EP together, which led to a record deal in Norway and an award for the song "The Six Feet Tall ...," which also led to lots of gigs and radio broadcasting.

Everything was going a bit too fast-forward, and I didn't have any band in Oslo, and Sister Sonny was busy touring around at that time. I used some time touring Norway with a bunch of people that didn't really understand my direction. They made the music sound like Iron Maiden. So I quit the band in Oslo and moved to Bergen. It was really important for me to get help from the right people, and make the music sound like anything else but the crap on the radio. I'm so glad I met these guys

» EXPRESS: There seems to be so much great music coming out of Bergen lately.
» ÅLBERG: I love it here, and the city is crowded with all kinds of music styles. I like the mix, 'cause the city is so small and we get inspired by one another. And we help each other out. I didn't like the music scene in Oslo — though there are lots of good stuff there, too — but the city is too big and I didn't find any affiliation.

» EXPRESS: What led you to incorporate tap dancing into your live shows?
» ÅLBERG: This is just one of many weird ideas I once in a while come up with. I guess I was ready to challenge myself and meet some new fresh people I never would've met elsewhere. I found a tap-dance community right outside Bergen and went on a tap-step course for a year. I even bought myself a hat and a stick for the occasion, and got to know a bunch of awesome people.

I always find it a bit scary in big crowds; I get nervous and I sometimes start to talk continuously. So this was a great therapy for me. After the course I started recording my third album, and my producer happened to be a huge fan of tap stepping. I impressed him with my tap moves in the studio, and he insisted me to step on some of the songs.

» EXPRESS: How did your first tour of America go earlier this year?
» ÅLBERG: Wonderful. Except, everyone deserves to hear about the sound tech we had in Austin at South by Southwest. He really was a bastard. He should've been home eating his hamburger. We met some brilliant people everywhere, and people were so enthusiastic. This was the first time we played as a duo, and it worked really well. Earlier we've been five, but I've tried out different formats lately. We're looking forward to come back to the U.S.

» EXPRESS: What happened at SxSW?
» ÅLBERG: We play an electronic set, using 10 [direct inputs], which we bring ourselves, four keyboards, backing track and some effect vocals. This obviously took the whole crew by surprise, which is an even bigger surprise to me, having supplied SxSW, the stage manager and the promoter with that information. The keyboards and other equipment are mounted in two heavy flight cases, which need to be put on tables rather than keyboard stands. This was requested beforehand, but for some reason it still took more than 15 minutes before we got something to put our gear on. Unbelievable.

After that we had to fight to get the four mic stands we required, to have the channels we needed, to have the guitar amp moved from the exact spot where I was supposed to be standing, to have a microphone put in front of it and so on. This list could actually be longer, but I guess you get the point by now. The point being that we started more than half an hour late because no one had bothered to read our input list. The stage manager did seem like a decent guy, but to travel halfway around the globe just to have your set completely ruined by someone not doing their job is not easily forgiven nor forgotten.

» EXPRESS: That had to be disappointing, but I saw some pretty positive reviews of your show.
» ÅLBERG: I really liked the reviews from our show, and we were really happy the crowd stayed and backed us up from start to end.

» EXPRESS: Is there anything in particular that you're looking forward to on your second U.S. tour?
» ÅLBERG: I've never been in New York before. I can't wait to see the city. We even get there the 4th of July, so I can't wait to see how you celebrate your big day. [Bergen-based indie band] Ungdomskulen tells me the sushi there is unbelievable, so I guess I'll have to find out. I just hope our equipment isn't dead. Our cases with equipment have been stuck in Kirksville, Missouri, from our first tour, so we're a little anxious. I'm looking forward to meet new people, crowds, gangs and bands. And I hope to meet the Swimmers again — a super cool band we met on our first tour. We played with them in Madison.

» EXPRESS: Will you be touring with a full band or pared down to synths? How does that change the sound?
» ÅLBERG: I'm using the duo format again, the same as on our first tour. We've had some time in the studio trying to work out some cool sounds to use live, and we also use some of the recordings as playback. The landscape is more electronic and suits the "Beauties" album really well. Though, I hope we will get the opportunity to come back to the U.S. soon with a full band.

» EXPRESS: Any plans to release "Beauties Never Die" or earlier albums in America?
» ÅLBERG: I hope to release the album in America, but I haven't got any certain plans yet. I know my booking agent and manager have invited some labels to come see us, and we also have some meetings in New York. So let's just see what will happen.

» Galaxy Hut, 2711 Wilson Blvd.; with The Coast, Mon., 9 p.m., $5; 703-525-8646. (Clarendon)

Written by Express contributor Stephen M. Deusner
Photo courtesy The Musebox