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| Foto: Jóhann K. |
Nya singeln från Vakentimmar-favoriten Sjana Rut är som att sitta i ett mörkt rum och öppna fönstret för att låta solen komma in - som att öppna själens fönster och ge den en ljusare inredning. För mig är det Sjanas finaste låt hittills. Det gospel-influerade soundet passar henne bra och jag har aldrig hört hennes röt såhär bra. Den är magisk rakt igenom. Idag pratar jag med Sjana om nya singeln och om att bygga upp sig själv igen.
Hope carries a strong message about holding on during difficult times. Was there a specific moment in your life that sparked the song?
- There wasn’t a single specific moment that sparked it. The song arrived very suddenly after a very heavy period in my life, where a lot of things were happening at once. I often write without fully knowing where a song comes from or what it’s about, almost like I’m in conversation with myself. Once it’s finished, I see things more clearly and understand what I needed to get off my chest. In a way, I wrote it for my future self, as well as for others who might relate. It’s a reminder to hold on to hope and never stop believing.
Your music often feels very personal and honest, how do you balance vulnerability with crafting something universally relatable?
- I write from different angles, sometimes from lived experience and other times from a soundscape or feeling I want to create, but it always comes from the same honest place.
For me, relatability isn’t something I try to shape directly. It happens in the space between what I’m expressing and what the listener brings to it. I just focus on being as truthful as I can in the moment, and the rest tends to take care of itself.
There are subtle gospel influences in Hope. What drew you to that sound, and what does gospel bring to your artistic expression?
- It was very intuitive. The song just came to me that way, and I immediately knew what it was going to sound like.
Since the song is about holding on to faith through life’s more complex moments, it felt natural for it to take on that tone, almost like a longing for brighter days despite everything that’s going on.
You’ve described the song as a reminder that light is always within reach. Do you write primarily for yourself, or with the listener in mind?
- I didn’t fully realize it at first, since the song came to me so quickly. It wasn’t until I finished it that I understood why I wrote it, and I take that message to heart when I need it myself.
I believe music is meant to be shared, so whether I write from a very personal place or with someone else in mind, it ultimately belongs to anyone who connects with it. Once it’s out in the world, it’s not mine to keep anymore.
From Broken to Unbreakable and now Hope, there’s a clear thread of resilience in your work. How has your relationship with that theme evolved over time?
- With Broken, I was very much in the middle of everything, trying to understand and process it through music.
With Unbreakable, it became more about confronting those experiences and reclaiming my voice and power through them.
Now with Hope, my relationship to that theme has shifted. It’s less about being in survival mode and more about rebuilding, choosing positivity, and moving forward. The resilience is still there, but it shows up in a more hopeful and forward-looking way.
Coming from Iceland, do you feel your environment or cultural background influences the emotional tone of your music?
- The landscape in Iceland is inspiring in itself, so it’s no surprise there’s so much talent here. There’s a strong creative energy, and ideas are constantly flowing.
With a new album on the way later this year, how does Hope set the tone for what’s to come?
- I began working on this album after coming out of a very heavy period in my life, and I realized I wanted to build myself back up through it. I wanted to create something that felt uplifting and honest, but also fun and energetic to make. Hope came from that mindset. It really set the tone for the rest of the album, which is about moving forward, finding joy again, and rebuilding yourself from a more positive place.
The album is called Before I Fall in Love, and it reflects that whole journey of getting to a place where I’m open again.
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