Theresa Andersson’s DIY Soul
Swedish-born, New Orleans-based singer-songwriter Theresa Andersson became an internet sensation a few years ago after she posted a video of her song “Na Na Na” to YouTube. Standing barefoot in her kitchen, surrounded by an array of instruments, Andersson plays each one, using a loop pedal to construct a breezy, effervescent pop song with a big sound.
Andersson may make it look effortless and fun, but being a one-woman band is no easy task. “It’s kind of like having a flight manual, and I check off everything in my head, like a little list,” Andersson tells Kurt Andersen. “Sometimes I have to start and stop the pedals at the same time, and that’s when the balancing act gets a little out of hand.”
The DIY sound that made her 2008 record Hummingbird Go!, sometimes leads to happy accidents. “Just the other night I was playing and somebody yelled out something in the beginning of one of my loops and it came back every time,” says Andersson. “Anything the audience does becomes part of the show.”
Theresa Andersson’s new album Street Parade will be released April 24.
(Originally aired: September 19, 2008)
Bonus Track: “What Comes Next” (ft. Peter Moren) from the new album Street Parade
Bonus Track: “Hi Lo” performed live in Studio 360
Video: Theresa Andersson in Studio 360