Danish singer-songwriter Mads Langer has just released the video for "Lightning". He grew up listening to Neil Young, Bob Dylan and Rickie Lee Jones (but Allmusic compares him to Jeff Buckley and Thom Yorke). After that, he dipped his toe into performing by joining a Rage Against the Machine cover band and finally making his way to a solo career. Mads Langer is also credited with being the first artist to hold a drive-in concert during the pandemic in May 2020.
While you may not be familiar with Mads, many parts of the world are. He's amassed millions of YouTube and Spotify streams. "Lightning" is a beautiful song complete with a beautiful message, and it's an amazingly shot video to boot. We think you should check
"The music video for "Lightning" is a tribute to the kiss, to diversity, inclusivity and free love," explains Langer. "My friend and very talented actor, Alex Høgh Andersen, plays the main character in the video." "I'm so proud of the result and all the beautiful people in it!" he continues. "Mostly, I'm proud of those of my friends and those from my family and everyone who have the courage to stand up for who they are and for who they love even though they don't fit into the heteronormative box. A box that some people mistakingly think is the only box that true love can fit into. This is most of all a tribute to those who live in places and communities where they are not allowed to be who they are. Love is love." - Langer
"" Lightning" is a song about feeling recognized on a deeper level," Langer explains about the lyrics behind the track. "It's about that moment when you realize that you have met someone special and that you feel that same thing at the same time...that magic thing that you can't put into words. I guess this song is about those moments of recognition because, to me, it truly feels like getting struck by lightning in the best possible way. So hopefully people can think of those moments when they listen to this song."
If you haven't felt that lightning moment, we hope you do soon.
MADS LANGER Q&A
What's the upcoming album's name, and in 25 words or less, describe it for us?The name of my coming album is Where Oceans Meet. It's about the light, the dark, the head and the heart. It's about hope and fear. About loving and longing at the same time.
Can you tell us more about the time spent writing and recording the record?Where Oceans Meet is written in a time where the world has been more or less shut down. Since I was 18 years old, I have been touring all over the world with my music for at least 200 days a year. In some countries, I busk in the streets. In other countries, I sell out arenas. I love the contrast between performing in front of strangers in the streets and in front of thousands of dedicated fans!
During the last 18 months, I have slept in my own bed every night. For the first time in my adult life, I have had the chance to slow down, breathe and connect with myself in a way that I wasn't familiar with before. I was so used to the nomad life, and the constant change of scenery came with a different state of mind. Obviously, that also affected my songwriting process. These 11 songs were written in the same place. There's an old library in my house that I have turned into my studio. I call it Freedom Studios. When I enter that room, it feels like the world outside doesn't exist. That is where I have written the better part of Where Oceans Meet. Surrounded by books, crystals, palo santo, guitars and all sorts of instruments.
In the recording of Where Oceans Meet, I have had the privilege to work with some of my personal heroes. Eg White, Evan Kidd Bogard, Rich Costey, Davide Rossi and Jamie Hartman, just to name a few. They are all wizards in their own different ways, and working with that kind of capacity has definitely helped me expand my own understanding and approach to music production and songwriting in general. I have recorded the album in Los Angeles, London and Copenhagen. That triangle of cities has had a paramount influence on my life and on my music. I have lived in these cities and commuted between them since I moved away from home. I think my album sounds like a mix of the Nordic melancholy, the vibrance of London and sunny California.
If you could only use one word to describe the feeling of "Lightning" coming out, what would it be?Recognition.
Can you tell us something about you that we wouldn't find using a Google search?Google knows everything about me from the minute I bought my first smartphone, and the collection of my data began. But I guess I never told anyone in an interview that I've never watched Friends. Not until this summer. Now I've seen it all, and suddenly, I understand all the references and jokes my friends have been throwing around for years. Now google knows that too.
What's up next for the rest of 2021?My album comes out in October. That is obviously a huge event in my life, and it looks like I'm gonna be very busy talking about the album and singing the songs from it in many different places all over the world. Apart from that, I will be kissing my wife and my newborn daughter, changing diapers, watching friends all over, hanging out with my own friends, learning Chinese and writing my first score for a movie that comes out in 2022.
You can find Mads at the following internet locations.
