With:	Tchort [Guitars] & Kjetil Nordhus [Guitars]
Conducted by:	Undercraft
Published:	02.02.2006
Band profile:	Green Carnation
Album info:	The Acoustic Verses

01. Sweet Leaf
02. The Burden Is Mine... Alone
03. Maybe?
04. Alone
05. 9-29-045
    1 - I: My Greater Cause
    2 - II: Homecoming
    3 - III: House Of Cards
06. Child's Play Part III
07. High Tide Waves
08. Six Ribbons [Jon English cover] [bonus]

01. Sweet Leaf

Tchort:
Sweet leaf kicks off the new album, and by many its looked upon as a song that has all the typical Green Carnation elements, where melodies and vocals are in the highlight. High string guitars, Rhodes, horn, strings, vocal duets, etc.

Kjetil:
This is one of Tchort's songs on the album, a song I know he had been working on for a while before we went in the studio last summer. It's maybe the most "typical" Green Carnation song on the album, or the song that might had suited most on some of our previous albums. It's got a great atmosphere, and the mixture between my own vocals and the ones of Stein Roger (bass), makes the song a varied one. This is one of the songs I have really big hopes for live, and we are currently working on it in the rehearsal room. So hopefully this will be included in the set-list for the forthcoming U.S. tour, and also future shows.


02. The Burden is mine?Alone

Tchort:
Rated as one of the favourite songs by press and fans who had the pleasure to hear the EP, which also featured this song. EP is sold out, but here is the chance to listen to one of our favourite tracks. One acoustic guitar, one voice and a incredible atmosphere and melody that will stick with you for a long time.

Kjetil:
Stein Roger has done everything on this one. He plays all the instruments, it's his song, his lyrics, and he does the vocals on the song. Since this is a very special piece for him, we thought it would be the best idea to make him do the singing also. Stein Roger is a great musician, although he is normally "only" the bassist in Green Carnation, he is also one of the best guitarist and singer I know. We thought the acoustic album would be a good idea to introduce those parts of him, for variation and of course because of his qualities that compliment mine very well.


03. Maybe?

Tchort:
Maybe is Kjetils contribution to the album, and it has a dramatic change in the middle that takes you to a extremely groovy and dreamy end sequence of the song. Great song!

Kjetil:
It's been normal for me to contribute with one song on each album lately, and this is my song-writing effort for this album. It's a two-part song from me again, and the first part has been inside my brain for a while. The second part I originally thought of as a really heavy, fuzzy part, but when trying it out with acoustic guitars on the pre-production, I thought it worked out really well. That second part is basically worked out in the studio, with Michael's great theremin-solo, plus some weird vocals, the atmosphere there became something really special. So I'm very happy with the outcome.


04. Alone

Tchort:
A pretty straight forward song that is blessed with the excellent poem "Alone" by Edgar Allan Poe. A bit Irish folk music feeling to the song, with the use of violin and a up tempo beat in the song. A radio favourite in the USA.

Kjetil:
This is one song that I feel stand out from many of the other ones on the album. I think it might be a result of our trips to Ireland the last couple of years, because it has this folk-edge to it. Who would think that Tchort would come up with stuff like this a few years ago? Hehe.. The song was basically made in the studio, and I am really happy with the vocal lines. Tchort brought the poem by Edgar Allan Poe to the studio, I knew about the poem from before, and the melody just popped out of my head. I had to ask the other guys if this was a rip-off from somebody else, because it was all just too natural. But it wasn't, and I think the result was a really strong song, where we also used the violin as a lead instrument for the first time in Green Carnation's history.


05. 9-29-045

Tchort:
The most progressive song on the album. A 3 part musical piece that takes you for a 15 minute long journey into the Green Carnation soundscape. Perfectly built up the song will show you what Green Carnation is all about.

Kjetil:
A very strong song, and a very strong story. This is maybe my own personal favourite on the album, because I think it has got it all, the melodies, the progressive elements, a very dark atmosphere, the three parts in a story, it's a very complete piece. Stein Roger surprised us a little, as we didn't know it was going to be one track, but three different songs before we came to the studio. But it was well thought off from his side, and it works out really well on the record.


06. Childs Play part III

Tchort:
The final part of the trilogy "Childs Play" where the first 2 parts where found on the "Quiet Offspring" album, released early in 2005. An instrumental piece that will relax you and set you in the mood for the 7 minute long end song?

Kjetil:
Many will remember the two first parts from The Quiet Offspring, and this third part was actually made around the same time as the two first. But we decided to save it for later, and it suited in really well on this album. This one is made by our former keyboardist Bernt Moen - he is still making music for Green Carnation - and he is also playing all the instruments on this one, which is a nice break between the quite intense song before and after it on the album.


07. High Tide Waves

Tchort:
A song that differ it self from the rest of the album, with its rather heavy choruses and very gentle verses. Takes you into the blues and jazz landscape as well and a brilliant two-part guitar solo by guitarist Michael Krumins, tops the song that is highly rated in most reviews.

Kjetil:
We're actually six different people in the band writing songs, well - seven when you count Bernt, which is not actually in the band, and this is guitarist Michael's effort. This is also one song that stands out a bit from the other ones, and it was really open for experiments in the studio. We worked quite a lot on this one, and I think we got it right in the end. I think it's a great song to close the album, and Michael's guitar solos is one of the highlights for me on the record.


It's singer Kjetil Nordhus (and Tchort) commenting on all the songs... Thanx a lot for your support, and hope to see you on the road in 2006. We are hopeful of a South American tour also during the year, and hopefully Peru can be included!!! Kjetil