Alongside her recent explorations into broader compositional structures, the guitarist continues to acknowledge respect for the riff
Norwegian guitarist Hedvig Mollestad has often shown appreciation toward her influences through her work. Titles of earlier tracks pay homage to the likes of Led Zeppelin and Beastie Boys as fellow travellers in the world of catchy, heavy-riffage rock. In her interview with Mike Barnes in The Wire 456, Mollestad explains how her more recent releases are a slight departure from her work with the Hedvig Mollestad Trio: “I really had the urge to work with other musical structures and systems”, she explains, “– longer, broader, not so explosive – than we were working with in the trio.” Her most recent release Tempest Revisited (commissioned in 2018 and released in 2021) incorporated acoustic instruments and voice, and her upcoming album Maternity Beat is written for a 12 piece ensemble.
This said, Mollestad has in no way forgotten her riff roots. At a 2021 performance in Oslo, her band finished with a cover of King Crimson's “Red”, which she shares exclusively with The Wire here. ““Red” is to me a defining piece of music”, she explains. “It's aura is so mystical and still extremely in-your-face, and the fact that the main guitar riff is depending on a great band for the totality to be magic, is to me extremely appealing.”
Read more about Mollestad's influences and recent work inside The Wire 456. Subscribers can also read the article online via our digital archive.
