Music

Asaf Avidan - Forever Fallen

09/01/2018 written by Sidonia Maurer
Israeli singer Asaf Avidan (37) became famous for the song "One Day", but is now opening the door to his emotional world with his new album "The Study On Falling". In an interview, he revealed a few things about his preferences.

Your new album is called "The Study On Falling". What does falling mean to you?
A lot. Recently, my therapist sent me a psychological concept for the study of falling. It's about the fear of death and the fear of not being held. There's a lot of that in the album.

How often do you fall?
All the time. There's a nice quote: "If we fall forever, does it still count as a single fall?" That's exactly what I try to do. To fall forever.

Your song "Green & Blue": It seems like you're not talking about colors there.
The album is dedicated to two women: "Green & Blue". After breaking up with my long-term girlfriend, I was sure that I didn't want to give the rest of my heart into a relationship like that. Then I got to know "Green". She showed me a different perspective on love, addiction and relationships. I'm talking about polygamy. It's about not following a socially prescribed model of relationship. At the same time, such a relationship is also based on respect and honesty. We were together for two and a half years. We met "Blue" in the middle - and we both fell in love.

What was it like falling for the three of you?
We pushed aside the knowledge that the moment we start to love another person, hope, fear and insecurity immediately arise. It was an attempt to let ourselves fall endlessly.

Is it exclusively about giving love?
Not at all. It is also about learning to love ourselves. Even if we feel insecure, invisible and worthless. That comes automatically in a love triangle: you're constantly dealing with yourself.

Are you looking for a polygamous relationship again?
I don't know. I'm 37 years old now and I've tried so many different forms of relationships with people. I haven't really found a solution yet and I don't think there is a solution. I've started falling and it's not about where I'm going, it's about where I am right now. I let myself fall and see if I fall off of it. If I do, that's okay. But right now I'm practicing falling.
"All I'm doing with my words is: explaining myself to myself."

You think a lot about yourself and the world in general and integrate that into your lyrics.
The lyrics are just a translation of what I'm going through. That's what I need them for. As a tool. Nowadays, art is considered freedom. But I think it's the opposite: art is a confinement of feelings in a frame. In music, we place eight notes in different positions to give our emotions - this fog of existence - a voice. All I am doing through my words is: explaining myself to myself.

Asaf Avidan loves whiskey. But now he wants to switch to rum. And practise falling.
Do you find it easy to find the right words to explain yourself?
I wouldn't call it easy. Leonard Cohen once said: "If I knew where the songs came from, I would visit this place more often." I wish I could go there and have my feelings translated. But when things are going well, it's the easiest thing in the world. But getting there is hard for me. I recently saw an interview with Leonard Cohen. He said that his only job as a craftsman was to keep his tools sharp so that he was always ready.

Do you have the urge to improve things when you listen to music?
Actually, it's quite the opposite. When I listen to songs, I just want to throw my guitar away and never make music again. I then think to myself that I will never be able to express or create my emotions so accurately. I then wish I could do the same.

In your opinion, what makes a good song?
Honesty. I listen to so much different music. From classical to rock 'n' roll to hip-hop and pop. If I had to look for a common thread in all these genres, it would probably be honesty. Most of the time, this honesty is expressed through lyrics. But with Bob Marley, for example, I can feel his honesty in the music, even though I don't like reggae. There are these two pillars that define me: Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. If you look closely at these two artists, you realize: they choose their words very precisely and combine this with a beautiful pop melody. That's just incredible, and it's everything I want to do.

You travel a lot. How do you relax?
In two completely opposite ways: on the one hand, I immerse myself deeply. I read books that awaken all these questions in me. When I've had enough of that, I also find myself in moments of typical escape entertainment. Then I play Nintendo. I try to do this with the boys to be in company for a bit.

Where is your home?
I follow the principle "Home is where the heart is". I have a suitcase full of clothes that always accompanies me. But I bought a property in Italy and have two horses, two dogs and a cat. This year I even made my own olive oil. It's incredible! It feels like home. Even if I'm not always there, I can plant something and when I come back I can see it growing. The animals keep me grounded because I miss them and they miss me too.

What is your favorite drink?
I drink a lot of whiskey. But I try to switch to rum. It makes me feel like a pirate.

ASAF AVIDAN
Tue April 10, 2018, Kaufleuten Zurich
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Translated with DeepL