Høvding dive into new track “Caught Beneath the Water”

Image Credit: Angela Duncan

New Zealand’s very own father-daughter duo HØVDING have released “Caught Beneath the Water,” a cinematic folk song that draws inspiration from the duo’s Nordic roots. Infused with dark melodies and haunting lyrics, the new single allows listeners to become immersed in a world of fantasy where mythical creatures and mysterious magic thrive. When creating the track, vocalist Nika Jane wanted listeners to envision a place where they’d be able to explore the antagonists of a story so it was important for the opening line to capture listeners and allow them to feel the hopelessness the song carries. 

HØVDING is the musical collaboration between 17 year-old artist Nika Jane and her father, Billboard-charting producer Geoff Duncan. Together they create dark Nordic-inspired cinematic songs inspiring a feeling of longing and nostalgia while embracing the chilling drama of dark myths and legends. 

The name HØVDING hails from the name of the ship that took Nika’s ancestors from their homeland in Norway to settle in New Zealand. Both Nika Jane and Geoff were born in New Zealand but are now currently living in Nashville TN, where Nika Jane is high school student, Fellowship-awarded composer, and producer. Geoff is a full time songwriter and producer.

We were able to speak with Nika and Geoff about the track and the future for HØVDING:

1. What was the inspiration behind your new track “Caught Beneath the Water?”
 Our inspiration stemmed from a desire to take our listeners on a cinematic journey into a dark and ominous place.  The lyrics feel cold and foreboding and capture the idea that hope is out of reach and all safety is swept away.   Even though the lyrics are very bleak, the melody and atmosphere are so beautiful, especially from Nika’s vocals. We love this kind of collision between beauty and darkness.


2. What’s the most exciting part about working with your family on music?
Since we know each other so well, it’s easy to get into a good flow.  I feel like there is a quality that comes from working with people you are close to that is difficult to replicate.


3. How did you get your start in music?
Geoff: My parents were musicians when I was a child, so music was all around me. I started playing in bands during high school and the rest is history.

Nika: Since my family has always been musically oriented it was inevitable that I would eventually get the bug. Apparently I used to whistle around the house before I could talk.

4. Who is one artist you’d love to collaborate with and why?
We would love to work with Duomo.  Their approach to strings would sound amazing alongside what we do as HØVDING.

5. What can fans expect next from Høvding?
We are going to continue to create dramatic cinematic songs that tell dark stories and take our fans on a journey.  We have some exciting collaborations in the works, they are secret at the moment but we are really excited about them and can’t wait to share more.

 

Be sure to stream “Caught Beneath the Water” on all DSPs today and follow HØVDING on Instagram.