"Whatever, We Are Dying"
AN INTERVIEW WITH RIVER
photography Saskia Clarke & Jeffe Lingier
fashion Mauri Camelbeke & Kaat Van Der Linden
hair Wanda Persson
makeup Alicia Hurst
photography Saskia Clarke
dress Shultneck
lace top baum und pferdgarten
stockings Swedish Stocking
earrings Glitter
ring ByKrohnstad
photography Saskia Clarke
With the upcoming release of her new album A Dying Source, River reflects on a period marked by emotional excavation and a growing trust in her own intuition. The project captures her shift toward creating without fear; letting melodies surface instinctively, allowing lyrics to reveal truths she often didn’t know she was carrying. What emerges is a body of work shaped by contrasts: softness and darkness, fragility and defiance, the self she has outgrown and the one taking form.
Rather than constructing an image, River leans into vulnerability as her creative compass. The album became a space to confront the fears she once avoided; fear of loss, of aging, of expectations, and transform them into something atmospheric and deeply human. A Dying Source marks a moment of release, a quiet surrender to change, and an embrace of the unknown as part of her artistic evolution.
Your new music feels very personal. Do you write songs to understand yourself better, or to express things you already know deep inside?
I usually don’t have a premeditated meaning when I start. The words are usually born directly from the chords and the instrumentation. It’s more like the music pulls things out of me. Sometimes I learn something new about myself in the process, and occasionally the outcome is something I didn’t even realize I had inside me until I heard it back.
Your recent songs talk about inner struggle, healing, and emotions that are not always easy to face. Why was it important for you to explore those feelings in your music?
As a teenager, I often found myself in codependent relationships, held back by fears that stopped me from following what I actually wanted. But when my dad passed away when I was 17, I made a promise to myself: to always follow my gut, no matter what. That was something I deeply admired in him, and I wanted to carry that gift with me to live in that same brave spirit. Once I actually started acting on that promise, bringing my truths to the surface and doing things despite being afraid, I realized what a treasure it is to be vulnerable. Not running from yourself or putting on an act just to stay in the ‘comfort’ of fear. With this album, I felt drawn to face the fears I carry inside, just like the fears I see in the world around me. I’ve realized that in order to grow, I have to look them in the eye. That’s where the strength is.
In your new music, there is both softness and darkness. Do you feel that contrast is a big part of who you are as an artist?
Yes, definitely. To me, that contrast is where the growth happens. This album, ‘A Dying Source,’ is really about that transition, letting an old, guarded part of myself die so something new can start. I’m seeing life and love through vulnerability and sarcasm, honesty and lies. I think you need both the darkness to see what you’ve been hiding from, and the softness to finally forgive yourself and let go. It’s that balance that makes the music feel real to me
photography Saskia Clarke
top Pampas
bottom girdle Gabriella Danderlö
stockings Swedish Stockings
earrings Stylist’s Own
photography Saskia Clarke
top and skirt Gabriella Danderlöv
stockings Swedish Stockings
headband Eyui Atelier
Your world feels very visual and emotional at the same time. When you create, what comes first: the feeling, the image, or the story?
It’s always the emotional state that leads the way for me. The images or any kind of story usually just follow that feeling naturally as the music starts to take shape. I don’t really sit down to plan a plot or a visual, I just let the emotion dictate where we’re going and let the rest catch up
A lot of your music feels honest and vulnerable. Is it hard for you to be that open in your songs?
No, not at all. I’ve realized that vulnerability is actually essential to any kind of artistic or human work. Those imperfections and insecurities aren’t things to hide; they’re guiding forces. They lead me to the truth in a song much faster than trying to be perfect ever could. My work is much more of a diary entry rather than creating content for consumption. I wouldn’t know how to create that, I mean I don’t have that quality. My quality is to be vulnerable and honest with what I want to say.
Your artistic identity feels very strong and unique. Have you always known who you are creatively, or did that take time to build?
My identity has evolved over time, in hand with my inner journey of facing and overcoming fears, challenging what I thought I knew about myself and life.
I view artistic identity as a commitment to truth, always putting my authentic vision over commercial popularity no matter what. I can say I have never been driven by trends, rather the opposite. If I realize ‘everyone else’ is doing something I automatically start looking the other way for something new to explore. It’s just an inner compass I can’t control. But as an artist, I think as long as I stay authentic and don’t spend my time looking at what other people are doing, and stay in my own creative bubble, it will be unique regardless if other people outside are doing something similar. The important part for me is just to stay true to myself and follow my guts.
dress Gabriella Danderlöv
shoes Stylist’s Own
necklace Kaleido
When you write music, do you ever surprise yourself with what comes out?
Yes, I’m often surprised. Especially the melodies and lyrics I’ve written entirely on my own. They come from intuition rather than something I’ve controlled. The songs I’m actually happy with usually happen when I stop trying to write a ‘great’ piece. The melodies and lyrics almost happen in a trance. For me, this usually happens when I’m just ‘slacking’ vocals over productions or session ideas. For example, my song ‘Lost in the Ocean’ happened during the very last hour of a session. We were basically done, but decided to try one last idea. The guys had recorded the chords and put on a drum machine with an 80s sound. When I started improvising, the exact melodies that ended up in the final result came out almost instantly. After that, it was easy to write the lyrics because the melody already told me exactly what the song was about. I don’t really see myself as a ‘songwriter’ in the traditional sense because I can’t just write on command. I’m an emotional writer. When something good actually comes out, I hardly ever understand how it happened.
What kind of emotions inspire you the most at the moment?
Fear of the past, fear getting old, fear of dying, fear of loosing, fear of what people would think. I’m drawn to those fears because I feel like facing them is the only cure, not just hiding behind a facade and pretending they don’t exist. By bringing them to the surface, it’s possible to see them from the outside and you realize they’re actually something very small. Just a fragment of imagination. Suddenly they’re not an obstacle from living your life, but a treasure to fuel creativity and forgiveness towards yourself and the world. It brings you a deeper power beyond the ego that is based on fear.
body Schultneck
faux fur Stylist’s Own
necklace Glitter
earrings and ring Stylist’s Own
photography Jeffe Lingier
photography Jeffe Lingier
dress Shultneck
lace top baum und pferdgarten
stockings Swedish Stocking
earrings Glitter
ring ByKrohnstad
photography Jeffe Lingier
What do you hope people feel when they listen to your new work?
I hope people really take the time to listen, not just to me, but to the music itself. This album is the result of many years of work with some truly fantastic musicians, and I want their craft to be heard and appreciated. There is so much quality and heart in the instrumentation.
I want the listener to feel that depth and hopefully find something in it that resonates with them. It’s not just about a message, it’s about the atmosphere we’ve built together over all this time. I want them to feel the work that went into every layer of the sound.
Has making this new music changed the way you see yourself?
I think it made me less attached to a firm identity, I mean how I view myself. It made me explore something beyond the image of myself that I wanted to keep and maintain. I tried so hard to find an artistic image and keep it, instead of just playing with it, like my visual looks or all of my creative acts, and just having fun with it. I can still be me, even when I’m roleplaying or exploring superficial expressions. I don’t ever have to act to be someone else because of a feeling that I’m not interesting enough or ”girly” or whatever.
Throughout this album, I took everything in life with a “klackspark.” The dissolving of those fears happened with the idea of the album reflecting a dying source within me.
If this new chapter of your music had one message, what would it be?
Whatever, we are dying.