Interview with THE TRUE UNION
A dream come true instead of soporific, The True Union’s debut album “Sleepwalk” has heaven and hell in it.
Forward!
“I scared the hell out of her,” Azul Far remembers her mother saying when she was sleepwalking at around four years old. At the time of the album’s creation, Azul was going through a phase of severe sleep deprivation, practically functioning on autopilot. “I wasn’t fully awake, but I wasn’t sleeping properly either.” In a strange way, however, this made her even more persistent and determined. Sleepwalking began to represent “dependence, exhaustion, obsession and perseverance all at the same time”. No concept album emerged, but the idea of going through life in only a “semi-conscious” state kept popping up. A serious back injury, medication, not being able to train and thus losing a balance were further challenges that shaped this time. This also gave rise to new understanding and a body of work that deserves pride.
God & Devil
Azul shows a differentiated view of this topic, even outside of art. Biblical references can find their way into a song simply because they fit the mood or, for example, because they serve as a reminder of the duality we all experience: “good and evil, temptation and redemption, faith and doubt.” There was no doubt about the intensity, tempo and vocals of “Fallen”, for example, only that “every transition felt like walking into a concrete wall.” Acceptance and a purposeful attitude towards perfection eventually overcame this hurdle.
Commitment & encouragement
The story of how the guest contributions in “Internal War” came about goes back to Azul’s teenage years, including an encounter when he was around 15. A lot has happened since then. The collaboration gave Azul Far “one of those surreal moments where you stop and think, ‘Wait… this is really happening’.” She especially appreciates that these artists took the time to listen to her music “long before I had an EP, a label or any real presence in the industry. I was basically a nobody. The fact that they listened, believed in what I was doing, and contributed their talents,” empowered Azul tremendously. “I will always be grateful for that.”
Martina Wutscher
Listen to “Sleepwalk” on Spotify:
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