The 40 Records, whose recent creative synergy has led to an exhilarating collaboration and the release of the new single ‘For The Kill’. This track shines with the talent, passion, and creative prowess of KDA, Steinsdotter, and Joseph Ashworth. Despite the diverse styles of each participant, this trio unites unique sonic facets and crafts an unparalleled musical showcase. ‘For The Kill’ is an emotional explosion intertwining energy, harmony, and candidness. We’ll engage in a conversation with the main culprit, Steinsdotter, the driving force behind it all, to uncover the secrets behind crafting this composition, delve into their inspiration, and catch a glimpse of the future of her collaborative work.

V. How would you describe the process of creating “For the Kill” with KDA and Joseph

Ashworth?

Very playful! Honestly, we had such a fun time making this tune, I feel like we were serving jokes and laughing our way through it. I’ve really admired both of them as artists for a long time, so I felt very psyched when they invited me to collaborate on this

V. What were the main ideas and inspirations behind the creation of this song?

When we agreed to meet up and have a session together we didn’t know what it was going to turn into – which to me is kinda half the fun! So when I rocked up in the studio KDA & Joseph already had a dope beat they had been brewing on – and we just started jamming out different lyrics and melody lines to see what felt good, and the rest is history as they say! “For the Kill” was born – it’s like our love child now.

V. How’s the vibe been since dropping ‘For The Kill’? Have you noticed any cool reactions from fans or anything that’s made you think, ‘Whoa, this is hitting it off’

Yes!!! The vibe has been amazing! I have had a lot of people from the queer community reach out to me about this track particularly. Which I’m very happy about. It feels so good when other queer people connect to what we’ve created! And us gays know how to throw a party too, you know, so I’m looking forward to playing more queer places this year. I’ve got so little time and so many dance floors to hit.

photo by Fiona Garden photo by @thomashensherartphotography

V. Your recent mixtape Ginnungagap received great reviews. How does its aesthetic intertwine with your approach to the new single?

I have been blown away by the response I’ve gotten to Ginnungagap – so thank you to everyone who has been listening. It means a lot to me, let’s just put it that way. It felt very personal to me and maybe a little bit revealing when it first came out. But releasing a mixtape is like my dream format – as an artist / musician that considers myself genre-free it’s like ecstasy to not be bound down by invisible boundaries and just serve every song as it comes to me instead of trying to make it fit into someone else’s idea of a format. I feel like my aesthetic is to serve it up as raw and real as it comes. Like some kind of cosmic antenna gone rogue. And KDA and Joseph speak my language when it comes down to it, so merging myself with them felt like a real high!

V. How would you describe your relationship with fashion?

I love fashion! The bigger and badder, the better! I love a big hood to hide in any time, any where, any day. Maybe a pair of shades to go with it, because I’m a little shy when I’m out and about – but I’m always happiest in my birthday suit at the end of the day. Preferably my birthday suit in the ocean. So if I’m wearing anything, it better be fashion that feels good because it’s competing with my skin or the delicious touch of salty water, and let’s face it – those are organic materials, so it can be hard to beat. Maybe there’s a way to develop fabric that feels like salty water on my skin? If that’s the case, please call me.

V. “For the Kill” has been described as a departure from your usual sound. Do you feel pressure to constantly reinvent your style, and how do you handle audience expectations?

Yeah “For the Kill” brought in its own spices to the mix for sure, but to me it’s that danger of not knowing what you’re going to cook up that is the most delicious feeling. I’m getting used to not really fitting into a genre to be honest, and I feel like my listeners appreciate this about me. Although I’m sure some people find it confusing, too. I do enjoy challenging that. I feel like that’s part of my job as an artist. It’s impossible to please everyone anyway, so I just choose to celebrate the moments someone really connects with something I made, because that’s what makes it all worth it.

photo by @iamsteinsdotter

V. As a musician, choosing an instrument is like choosing a language through which I can express my thoughts and feelings. Why is the bass guitar your instrument of choice?

It’s really hard to pick one instrument out of so many amazing instruments, but my love affair with bass guitar is certainly turning into something hot and heavy. Maybe it’s the deep vibration she’s packing, the resistance of her strings against my skin, maybe the way she bruises my fingers if I spend too much time with her. Who knows. All I know is there are a lot of people out there touching up a bass right now that knows exactly what I’m talking about.

V. What ambitious goals do you set for yourself in 2024? Are there any specific achievements that you’re aiming for?

Yes, I’m aiming to do many more live gigs so I can meet more of the people that are listening to my stuff! I wanna dance more, you know. My favourite thing of all I do is to actually be out there in the flesh and playing with my band live! We are planning a US tour and a little Europe adventure too, if everything goes to plan! And of course, we will be playing more gigs in London soon.

I have some fresh collabs and features up my sleeve too … aaaand I’m working on a meditation EP, but that’s a story for another day. I’ve decided to release something new every full moon in 2024 – kicking off the Wolf Full Moon on the 25th of January with my new tune “Lone Wolf” as my first single of the year!

V. If you were to throw the ultimate fashion bash, who’d be on your dream guest list? What kind of music would set that runway on fire?

I would book KABEAUSHE to make that party hawt, both visually and musically! Then spellbound everybody with a big dose of Desire Marea, maybe a delicious dash of Fever Ray, and let’s not forget about the flavour that is Serpentwithfeet for the after party. I mean, if it’s a dream, I could technically invite Freddie Mercury and David Bowie too, right? Don’t tell me you wouldn’t want to be invited!

*This interview was made possible by Evergreen Entertainment