Carmie is the stage name of 27-year-old Danish singer-songwriter Kristine Smed Aggerholm. Her music blends country storytelling, pop, and light self-irony – something especially evident in her new EP “Side B Stories“. In it, Carmie tells stories about crushes, failed dates, and people who remain important even if they don’t become your great love. Ahead of the release, we spoke with the singer about her musical turn towards country, childhood spent among nature and horses, the power of vulnerability, and stories you can eventually learn to laugh about.
Hi, Carmie! Great to meet you and thank you for taking the time to talk – I know that before a release your head is usually full of everything except interviews. Let’s start with something simple: who is Carmie – before the microphone turned on and her music career began?
My real name is Christine, and I grew up in a small town in Northern Denmark called Brønderslev. I’ve always been surrounded by animals and nature, and I think that’s probably one of the reasons country music has always resonated with me.
There’s a certain calmness in country music that reminds me of growing up in the countryside. I’ve moved to Aarhus now, so I think I’ve started seeking a bit more of that feeling of peace in the music I listen to and write. In a way, it brings me back to where I grew up.
Denmark makes amazing design, great pastries, and, as it turns out, the perfect soulful country-pop. If someone had told a local girl in Aarhus 10 years ago that she’d combine Dolly Parton’s vibe with Danish coziness, everyone would have just smiled. What’s it like being the singer who’s officially bringing Nashville guitars to the streets of Denmark?
It feels great to combine country with Danish pop and songwriting traditions. I started listening to – country music at a very young age, so the fact that I can return to some of my roots now feels pretty amazing. I love the storytelling and the honesty in country music, but I also really love the Scandinavian way of writing pop songs. So bringing the two together feels very natural to me.
Your sound used to sit between electronic R&B and pop. But now you’ve made a sharp turn toward country. How hard was it to decide to take this musical step?
I really enjoyed making R&B-inspired pop, but I guess that was also another phase of my life. Now I feel much more sure of the kind of music I actually enjoy listening to and writing. And right now, that’s country-pop. So it wasn’t really a difficult decision. If anything, it feels quite relieving to just lean into the music I genuinely love.
Aarhus is a beautiful, cultured city. But when you think of country music, what comes to mind is more likely an endless prairie, cowboy hats, and dusty roads than Danish bike lanes. How naturally does the country vibe take root on Danish soil, and do you ever feel like showing up to the studio on horseback?
Yeah, when you listen to traditional country music, it’s often all about cowboys, horses and – whiskey at the bar. But actually, I grew up in the countryside and have been riding horses since I was four years old. So that image isn’t really that far away from me. It’s pretty far away from how I live now, though. I live a very different life in Aarhus, but I definitely hope to move back to the countryside at some point. And who knows, maybe I’ll show up to the studio on horseback one day.
After the release of “Learn To Live,” everything moved at breakneck speed: the SPOT and UHØRT festival stages, “Track of the Week” status on Denmark’s biggest radio station, recognition from GAFFA, and even your first international concert among the cliffs and sheep of the Faroe Islands. Did you ever want to hit pause on this whirlwind rally, and what’s it like playing country storytelling on the rugged Faroe Islands?
– It’s been so amazing to get such a great response to my music. I’ve played and listened to music for most of my life, so the fact that I’ve actually played an international concert feels like a little childhood dream coming true.
And country-pop really fits my personality, as well as my band and the kind of sound they enjoy playing, so it didn’t feel strange at all to play country-pop on the Faroe Islands. In fact, one of my band members was born and raised there, so we had a little connection to the place already.
Let’s talk about your new EP “Side B Stories.” It comes out on September 18th, but I really loved its cozy backstory. It all started on your friend’s balcony, where you’d gather as a group and share stories. If that balcony could talk, which of the stories told there would make it blush the most? Have your friends already demanded songwriting royalties for having their failed dates turned into hits?
It’s really lovely to share these stories with the audience, almost as if my girlfriends from the balcony are sitting there with me.I think I have a soft spot for “Stranger in the Park”. At the same time, it’s probably one of my most embarrassing moments in life. I was so in love that I almost hugged a complete stranger because I thought he was the guy I liked. So, yeah… that one definitely makes me laugh now.
And luckily, all the stories on the EP are my own, so there haven’t been any demands for songwriting royalties from my friends. 😉
You said something wonderful: “Side B Stories” is about the people you meet on the way to true love. They don’t become the main chapter, but they shape us. Why do you think pop culture tends to sing either about “eternal love” or a “tragic broken heart,” completely ignoring these in-between but important characters?
– I actually don’t know. For me, some of the most important stories are the ones that shape you along the way in life. I think we often write about feelings while we’re actually in them. And when a feeling is really intense, it can feel like it’s everything in that moment. For me, writing these songs has been about looking back at those feelings with a new perspective — almost like putting on a new pair of glasses and seeing the situation a little differently.
From your new EP, I was especially struck by “Stranger In The Park” and “Bleed To Life” – you can hear how the country aesthetic helped you let go of excess seriousness and add lightness and self-irony to the stories. How did you manage to find that balance – writing honestly about painful things without sliding into melodrama?
– I think that’s actually how I like to write the most. Adding irony and humour to difficult or painful moments has always been my way of dealing with big feelings. I don’t necessarily want to make everything sound heavier than it is. Sometimes the things that hurt the most are also the things you can laugh about later. I think country music gives me a really nice space to tell those stories honestly, but still keep them light and a little bit playful.
9. Your single “Safe Space” earned “Track of the Week” status. I read that it’s dedicated to the sense of safety you found in your current relationship. Is it hard to switch from writing songs about disastrous dates to writing a sincere, bright song about happy love?
Yeah… it actually is my first song about sincere love. But it feels really good. At one point I just thought, why should I write another sad love song when I’m actually really grateful and in love right now? So I decided to write about that instead. It felt a little scary at first, because being sincere and vulnerable in that way can almost feel more exposing than writing about heartbreak.
The EP release is right around the corner, with lots of music, concerts, and, I’m sure, new balconies ahead. Should we expect a future concept album, “Side C,” entirely devoted to absolute harmony and grand events?
What a great idea! 😉
You should definitely expect an album in the future, but right now I’m going to focus on celebrating the new EP and playing these songs live. And who knows – maybe “Side C” will come one day. I’m sure there will be plenty of stories to write about by then.
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