Laura Nygren: “I May Fall into the Sound is about the ecological vulnerability of the human being, but also about more personal themes such as home, transience and mortality.”

Classically trained double bassist. Singer. A master’s degree in live electronics. Orchestral musician and founder of the new‑music ensemble T R O M P O. “Kaleidoscopic” is almost an understatement for the résumé of the American‑Dutch artist Laura Nygren. Since 2020, the different facets of her musicianship have come together in her alias Show Pony. After offering a preview in Korzo in 2023, she now presents the interdisciplinary performance I May Fall into the Sound.

First of all: Show Pony — what a fantastic stage name…
“It’s actually a nod to my childhood. I grew up surrounded by horses. I spent a lot of time in the stables and rode often. In a way, I think the cadence of trot and gallop still echoes through my work. Rhythm is an important element in my music.”

Speaking of your music: I came across terms like ‘experimental, post‑genre, glitchy pop’. Quite a mouthful. How would you describe your sound yourself?
“I usually stick to avant‑pop. But ultimately, Show Pony isn’t about stylistic labels for me — it’s about searching for a new way of working. As a double bassist I played in many orchestras, and that’s a fairly hierarchical context. Show Pony grew out of a desire to break away from that. At first it was a solo project, with my own instrument and voice. But soon it became a space for collaboration. My 2021 EP was written together with producer Allison Wright, a.k.a. No Compliments. I May Fall into the Sound is the result of a close collaboration with audiovisual artist Tatiana Rosa and scenographer Nina Kay.”

Tell me more…
“The project emerged from an artistic research trajectory I began in 2023 with support from Stichting Rizoom. In it, I explore how ecological processes can serve as inspiration for music. The starting point for I May Fall into the Sound was Massancummock — also known as Faulkner Island — located just off the coast of Guilford, where I grew up. The island is threatened by climate change and will eventually disappear due to rising sea levels. In I May Fall into the Sound we wanted to make this slow, creeping process perceptible through image and sound. But along the way, a more personal layer emerged. The final performance is still about the ecological vulnerability of humans in the context of the climate crisis, but it also touches on personal themes such as home, impermanence and mortality, with the image of a disappearing island as a metaphor.”

During Dag in de Branding you’re also presenting a ten‑minute preview of a new project.
“That’s right. With support from the Performing Arts Fund, I’ve started a new project called Glisten. Literally: to glisten — but of course the word ‘listen’ is in there too. The first ideas for this project actually go back years. In the summer of 2019 I spent a month in Iceland for a residency. The landscapes there made a deep impression and were a major source of inspiration for my EP. For Glisten, during a new residency I’ll be exploring how field recordings of melting snow and ice can serve as the basis for a vocal method. The idea is to eventually create a choral work, though that’s still in the future. In Korzo I’ll present a first sketch: a solo piece with electronics.”