Berit Dybing is a lot of things: proud Minnasotan, advocate for female empowerment, and undeniably one of those artists that just has “it”. Before her show in Philadelphia on her first headlining tour (halfway) across the US, I sat down with Ber to talk all things songwriting, her creative process, and just how what I deem one of the best, most cohesive projects came together.

 

“Halfway”, the second EP by Ber that made its way into the world earlier this year, showcases just how in tune the artist is with her craft. Somehow, Ber has been able create a heart wrenching and raw body of work that feels so incredibly personal to her specific situation, with niche references to bad Fortnite habits of a past lover & name drops of fleeting dates, while also still keeping the songs far too relatable for the audience listening in. From start to finish, the writing of the EP took about half of a year, beginning with what became track 3, “Superspreader”. “Halfway” quickly followed as the next song that started piecing itself together on a Zoom call with friends, and something about it felt different. Now with two songs, one of which was destined to be the namesake for the project to come, Ber knew she was writing for something bigger.

 

“I didn’t know I was writing the EP yet, [but] I realized I have a lot to say about this specific thing. I’ve never purposely written an EP before; the first one was just a collection of songs, but for the second one, I was actually writing a project and trying to say something for myself.”

 

With her first ever show at SXSW in Austin, Texas only a few hours and one short plane ride away, Ber was determined to wrap “Superspreader” in a bow so she could perform it. Several versions of the song sat on the backburner because of the bridge that just wasn’t quite right, but with 10 minutes left in her journey and the landing gear down, one of the most beautifully heartbreaking bridges appeared out of what felt like thin air. Creating the “Halfway” EP had these accidental and spontaneous moments at its core, which only adds to the organic relatability of the whole project. From random writing sessions that led to the completion of the project to only half-serious adlibs about lackluster boybands in “Boys Who Kiss You in Their Cars” that ultimately stuck in the mastered version of the song, that realness is present in just about every moment from start to end. The opening and closing tracks, “Slutphase” and “Over You”, were the last songs to be written for the project, penned on the last two days of her writing trip in London with people she went to college with. But she wasn’t in search for that perfect beginning and end to the project per se, just letting herself feel every emotion and write something that she had to say for and to herself. 

 

Ber mentioned that the writing of “Your Internet Sucks” is one of her favorite memories from working on the project, mostly because it wasn’t a song she really thought she would entertain putting out. Her and the team had a strict “no pettiness” policy, but those emotions needed to get off her chest, and you can feel that so clearly through the lyricism and production choices on the song. What was the easiest song to write in a fun therapy session with her friends ended up being one of the songs she says resonated with people the most. The song not only portrays her storytelling abilities so well, but also serves as a reminder that things really don’t need to be that serious; sometimes you can write a song about Fornite and minor inconveniences you hope someone goes through, and that is perfectly okay.

 

“It’s genuinely something I wouldn’t have done and someone really pushed me out of my comfort zone and got us there. You’re not supposed to take it seriously…I learned a lot about myself as a writer from writing that song too because [I realized] not everything’s deep. Literally nothing matters. I learned a lot about myself in general from writing all of these songs, like “Slutphase” too. Like, ‘yeah I can say that and I’m just gonna do it’. I think there’s a weird imposter syndrome thing, especially with writers and people who make pop music, that you have to jump over. It’s my music and I’m the one that has to stand behind it. You can say what you want and it doesn’t have to be that deep. You don’t have to be Phoebe Bridgers all the time…but bonus points when you are, she slays.”

 

Perfecting this collection of songs is what makes it so good, and the attention to detail and thought that went into every decision from writing to production to roll out is so obvious when it comes to the “Halfway” EP. Whether it’s the selection of the more indie version of “Slutphase” over the fruitier, poppier version that was also produced, creating the fun, cohesive Spotify canvases that feature magazine clippings and ransom note lettering that is so “this Ber era” for each track, or choosing the perfect verses of the 40-some that were written for that closing track that definitely didn’t given any of us closure, everything about the project is deliberate and thoughtful while not being too overdone and meticulous. And it’s so incredibly Ber for that.

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Find Ber: Spotify / Instagram / Twitter

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by Amanda Kolar

@amanda_kolar