Formula Indie Sessions Interview with KiFabrikken (Terje Dahl)
Introduction of the project
KiFabrikken is my little hideaway — a place where I release the thoughts and feelings that never quite find room in everyday life. With ADHD, my head is usually a full-time storm, and music became a way to let the pressure escape. Every song is a mirror: of who I’ve been, what I’ve survived, and what I’m still trying to understand.
Earliest memory connected to music
Music has always been there, but the first time it truly hit me was Garth Brooks. The raw emotion in his songwriting felt like someone finally put words to things I had never been able to say. Music became a lifeline, especially when I battled cancer at 13. When my body was exhausted, music kept my spirit upright.
How my passion for creating music began
It started by accident. I wrote a few lyrics just to clear my mind — and suddenly I realized it worked like therapy. Writing became a safe place to unpack things I never managed to say out loud.
The story behind my current music project
KiFabrikken began as playful experiments — a mix of Norwegian and English songs. Over time it became something deeper: a way to let honesty live. My mind has always “spoken” in English, so writing in English feels like removing a filter. Moving forward, the music will be even more emotionally raw, maybe even messy, but always real.
And if others listen — and share their own experiences because of it — that’s more than I ever hoped for.
How I would describe my sound
Imagine controlled chaos… but with heart.
I grew up listening to everything — country, rock, pop, instrumental, Italian ballads, Spanish soul. Different genres carried me through different storms, and my own music reflects that. It isn’t one thing. It’s many feelings wearing different outfits.
One thing I’ve learned that changed how I make music
Honesty.
I learned that the parts of myself I try hardest to hide — fear, pride, regret, pain — become strength when I give them sound. Writing honestly is uncomfortable, but it’s also freeing.
My Norwegian song “Fars Visdom” is a good example. It’s a father speaking to his daughters, admitting the mistakes he made, the bridges he burned, the lessons he learned far too late. It’s not about being wise — it’s about being real.
Music taught me that truth doesn’t make you weak. It just makes you human.
Essential tools and software in my creative process
My lyrics come from a very personal place, but musically I lean heavily on software. I’m not a trained musician, so digital tools help shape the sound, structure, and atmosphere around the words. It’s a modern toolbox for an honest heart.
Indie artist or song I’m loving right now
I move through music the way some people move through weather.
When I code: slow, rave-inspired beats.
When I’m angry: harder, darker tracks.
When I need to breathe: something soft.
It’s less about names and more about textures, moods, and the space music creates inside my head.
How personal experiences shape my music
My songs are deeply personal — the things I struggle to say out loud end up in the lyrics.
My bonus son has a developmental disability, so several songs are written to lift him up. My daughters have faced their own battles, and music became my way of telling them: I see you, even when I don’t say it perfectly.
“Smerter i Solnedgang” is one of the most intimate tracks I’ve written. It’s about living with chronic pain while being held together by family. Spoken-word meets melody, carrying both exhaustion and hope.
This project is basically emotional truth in audio form.
Emotion or message I want listeners to take away
I want people to feel less alone.
I want someone to hear a line and think,
“That’s exactly how I feel.”
My song Scatterbrain Symphony is for those of us with ADHD — the thoughts that scatter, collide, explode, and still somehow make sense.
The most intense track I’ve made, “Når de fire rir”, is pure political fire. It frames Israel, the USA, Russia and China as modern versions of the four horsemen of the apocalypse — with drone strikes, surveillance, and propaganda instead of horses and swords. It calls out the world powers, but also the rest of us for watching from the sidelines.
If listeners walk away feeling seen — or shaken awake — then the music has done its job.
The most important lesson music has taught me
That everything I try to hide in daily life — fear, pride, mistakes, pain — becomes powerful when it’s allowed to exist openly. Music gave my silence a voice. It taught me that you don’t need to be perfect to be meaningful. You just need to dare to tell the truth.
Dream venue or festival
Any stage where honesty matters more than glitter.
A place where people show up for truth, not spectacle.
Dream collaboration
Artists who sing with their soul, not just their voice:
- Garth Brooks – turning vulnerability into strength
- Rascal Flatts – making a single line feel like a lifetime
- Faith Hill – a warm, powerful voice that lifts everything
- Billie Eilish – whispering emotion louder than others can shout
The common thread: they feel what they sing.
Where listeners can follow and support my music
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7xfSpgCPLZjRM6omJdGhgT?si=jyp4V9h4T0uyfPWsDLz7KQ
Website:
https://kifabrikken.com
Dreams for the next chapter
I want the music to reach people who need a place to land.
I hope to keep writing with honesty, maybe collaborate with artists who value truth, and connect with listeners who recognize themselves in the songs. If someone hears a track on a grey Thursday and feels less alone — that’s the dream.
What I hope listeners discover about me along the way
That behind the noise, the ADHD, the chaos and the flaws — there’s someone who’s just trying to speak honestly. Someone who hopes his words can matter to someone else.
