Final part (4/4) with Claus Berthelsen (Naïve):

Catalogue revival, vinyl vs digital, and how Endurance (2020) + Take It In (2023) were made — on Naïve’s own terms.

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We talk about how Naïve’s back catalogue returned to digital platforms and how vinyl releases helped spark a renewed momentum and a “second life” for the project.

Claus goes deep on format and intent: why digital access is brilliant, but the physical copy is a different kind of statement — tactile, fixed, and curated like a piece of art.

We also break down the newer albums: Endurance (2020) as a multi-producer patchwork and Take It In (2023) as a more unified record because Claus produced it himself building songs inside a consistent sound palette and even writing an ending track late in the mix to complete the arc.

We end on independence: language choices, refusing to compromise, and why Naïve is increasingly studio-first - doing the work when it’s right, not when the industry wants it.

Part 3 of our 4-part interview with Claus Berthelsen (NaïVe): soundscapes and aesthetics in the studio — plus the label collapse and legal fight that killed momentum.

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Part 3 (of 4) with Claus Berthelsen (Naïve) — diving deeper into Naïve’s creative process and the turning point where momentum vanished.

We talk about building soundscapes in layers while protecting the core of the song, and Claus’ view of music as an aesthetic practice: the art isn’t playing the note — it’s choosing the next one.

Then the hard reality: a label collapse that froze Naïve’s recordings and triggered a multi-year legal fight just to reclaim the music — a delay that killed creative energy and effectively broke the band as a working unit.

We also cover the “nothing happened” moment after the album release: no gigs, even rejecting a Roskilde offer because the band hadn’t existed for years.

➡️ Next month: Part 4 closes the Naïve mini-series.

Song fragments, 4-track demos and the making of Fish

Check out the Naïve podcast website

In episode #24 of The Far Distance Band Podcast, we’re back with Claus Berthelsen from Copenhagen band Naïve to dig into the seeds of the music. Where did the songs on Fish actually start? Claus talks about melodies arriving on late-night bike rides, trying (and failing) to copy other artists and accidentally writing something new, and sketching early ideas on a battered 4-track cassette recorder with a tiny drum machine keeping time. It’s a tour through the messy, very human side of songwriting – unfinished ideas, lost riffs, and the rare moments where everything suddenly clicks.

We also get into the sound of the finished record: working with guitarist/producer Hilmar Hassig, recording in borrowed spaces, layering guitars and vocals, and obsessing over details until the mixes still sound fresh decades later. Along the way, Klaus shares stories behind specific tracks, small real-life moments that turned into lyrics, and why he still feels a deep connection to this music today. If you love hearing how songs actually come to life – before they become “classics” – this episode is for you.