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From The Desk Of Nathan Larson And Nina Persson: Working Together

acamplogo100d“We’re going to party like it’s 1699,” sings Nina Persson on Colonia, the second album the Cardigans frontwoman has released under the A Camp name with husband Nathan Larson (Shudder To Think) and Niclas Frisk. As the lyric and album title imply, the ornate Colonia is loosely based on the theme of love in the time of colonialism and is inspired by cabaret and musicals from the ’40s. Larson and Persson—king and queen of Colonia—are guest editing magnetmagazine.com all this week. Read our Q&A with them.

nathannina380Nathan And Nina: Obviously, we’re a married couple who work together. It seems to be a good thing for us, and we have no idea exactly why. It just does. It’s probably a horrible idea for others, so we suggest you approach with caution. Anyhoo, people frequently ask us to analyze this phenom further; so if we absolutely have to, here’s some tips:

When working together in a group, never ever disclude others or go off in the corner to snuggle, whisper to each other, etc. This is just bad form and nobody wants to see that shit. Show some decorum.

Remember that your partner was (probably) doing just fine before you came along. And they’d most likely do a perfectly fine job without you. Approach this situation with this attitude.

Don’t favor each other. If you disagree with the other’s viewpoint, stand up for your position. You’ll probably learn a lot as you find a way to meet each other in the middle.

Don’t take the work home. Set normal working hours, like any jobby-job. Ten to six seems to work well for us. After six, don’t talk about work—cook dinner, watch a movie, normal stuff.

Eat well and be healthy. Low blood sugar and general hunger/discomfort makes you pissy and can lead to static where there need be none.

Don’t work together all the time. Balance things out with projects that don’t involve the two of you.

If possible, aim for projects that are not your only source of income. The added pressure of “Oh, we just have to make this a success” and all the attendant money bullshit is not what you need.

Always communicate directly, and never let things fester. Deal with everything as it comes up, or the problem will snowball.

Always remember that you’re fucking lucky to be able to work together! It’s a luxury, and it should never be taken for granted.