Meet Cissi Efraimsson | Director, animator and musician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cissi Efraimsson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cissi, what do you attribute your success to?
I think the most interesting area to work within artistically is in the unknown and uncomfortable. It’s good to not be too comfortable as an artist. I decided early on in my career to never let my fears impact the choices I make for my art. I’m doing anything I want and I will be scared the first time I do anything. People close to me know how nervous I can get before a show or an exhibition or a meeting with someone I haven’t worked with before or what ever it is. But I do it anyways and most times while doing it I realize there was nothing to be afraid of and it’s fun. I’m constantly trying to push the boundaries of what I can do.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am working in several mediums, but I think the expression is the same, it just takes different forms. I make stop motion animation films, play drums and sing in my band Vulkano, I also paint and sculpt. One of my professors at the Royal institute of art in Stockholm told me I had to choose one thing, I believed that and tried doing that for a long time. It made me miserable and I was just like f*ck it I’m going to express myself however I need to in the moment. To me the different art forms inform each other and it feels like I’m getting in contact with different parts of myself depending on what medium I’m working in.

Everything’s easy and hard at the same time. It’s easy to make a painting or a song for example. It’s hard to make it extraordinary. If you think about it too much you won’t be able to make anything because you want it to be so great. I’m trying remember to think that not even the greatest artists can make something amazing every time. Maybe it happens a few times in a lifetime and that has to be fine. Overall I’m trying not to think too much about the result. Instead I make sure I am happy in my process of making. I’m aiming to always be in a creative flow and explore whatever feels important right now. That way the outcome becomes less important and I can have fun.

I wanna talk a little bit about what I’m working on right now. My band Vulkano just released an album, its called Fantasy vs. Reality (you tell me if it’s something extraordinary or just ok haha). We are wrapping up a tour supporting Viagra Boys in Europe. Actually you have a chance to come see us in LA. We made music videos for all the songs at the album that we are releasing on VHS. The premiere will be here in LA, we haven’t set an exact date but it will be in early 2023. Keep an eye out, because we’ve made some really cool collaborations with animators and filmmakers in LA.

I have worked on this huge project that I’m super excited about, that after almost two years is about to come to an end! I can’t believe it, because it’s been such a big part of my life for such a long time. It’s a short film called Sea Angels made in stop motion and it’s a mockumentary about mermaids living in a pool in LA. Because of pollution the mermaids had to come up to land to seek help from humans. They are not mystical creatures at all but highly intelligent and humanoid beings. They get food and safety in a pool that gets the name Sea Angels. In exchange the Sea Angels corporation transforms into a Sea World-like theme park where humans come to be entertained by mermaids. The film deals with subjects like exploitation and environmental destruction.

It’s been such a pleasure to become totally immersed in this colorful mermaid world. From script-writing, to designing and making the puppets in silicone, writing and recording the music, working with actors and animating I’m finally seeing it all come to life. So much fun and such hard work. Can’t wait to share it with you all!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I assume my visitors would be Swedish and Swedish people love drinking so I’d probably start with showing them some nice bars. My favorites are Goldline, Walts and Hermosillo especially because it’s close to where I live. I’m always looking for a reason to go to the beach so I’d take them there like day one.
Of course we’re gonna do some classic LA things if they haven’t been before. Like hiking up to the observatory. It’s so nice up there. Go to Wi spa and soak for a couple of hours, have some shaved ice.
I love Bob Baker, the marionette theater. I’d take them there for a puppet show. There are so many great big art museums here but there are also some small cool ones. One of my favorite museum of all time is the Museum of Jurassic Technology. I like to not tell my friends what it is before we go so they don’t expect anything and then they will just walk around there and are amazed. I would stop at Permanent Records Roadhouse for a show.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I got to know Roxanne Oldham fifteen years ago when she lived in London and my band at the time worked with her husband’s label. I immediately thought she was the coolest person ever (which I still think). When she moved back to LA she started to manage my new band Vulkano. She invited us to come over and stay at her house for months at a time. It changed my life. We became great friends and it felt like my world grew with her. She makes me feel like anything is possible. She inspired me to come back to live permanently to LA and a few years later here I am.

Website: www.cissiefraimsson.com

Instagram: cissiefraimsson

Youtube: @vulkanotheband

Other: My bands instagram @vulkanotheband

Image Credits
Priscilla Mars, Me, Danny Baxter