Marion Raven (29) can still be sleepless at night and think about the time after the break-up with Marit Larsen and M2M - when she was a "bad old woman who dropped her friend for a million dollar record deal."
- When I can not sleep at night, there are still those thoughts that come creeping. I think of what I could and should have done differently. On that I got blamed for everything. In all that came out wrong. At that Mary and I never talked together before the media blew it up. This is what I regret most so far in life.
You were only 18 years old?- 18 years old and a child really. I've thought a lot about it, says Marion, VG meet her in the recording studio where she is currently finalizing his upcoming record with producer Even Ormestad and Thom Hell.
Tomorrow night is the Marions turn to be the main character in "Every time we meet." When she saw the episode about herself, she most wanted to go home and lie down.
- Yes, it was so heavy. A proper sense discharge, says Marion.
No plan BIn the episode takes namely Marion a settlement with time after M2M disbanded in 2002 - when M2M was dissolved and Atlantic Records just wanted to work with Marion Raven as a solo artist, and not with Marit Larsen.
- If I had not agreed to it, so I had not been allowed to work with others until 2005 - since they already had a contract with me. At the same time, I had the desire. It was the artist I wanted to be. I had no plan B.
But then it all wrong. After a four-year-long world adventure and 2,000,000 discs sold, Atlantic Records had sent both Marit and Marion home to Norway, they were dropped from the Jewel tour they participated in - and Marion wrote in her diary that she was sure that M2M was over. She was right, and when they came home to Norway - it was not that the two girls talked for several weeks.
- I was totally empty, it was the end of everything. Mary and I had promised each other that we would stay on as long as it was fun and it was not fun anymore. A few weeks later I met suddenly Marit when I waited for the train. Then we talked and said that it was not fun anymore and did not want to continue. We were the twins when we were 8 years, but that 18-year-olds we were quite different and wanted different things, says Marion, "Every time we meet."
So I called the president of Atlantic Records Marion and said they wanted to continue working with her. And the day after it said on the front page of VG.
- I had people around me who talked too much. I had not told anyone - and then stood in front of VG. Mary and I had not once had the chance to tell that M2M was over once. And there I feel it really sucks began. I got the blame for everything, I felt. When I was her naughty shit old woman who had lost my best friend for a million record deal, says Marion in the program.
But it did not stop there:
18-year-old Marion was invited to "Thursday Club" where an ironic comment from her that she's million contract did not have to work till the Rema, was taken literally. Million contract was in reality only one million initiative, it did not mean millions in pure dollars and cents of Marion who still lived at home with mom and dad.
In addition Marion tells that 21 news on TV 2 made a case that Marion had made up that she had a solo contract to get attention - something the president of the Atlantic even had called the media to say was rubbish.
- It was incredibly tough. I felt that people threw things at me and shouted at me when I was out on the town, she tells VG.
How did you feel in all this?- I felt quite alone. I could sit at home and listen to radio - where they talked about me and had voting for listeners if they would have dropped her friend for a million. Media had decided that history was like that. I had a record deal in the U.S., management and record company in the United States, there was no one at home to fit well enough, says Marion - which also explains that she was heavily influenced by the American mindset and way of doing things.
- I had grown up as an artist in the United States, where it works a little different than at home. Where you put on a mask and shows how strong and clever you are. But the mask worked very hard and wrong in this situation. It got bitter experience.
In "Every time we meet" you say that this is what you regret most?- Yes, I should have never gone out and done interviews about solo contract. I and Bernie should have gone out and talked about M2M first. Unfortunately, newspapers beat us to it.
How is your relationship now?- We have a good tone. At that time, we need to be apart for some very intense year. We had been friends since we were 5 years and experienced many other experiences - that we grew slightly apart. Now we are friends and love each other's behalf.
Have you talked related to "Every time we meet," and your episode?- We've texted a little bit. I have taken many pictures and videos at home from the M2M era - and reminisced a bit with Marit, sent M2M pictures and stuff. It was an incredible time. It was a completely different world, a completely different life, says Marion - and hope that people will stop putting the two against each other.
- There are over ten years ago and it is fantastic that we were both doing music still. We do not need to be set against each other all the time - and it's allowed for people to like them both.
Anita says straight out of "Every time we meet" that she was wrong about you.- Yes, I think it was cool of her. I have become accustomed to that people have prejudices against me, and I have felt misunderstood very long. It was good and touching to get the support of the other artists in "Every time we meet." It was a kind of support I have so far only been parents and my siblings.
How do you think the Norwegian people perceive you now?- I can not really answer, but there has been a lot of pleasant and nice feedback - like they thought I was just a pretty face, but I can indeed sing. I hope people get to know me, my history and my music.
And then maybe you will soon give out plate without just being her shit bitch who dropped her friend?- Yes, indeed! Through the "HGVM" I hope that I have been shown me the way I am and the artist I am. In March, new single and in April comes my album out. It's really big for me, and I'm sooo happy.
Single in May, album in April - and in May: wedding with snowboard boyfriend Andreas Wiig Ygre (31).
- I have everything under control. I am very fond of throwing a good party, so I'm really enjoying the planning. It will be a traditional, Norwegian church wedding, says Marion.