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EMMY SOPHIE: "Inte Som Förut"

EMMY SOPHIE-  the up and coming young singer/songwriter from Gothenburg/Göteborg, Sweden, and 'Inte Som Förut' (not like before or like it used to be), her first 7-track EP or possibly album? I'd go with the first option though. Very down-to-earth honest music and performer with the theatre and music background and family. It's overall the gather around the bonfire kind of platter with the great production and seasoned studio and backup musicians such as Mats Lindberg (Robyn, Timo Räisänen, Miss Li, Natasha Bedingfield, Jill Jonsson, Björn Skifs), Thomas Fanto (Mwendo Dawa, Ulf Dageby, Cosmic Agogo) and the rest of Den Ofattbara Orkestern with 35+ years of experience in the business. Find out more about the album and the artist. Here's:  EMMY SOPHIE

How has the reaction to your songs been so far?

The album will be released today. So far the reactions to the single have been great. We’ve got great response from radio channels as well as music sites. Many of them are going to write album reviews. We will do our first public gig on the 17 of May which is also really exciting! It feels nice with all this good feedback from radio channels and music reviewers but also from people getting in touch.

'Inte Som Förut' - It's not like before or like it used to be. On a positive or negative note? You've been going through changes?

Both positive and negative. You can leave tough times behind and still look forward, hoping for better times. The song is about a relationship that ended and the character is asking herself how it happened. How can something so good suddenly vanish? The character is wondering about the difference between now and then and can’t really recognize the person that used to be so close.

What exactly are those, 'Bright Spots Building a Wall'. What's the story behind the song?

The song is about an autumn night. The character is walking in the dark watching the lights from the harbour. She is not feeling well for the moment and is going through a difficult period in life. Her mind is full of questions and she wonders if anyone else can understand. There is one person who does understand and they both share a common past. They are sitting under a tree looking at the stars wondering how those bright spots in the sky can make you feel so small.

Any overall theme of mood that you're trying to capture on these particular songs?

The ability to look ahead for good things to come even in times when life is a struggle. This felt like an important theme, things I needed to write about. The lyrics are in focus and we have put a lot of effort in giving them enough room in the music. All lyrics have a story and it is vital to me that they are honest and that they can touch/affect people. Most people have experienced a broken relationship and I know how good it feels to find comfort in music in situations like that. A song is perfect to describe these feelings with its combination of music and lyrics.

English and Swedish lyric. You simply couldn't decide?

We started this production with two songs in English to test our collaboration. They turned out well and we kept them on the album. I prefer to write in Swedish though. I love writing and I have a need to write. I enjoy writing in English as well and I will definitely do more of that in the future. However, most of my songs will probably be in Swedish.

What kind of input did the producer have during the recording process?

This is a co-production. Drummer Måns Abrahamsson and guitarist Lars Moberg and I have produced the album together. Lars and Måns have also been part of the composing as well as the recording. All three of us are individuals with rather strong wills, which we in the beginning thought might be a challenge. However, we were surprised to realize that we seldom disagree. This means that recording sessions mostly have run smoothly and we also have lots of laughs. Almost constantly! My co-producers are fantastic and we always have a good time together.

Do you enjoy spending time in the recording studio or are you more at home on stage?

I really enjoy the creative process in the studio where we can work with details, but I also love the realtime experience of live performance.

What inspired you to become the singer/songwriter instead of the loud/screaming kind. Does it reflect your personality? :)

Since the lyrics are based on stories and experiences, my own and others, they partly reflect my personality. Some of them are stories about people I see around me. My intention was to make the lyrics thoughtful, asking questions rather than serving truths and telling a listener how things are. I do like being ”the loud/screaming kind” too, even though this might not show on this album, but maybe in a future production.

Have you always been the "odd kid" with the laid-back attitude? Or do you have the dark/hidden past as the Jonas Bros. fanatic?

I guess you could say I´ve ”always been the odd kid”, doing things my own way. Music has been an important part of this. I started writing songs when I was quite young. The first songs only consisted of the few chords I knew on the guitar. One of my first songs was called “The big ice cream”. Only the title was in English because ice cream was the only word I knew. Hopefully my lyrics are somewhat deeper today! Ever since I was a kid I have always been driven by doing things in my own way and I was never afraid of being the “odd kid”.

Do you agree (or disagree) that storytellers are always going to face struggle in this era?

To me, it´s important that my lyrics tell a story. Being able to affect/touch people is what my music is all about.

What's the best/worst thing about being the young musician in Göteborg/Sweden?

There are good musicians in Gothenburg. I have had the privilege to work with some of the best musicians when we made the album. There is also a good network for spreading music.

How do you measure success?

If I and my co-producers are satisfied with the result of a production and I have managed to affect/touch listeners, I have reached my goal. That is success to me.

Who are your influences and heroes (music-wise)

Stevie Wonder, Amos Lee, Tower of Power, Aretha Franklin, Jurassik Funk, Salem Al Fakir, John Mayer, Lake Street Dive, Jack Johnson, Keb' Mo', Lisa Nilsson and Veronica Maggio. I have lots of music heroes and a wide music taste. I get my inspiration from many different genres.

That’s what I like with music, it’s so wide and there are always new things to discover. It feels like I can never run out of inspiration and the more I listen, the wider my taste of music gets. I believe it is more common to eventually land in your taste and stick to that. I do the opposite.

If there's anything you'd like to add, say, please do

Cheers
Emmy Sophie

Interview by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
Photos from the band's websites   www.emmysophie.com 
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