Pulling up a chair and making himself comfy in the face of our quick-fire line of questioning, it’s Sir Was
Where are you now and what can you see?
“I’m on my sofa looking at a wall with grey wallpaper and in the middle of the wall there is a big white square that I painted so I could project films on it. I got a projector at home now and it’s amazing.”
You live in Gothenburg. What’s the best thing about living there?
“I guess it’s the nature being so close to the city. Gothenburg is a harbour city so we have the ocean right next to us.”
How’s the electronic music scene? Anyone worth checking out?
“To be honest I’m not so updated. My lazy but most honest answer would be Little Dragon but also check out a band called Wildhart.”
We love your mellow musical offerings, are you a mellow chap?
“I looked up the word mellow and honestly, I’m aiming at being easy-going, tolerant, warm-hearted, but I’m kind of a nervous, easily agitated, intense person who’s trying to calm down… ha ha!”
When was the last time you lost your rag?
“Last week and I was also about to lose my rag two days ago. Both times I was at airports. Not sure if that makes me look any better.”
The new album is ‘Holding On To A Dream’, what did you dream about last night?
“Ha ha! Oh no, you really have to ask me that! I dreamt that ‘Holding On To A Dream’ got really bad reviews! Ha ha… a bit embarrassing really.”
It took a while for you to build up to releasing your music, 15 years wasn’t it?
“Yes, it took a long time to dare to do my own thing, I was caught up in being a musician, accompanying others and learning to play instruments, but also making my own music and finding out what that sounded like.”
So what changed?
“My other gig as a touring musician slowed down and I was suddenly left with a lot of time. At first I felt like it was the end of my life as a musician. I was trying to cope with being back in reality in dark and rainy Sweden buying groceries at the supermarket and not on tour and getting drunk all the time. After a while I realised that maybe this was the time for me to make a little EP with my music. Maybe I could put it up on Soundcloud or something… then things went bigger than I’d expected, but had secretly dreamt of.”
How did you feel when your music first headed into the world?
“Fear and joy at the same time. It was amazing. It still feels a bit surreal for me to do interviews like I’m doing right now.”
The titles ‘Digging A Tunnel’ and the new album ‘Holding On To A Dream’ seem like opposites, one on the ground, one in the sky…
“The first album was about not letting that inner mean voice stop me. In a way this second album is a bit further along the way. I crawled out of my inner tunnel and I’m now climbing upwards. Whatever that is.”
Is there a question you never get asked in interviews that you wish someone would ask?
“‘Do you suffer from claustrophobia?’.”
Oh look, last question, erm… Do you suffer from claustrophobia?
“Usually not, but sometimes in small elevators I might prefer the stairs.”
