What are you listening to, Jennie?
Born in a small town in the farthest north of Sweden, she was in love with music from the start. Moved to Stockholm as a 20 year old determined artist.
Jennie Abrahamson started her own record company ”How Sweet the Sound” in 2007. Released two albums ”Lights” (2007) ” and “While the sun’s still up and the sky is bright” (2009), while working with a lot of other artists. Nowadays she can be seen in Ane Bruns band, as a multi-instrumentalist. When she finds the time.
Her new and third album will hit the stores April 13. The single ”Hard To Come By” is frequently played on Swedish radio, for good reasons. She will be playing across the country, and will play in Gothenburg @ Pustervik May 13.
We just had to talk to Jennie, to see who this brilliant Swedish pop wonder was…
What are you listening to right now?
– I discovered PJ Harvey’s new album when it was just out and I can’t seem to let it go. I’ve always admired her but haven’t been all to keen on the actual music before, but this album just blew me away. I think it will stay with me for a long time. When I work in the studio I try to not get too much input, and thus listen to music a lot less. Now when the album is done it feels, ironically enough, like I’m returning to music. So I’m digging deep into my lp- and cd-boxes and the Spotify library and dig out a lot of old stuff. I’m so into Neneh Cherry’s “Raw like sushi” all over again. And some old Pat Benatar, and Joni Mithchell, and…
Best book read during 2010?
– Pattis Smith’s “Just kids”. It’s beautiful and poetic, a fantastic read. It will be a classic.
Your hopes for this year?
– On a global level I hope that even if this year started out like shit, we will end it in a more peaceful way. I hope people will be free of oppressing leaders, and I hope Mother Earth calms down a bit. I also hope that people will open their eyes and see what we’re actually doing to her, and start repairing the damages we’ve made. On a personal level I hope to stay healthy and that my new album will do well enough for me to continue this musical journey I’m on.
Three artists who inspire you?
– For me, inspiration is so changeable. Of course I have a bunch of old “idols” from childhood that I still look up to a lot; like Peter Gabriel, Eurythmics, U2 and Kate Bush. And then later discoveries, like Bob Dylan. But that immense feeling of inspiration is often given by what or who you have around you, or a spur-of-the-moment thing. Today, writing this, I’m inspired by:
Ane Brun; great friend, great musician and writer, inspiring thinker and a pioneer.
James Rhodes; English pianist that is tearing down the wall between the classical music and the audience. No suit, no mystery, no stick up the arse. He’s making classical music accessible to a wider audience. I also love hiw view on Bach interpretation.
Robyn; for doing her thing and completely owning 2010. Judging from her spring concerts at Cirkus she has a lot to give this year too. I love how she a re-created herself, in a much more down-to-earth manner than say Madonna. She has worked hard and ambitiously, and it has paid off.
Who deserves a breakthru in 2011?
– The brilliant young Robert Svensson, and also the equally brilliant Swedish band Torpedo.
Kentuckyseven is hoping for an awesome year for Jennie Abrahamson, which we are pretty sure is bound to happen.
Watch the video for ”Hard To Come By”… and take a listen to the magic that is great Swedish pop music at its very core…
