Folk firecracker, Skott, talks to us about Abba and albums.
Scandinavian stunner, Skott, is fast becoming one of the most talked about names of 2017. Growing up in a commune that thrived on music, the gang of folk musicians taught her everything she knows. And they taught her well.
Following on from her debut singles “Porcelain” and “Amelia”, her newest track “Glitter & Gloss” is a fantastic pop explosion, full of atmospheric beats and Skott’s trademark hypnotising vocals. With a debut album on the horizon, the rising star is turning the pop world on its head with her incredibly unique sound.
Currently on her way to tour the US, we managed to grab a minute with the Stockholm born beauty to find out all about her.
You’ve already led such an interesting life. How did your years living in a small village surrounded by folk musicians shape the artist you are now?
I played the violin when I was a kid and that’s when I started writing for myself. I wrote melodies on the violin and since you can’t play chords on it, you have to stick to one melody and for that to sound interesting (when a kid is playing violin!), it has to be a pretty strong melody, a pretty good melody. So I guess I got really good training in trying to make the melody strong from an early age. That’s one thing that has affected me in my writing today. Also, maybe the fact that the community of folk music is so allowing, so playful. It’s all about just doing it together, having fun together. The beginners get to play with the best fiddlers in the village and everyone is welcome to join, even if you can barely play one note, it’s very encouraging. Music should be playful and allowing and free.
You’ve had both Katy Perry and Lorde tweeting their approval. How important is getting this recognition for you?
Of course I got really, really happy when they tweeted. It was so flattering that they would even have heard my songs and that they took the time to tweet about it. I was actually wondering if someone set it up because it seemed too good to be true. Of course, because of that, a lot of people who wouldn’t maybe have found my music have, so in that sense it’s helped so much. They helped spread my music and I’m very thankful for that.
“Abba have probably influenced me as well… The band made it so far, it’s very inspiring for someone like me and also I think their music is genius.”
Who are your musical influences?
Folk music, just in general and video game music. Games such as Final Fantasy and Zelda. There’s a lot of traditional folk music in Sweden. When it comes to pop, I guess the first band that I really listened to was Muse! Maybe they influenced me in some way. Abba have probably influenced me as well. Not only that they have roots kinda close to where I grew up but Benny Andersson is a folk musician as well and plays the same tunes as I do on violin. The band made it so far, it’s very inspiring for someone like me and also I think their music is genius.
You’re currently writing your debut album. What are you looking to for inspiration?
It’s quite busy now, things are rolling and that’s amazing. There’s a tour going on and a lot of things happening but you have to remember to not get too focused on only your career, because then you kind of lose the things you’re writing about. You have to remember to meet your friends, talk about life, meet your family and feel these things. I guess I look into life for inspiration. I think that’s one of the biggest dangers of getting too busy and trying to stress to make an album; sometimes you don’t prioritise the things that actually inspired you to make music in the beginning.
What can we look forward to from the upcoming album?
It’s going to be an adventure. I want the music to be an adventure. I want it to have little surprises here and there and hopefully, keep it interesting. That’s my goal.
How would you describe your latest single, “Glitter & Gloss”?
“Glitter & Gloss” is like a journey, an inner battle. It’s like two sides of many things. It’s probably the hardest song I’ve written in terms of trying to explain what it’s about! It’s about what’s fake and real, what matters and what doesn’t and how you question parts inside yourself. It’s kind of figuring out what’s actually important in life I guess.
