Swedish trailblazer SVEA is on a quest to become a quintessential name in the popular music industry. The singer-songwriter has been on a transformative artist journey; from a sound that characterised heart-rendering melancholy, SVEA has moved more into an upbeat, uplifting and unified sound that sees her categorised next to the biggest names in the pop sphere. Currently working on her highly anticipated debut album, the artist found soaring success with her EDM-infused collaboration with high flying Parisian DJ duo Ofenbach. The track, “Body Talk”, had the European scene talking, and SVEA acclaim was augmented by the release of her Warner debut single “Iconic”.


Building up steam as hype for her forthcoming LP burns brightly, the Swede has now unveiled her latest pop anthem, “Effort”. Perhaps her most playful and enticing track to date, the song tackle the familiar topic of a romantic partner not pulling their weight in a relationship, with SVEA combining her sharp and humorous lyrical prowess and divine harmonies with a show stopping vocal performance that draws you into the relatable narrative. Accompanied by a slick visuals shot in Cape Town, the track is an enjoyable and engaging epitomisation of SVEA”s growing talent and undeniable potential.

We connected with SVEA and delved deep into how experiences have shaped her creative vision, the Swedish music scene, building a fan base in the UK, and the process behind “Effort”.

Watch the visuals for “Effort”…

Read the full interview…

Who and what inspires you to write?
All the people in my life. The conversations we share about love, work, life and everything in between. That’s what inspires me the most. 
 
How did you first find a passion for music?
I’ve always loved music so far I can remember, but I think I understood my passion for it when I stared to sing in a choir when I was about five. Since then it has just evolved and today my whole life revolves around it.  
 
How have your experiences affected the way you create?
A lot. I think almost every song I’ve ever written is based on something I’ve experienced myself or someone close to me. The story itself doesn’t have to be 100% accurate but it’s important that there’s something in the song that I can relate to for it to be authentic. Then I always love to twist and play around with things to find new fun ways to tell a story. My upcoming album is probably the first time I opened up to bring in other people’s stories and playing with fantasies more. 
 
You’ve got a really distinct approach, how did you find your sound?
It took me years trying to figure out my own sound. But I think finding the right people to work with really helped. People I could spend a lot of time playing around with and trying out everything until I found my own thing. Also letting go of the pressure of writing songs for a commercial purpose and to start having fun creating the music. I always think the best music is when you can hear the people had a good time making it. 
 
How would you describe the essence of your sound?
Playful with a lot of energy. 
 
How do you find the drive and passion to continue to create?
I think performing live is really giving me that drive. Being able to see people in real life reacting to your music, sing along and having a good time. It makes all the hard work worth it. 
 
How do you think you stand out from the congestion of modern pop?
My motto is to “make pop music fun again”. I love the naivety of the late 90s/early 2000s pop and I take a lot of inspiration from that. I’d like to think my music is a modern take on that sound with a lot of humour and energy. 
 
What is the Swedish music scene like?
I think Sweden has a lot of great music and super talented songwriters and producers. It’s so inspiring to work in Sweden ’cause everyone is crazy talented. The last couple of years music sung in Swedish had really taken off so moving forward I really hope the Swedes can start appreciating songs in English more again, cause there’s so many talented artists coming from Sweden making music in English. 
 
How has it been building a following in the UK?
I started building a fan base in the UK right before COVID hit when I went on a support tour around the UK. It was absolutely amazing and the people were so pumped. I’ve had a headline show planned as well, that unfortunately has been pushed a few times because of COVID. But I can’t wait to come back and play more.  
 
We love “Effort”! Talk us through the creative process for the track?
Effort has actually been one of the easiest songs I’ve ever written. I went in to the studio with my main producer Anton and an amazing songwriter called Linnea Södal (also known as NEA) and told them about how tired I was at my boyfriend for not putting in the same effort as me in our relationship. Linnea then said for fun “I’ve been putting in the effort, but the only thing you put in is your D” and from that the whole song basically wrote itself. I think we wrote it in a couple of hours and then me and Anton took a whole new day just to record all the harmonies. Fun fact, the final version sounds almost the same as the first version we did of the song.
 
Thematically, what is the track about?
It’s about a one-sided relationship where you feel like you’re doing all the hard work, both physically and mentally. You’re taking care of the home such as cleaning, making food, emotional responsibility but also of the relationship itself where you are making plans for the two of you and caring about what’s happening in your partners life etc. Basically you take care of it all while your partner is more passive. 
 
We’re obsessed with the visuals! Where did the idea for the video stem from?
Thank you!! Ever since we first wrote the song I had this idea of doing a 60s inspired music video playing with old/“traditional” gender roles. I wanted it to be portrayed in a fun way because the lyrics itself has a lot of humour. I also wanted it to me more of a short movie then a classic music video. I worked with an amazing director called Anna in Cape Town, South Africa and she truly made my vision come true. 
 
What can we expect from your upcoming debut album?
A lot of energy, humour and sassy lyrics. I want people to listen to my music and feel good about themselves.
 
Where do you want to take your artistry?
I really feel like I’m on the right path. I’m doing music I truly love and are finally in a stage in my career where I can release the type of music I want. I wanna keep traveling and play a lot of shows, connecting with my fans. 
 
What’s to come from you this year?
I’ll release a lot of new music building up to my debut album that’s coming the start of next year. Also play a lot of shows around Europe and keep writing more music, plus I really want to come back to the UK soon!