Melody A.M.

Hailing from Värmland, a county to the west of Sweden,  singer-songwriter, Johanna Jansson - better known as Dotter - celebrates a whole decade in the music industry this year. And she does so with close to 110,000,000 streams under her belt (on Spotify alone!). A hit factory? Yep, you could say that. Starting her professional music journey with more of an Indie and, at times, folk-acoustic flavour, Dotter’s sound has changed and added layers over the years. So much so that, by the time she entered Sweden’s Melodifestivalen contest for the second time (in 2020), the enormously pop-fuelled explosion of ‘Bulletproof’ not only showcased her as an electro-queen but also very nearly sent her to Eurovision as Sweden’s representative… but for two small problems:  ‘Bulletproof’ lost out by 1 tiny point to The Mamas and, in any event, the pandemic brought about the cancellation of that year’s song contest. Mind you, the song still went to number one on Svensktoppen, the weekly Swedish chart on Sveriges Radio.  Returning to Mello the following year with the not-less amazing, ‘Little Tot’, really helped secure Dotter as one of Sweden’s leading pop powerhouses.   Johanna’s career as Dotter could be described as interlinked with the career of her fiancée, the writer and producer, Dino Medanhodzic. She has worked with Dino closely for the past ten years and it’s a collaboration that has really brought out the best in both artists and continues to give us massive hits.  In this interview with Johanna, we discuss her work with Dino, including this year’s return to Melodifestivalen with the beautiful ‘It’s Not Easy to Write A Love Song’ as well as newest single, ‘We’re In This Together’. We also reflect on the hard work Johanna had to put in at the start of her career, in an endeavour to get signed as an artist and how she was able to bounce back brilliantly when, years later, as she was awaiting the birth of her and Dino’s first child, her record label dropped her. Our conversation explores whether Johanna would consider releasing a full album in future and, she also answers the inevitable question: would she compete in Melodifestivalen for the 5th time?

Tove Styrke first burst onto the scene back in 2009, as a contestant on the Swedish television programme, Idol. Alongside Loreen, Tove is possibly one of the biggest alumni from that talent show in terms of international success. And what’s really interesting about the then-teenager Tove, who went on to sign a record deal and work on her debut album that same year, is that she wasn’t just a mouthpiece for a team of songwriters. Bringing her own song ideas to the studio, Tove wrote or co-wrote 7 out of the 11 tracks on it.  And, as we note in our chat, it’s remarkable that, for an album written and recorded 15 years ago, it has aged very well. It’s anthemic, quirky - in that mainstream sort of way - and, particularly on the Patrik Berger collaborations, gives you a Robyn-esque feel. Which makes sense when you consider that Tove was one of the first people Patrik played his synth ideas for Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own" to, when they were working on Tove’s debut. You’ll be able to hear more on that special studio moment in our interview. Tove didn’t just ride the wave of her Idol fame but took control of her career and transformed herself into a powerhouse among what she refers to as the “Swedish pop girlies”. Earlier this year, Tove made her acting debut in the Swedish stage adaptation of David Bowie’s ‘Lazarus’, earning excellent reviews and adding yet another skill to her palate. Our interview took place just as the run of the production was coming to an end: a useful point at which she could reflect on the impact of this experience on her other work and consider whether she’d like to take on more acting roles in the future.  In this conversation, we also talk about her creative process, her admiration for Ethel Cain, Chappell Roan and ionnalee, touring with the likes of Lorde and Katy Perry and the very Swedish phenomenon of the dans band. Check out our Tove Styrke playlist at www.melodyam.com/tove - it's full of our favourite tracks from her discography.

For the finale of Season 2, Melody A.M. makes a return visit to Norway, with an episode dedicated to singer-songwriter, Vårin Strand, who releases her music under the name Vaarin. Vaarin hails from Hokksund, a small town about an hour’s drive from Oslo, and she first started writing songs in her early teens. There was a lot of jazz and folk music playing in her home when she was growing up and, while this musical background fed into the sound of her debut album, which came out in 2018, over the years her music has moved much more into the realm of pop. Mind you, there is still a nod to her formative influences in everything she does.  2023 was a big year for Vaarin with the release of her second long-player, The Identity of Belonging. The first single from the album, 'Dark Matter', with its percussive rhythm section and cinematic feel, called to mind the universe of Agnes Obel’s album, Citizen of Glass. The subsequent singles from the record each built on Vaarin's evolved approach and there was even some experimentation with her voice, as demonstrated on the ethereal, ghost-like crescendo of the song, 'Angel'.  Joining forces with her close friend, MIIA - another impressive Norwegian singer-songwriter - 2023 also saw Vaarin release a duet called 'Skin of a Fool', which is up there among our favourite tracks of the year. In our interview, we talk about the rather poignant lyrics to that song and explore whether harshness towards oneself, a theme which the song looks at, is actually embedded in janteloven, the Nordic social attitude of disapproval towards expressions of individuality and personal success. Vaarin tells Doron about the tough times that inspired the writing of her first record and how it helped her overcome that period in her life. She also gives Melody A.M. an insight into her work on her next album, which she started crafting earlier this year. Towards the end of this episode, you’ll be able to hear an exclusive acoustic version of 'Dark Matter', which Vaarin has kindly shared with us. On our website at www.melodyam.com/vaarin check out the recommended Vaarin playlist which includes highlights from the Norwegian singer-songwriter's discography.

Faroese artist, Heiðrik, released his debut album, An Invisible Gun, back in 2007. This was the year Patrick Wolf released The Magic Position and it’s striking how these two albums share a very similar Folktronic soundscape, which - listening to them with today’s ears - makes them come across as sibling records. Not unlike Patrick Wolf, Heiðrik's artistic talents span across many different genres and mediums.    Musically, he collaborates with a variety of Nordic artists including Helena Brimheim, Sigmund and Leah Kampmann, and his releases straddle folk, jazz, country and electro-pop. Outside of creating music, you’ll find him directing music videos (he’s recently directed Brimheim’s excellent new music video, Literally Everything) and, rather impressively, he also spends his time making fine art.    He’s been nominated for and won quite a lot of awards, including the ‘Best Male Singer' accolade at the Faroese Music Awards in 2017 as well as the 'Best Music Video' award for the single, Monster, in 2018​​.    Sharing his time between the Faroe Islands and Denmark, this past year, Heiðrik released a tribute album to Björk, reinterpreting some of the Icelandic icon’s tracks and giving them a whole new apparel. He has also recently put out an album with Leah Kampmann - together they release music under the name Einangran - and this album, although released in the autumn, makes for a perfect soundtrack to winter hibernation. In addition, as part of his duo with Faroese buddy, Sigmund, which is called Koboykex, Heiðrik has recently released a country-style cover version of Kylie Minogue’s Padam Padam.    In our interview, Heiðrik reflects on how he and the Faroe Islands have evolved since 2007 when his debut album came out; he talks about some of his artistic influences and also sheds some light on his ways of working.    Very graciously, Heiðrik has also shared with Melody A.M. an exclusive live version of a beautiful unreleased track called Island Fever, which you can catch during our interview.   Over on the Heiðrik page on the Melody A.M. website there's a Heiðrik playlist with a selection of his best tracks. Head over to www.melodyam.com/heidrik.

Elias Kapari has been making music for over two decades - in the early days he had his own bands and he subsequently got involved in production and writing for other artists, working with some of the biggest names in the Swedish music industry including: Icona Pop, Molly Sandén, Linda Sundblad, Veronica Maggio, Oskar Linnros, Ana Diaz, Maja Francis, Cherrie, Victor Leksell, Charlotte Perrelli and previous Melody A.M. guest, Stefan Storm from The Sound of Arrows.   One of the defining chapters of Elias’s career has been his collaborations with Swedish star, Miriam Bryant. Their work together has resulted in a slew of chart-topping mega hits, including ‘Passa Dig’,  Miriam’s duet with Viktor Leksell, 'tystnar i luren' and 'Ge upp igen’, a track she recorded with Yasin. These three songs elevated Miriam’s status in the Swedish music scene and to say they were radio hits would be a huge understatement - you couldn’t get away from them on Swedish radio for months after their release.  In 2022 Elias and Miriam’s work together was recognised at the Swedish Grammys with the album, PS jag hatar dig, clinching the Album of the Year award and ‘tystnar i luren’ winning the award for Song of the Year. ​Elias’s reach is not limited to Sweden. He’s got a credit on the last Stormzy album after Stormzy heard a song called ‘Nu Till Livet’, which Elias co-created with Daniela Rathana on a Swedish television programme called Helt Lyriskt. Stormzy’s song, ‘My Presidents Are Black’, is built around the main melody from Elias and Daniela’s original. Elias has also worked with Danish success story, Christopher, the star of the Netflix hit film, “A Beautiful Life”, and he is also helping Christopher craft his next studio album. There is also a Kylie Minogue connection - sort-of-kind-of - but you’ll have to listen to the episode to find out more about that. Earlier this year, the Swedish broadcaster SVT, brought an American TV format called SONGLAND onto Swedish screens and Elias was part of the expert panel on this brilliant show, which is essentially dedicated to the art of songwriting and production. His place on the panel is testament to Elias's esteemed position in the music industry.  In our interview, we discuss his involvement in SONGLAND, his creative partnership with Miriam Bryant and his forthcoming solo project, allowing him to step from behind the mixing desk and onto the limelight with his own voice taking centre stage.  On our website, at www.melodyam.com/elias you will find our Elias Kapari playlist with highlight moments from Elias’s career, to date.

This episode brings Melody A.M.’s attention back to Norway with singer-songwriter, Ane Brun, who this year celebrates a very special anniversary: 20 years since the release of her debut album, Spending Time With Morgan.  To mark the occasion, Brun has recently released a new retrospective record, Songs 2013-2023, highlighting peak points from her studio recordings in the past 10 years, as well as another collection, Portrayals, which collates some of the best-loved cover versions she has recorded, including her portrayal of Beyonce’s 'Halo', with Linnea Olsson, which has had over 65m streams on Spotify alone, to date.  Spending Time With Morgan came out when Ane Brun was 27 year-old. After flitting and flatting between her Norwegian hometown of Molde and Barcelona, Oslo and Bergen for several years, she eventually settled in Sweden. The album was recorded in Stockholm and Uppsala and its recording was financed through Brun's salary from working at a record store, academic scholarships she’d been awarded and loans from friends who wanted to help her out in return for a future percentage of sales.  When the album was done, Brun really loved the songs and the recordings. She presented a sampler of the album to 4 or 5 record companies and also to some other music business people, but their response was slow and unenthusiastic and she was so hungry to get started, that she decided that it was better to release the music herself, instead of waiting around for anyone else’s permission to do so. In the 20 years since that album’s release, Brun has made her mark not only on the Nordic music scene but all over the world, with an initially folky twist on pop and, in more recent years, an underlying rhythmic and electronic feel to the production.  Speaking with Melody A.M. from her studio, Brun reflects on her two decades in the music business, she shares some details about her next studio album, which she is hopeful to release in 2024, and we also explore the impact of A.I. on musicians and creativity.

Melody A.M. is sticking around in Sweden for this latest episode, with guests Anna Levander and Leopold Nilsson, who make up the Swedish duo, Dolce. Part of the uniqueness of Dolce’s sound is perhaps due to the fact that the production and arrangements hark back to much older Swedish folk music. The more decisive element at play, though, is Anna Levander’s voice. It’s something else. It’s deep, it’s warm, it grabs you and it makes you pay attention. Underpinning that voice are melodies that are surprising and exciting to come back to. Anna and Leopold are originally from Umeå, a university town in the east of Sweden, and they started releasing music 9 years ago, when their first song, ‘Hand i hand’, came out ahead of their debut EP’s release the following year. They’ve had two, much praised, albums after that and are in the process of finishing off work on their third (due in 2024). The Dolce playlist on the Melody A.M. website includes our recommended highlights from the band’s discography and Anna and Leopold have also generously shared with an exclusive early demo version of a song called ‘Skrapsår’, or ‘Scrapes’, with us, which you can hear during our interview. which is included on their forthcoming new album. A studio version of ‘Skrapsår’ will be included on the band's next record.

We’re heading back to Sweden on this, the 7th episode of season 2, with a musician who is so good and so charming that we can’t wait for you to hear our interview. Alma Caroline Cederlöf, who goes by the nom de plume GRANT, is already a big, big name in her homeland - so much so that her latest album, Truth & Consequences, was recently shortlisted for the Alternative Pop of the Year award at this year’s Swedish Grammis.    A Stockholmer through and through, the majority of GRANT’s music has come out in English and her command of the language results not only in great lyrics, which shy away from cliches and offer an interesting twist on both familiar and less commonplace themes, but also some pretty fantastic song titles. She has that tricky-to-define star power that rests on a trio of strengths: incredible voice, charisma by the bucketload and a real knack for songwriting.   In our interview, Caroline tells Doron about the very 2023 way she found out about her Grammis nomination, she very kindly explains the whys and wherefores of 3 quintessentially Swedish (and rather popular) music shows on Swedish television – all of which she has previously performed on - and we talk about her joining the band MOR last year and how they came to record a rather impactful cover version of David Guetta and Kelly Rowland’s monster hit, "When Love Takes Over". As usual, for every guest artist on the podcast we have a special playlist featuring some of their best tracks. On the GRANT playlist on our website - at www.melodyam.com/grant - you can listen to highlights from her discography, including that fantastic cover version and other collaborations with MOR.

The Eurovision Song Contest has been held annually since 1956 – with the only exception being 2020, when the competition had to be cancelled due to coronavirus. It has been the longest-running yearly international music competition on TV and one of the world's longest-running TV programmes overall. Since 1956 there have been 14 victories by Nordic countries at Eurovision.   The biggest success story in terms of wins at Eurovision, among the Nordic five who take part, belongs to Sweden. To date, Sweden has won 7 times, most recently in May 2023 when Loreen's "Tattoo" pipped Finland to the post. There were three Nordic countries in the top 5, with Finland coming 2nd and Norway coming 5th. Despite sending some 10/10 bangers to the contest, Iceland is the only Nordic country to remain without a win, yet.    To geek out about the role that the Nordics have at Eurovision, Doron is joined for this special episode by the host of the Official Eurovision Podcast and former BBC radio 1 presenter, Steve Holden. Steve is not only a fellow long-time Eurovision fan but has also got to meet and interview many Eurovision legends over the years, so it’s been great to hear some of his insights and find out about important issues such as which acts he’d like to see return to Eurovision in the future and which historic obscure national selection entries he thinks were robbed.    On our website at www.melodyam.com/eurovision you will find a playlist with suggested Eurovision-related tracks from years gone by including some of the songs that didn’t quite manage to make it to Eurovision but perhaps should have. 

Norwegian trio, KEiiNO, has been making Northern Lights-style waves in the world of pop since winning Norway’s pre-Eurovision selection competition, Melodi Grand Prix, and subsequently representing their country at the song contest in 2019.   Fred Buljo, Alexandra Rotan and Tom Hugo wowed audiences around the world with their entry, "Spirit in the Sky”, and the song has brought them a loyal fanbase, which – in turn – means that they’ve had plenty of exciting opportunities to tour around the world.   KEiiNO’s sound, which mixes pop, dance and traditional Sámi joiking really stands out so that, even when they are covering other people’s songs, their distinct approach to crafting an impactful pop production is instantly recognisable (A-Ha’s “The Sun Always Shines On TV”, being a prime example). Their debut album, OKTA, offers no dull moments.   Building on their Eurovision success, KEiiNO returned to Melodi Grand Prix in 2021 with the song "Monument". The group delivered an electrifying performance that earned them second place in the competition, solidifying their status as one of Norway's most beloved musical acts.   The group's dedication to highlighting Sámi culture through their music is an important part of their identity and, in our interview, it emerges that some KEiiNO fans have been learning Sámi after discovering the language and its cultural background through the music.   Fred, Alexandra and Tom generously took time away from recording new music whilst in a remote cabin in Trysil, in the East Norway, to chat to Melody A.M. They talk about how they create music together, the importance of taking a jacuzzi break, the superiority of Norwegian cow’s milk and tap-water and –importantly – we explore the possibility of a KEiiNO return to Eurovision in the future.   Check out our KEiiNO playlist at www.melodyam.com/keiino, for some of the triumvirate’s discography highlights.

With a frenetic twist on electronic pop, ALMA has over the past 7 years become one of the most exciting pop artists in the world.   ALMA first rose to fame a decade ago when she took part in the Finnish version of the popular singing competition, IDOLS. Her powerful voice and energetic stage presence quickly caught the attentions of the judges and audiences alike and she went on to place fifth in the competition. Her enviable career trajectory following the show, however, shows that it’s not all about winning competitions. ALMA’s debut single, "Karma", came out in 2016 and she has, since, collaborated with some of the biggest names in pop, including Miley Cyrus, Charli XCX, Tove Lo, Tove Styrke and MØ.   Our interview coincides with the release of ALMA’s highly anticipated new album, Time Machine, which showcases her growth and development as an artist. It also sees her building on her songwriting prowess, penning lyrics that, at times, come from a very personal, honest place.   With a bold style and a daring, unapologetic attitude, ALMA is a role model for many in the LGBTQIA+ community, her music speaking to the struggles and triumphs of everyday life, with a message of self-acceptance and individuality, which resonates with fans of all ages.   Listeners who have been following Melody A.M. for a while may recall that season 1 of the podcast ended with a special episode looking at the tremendous work of song-writing and production powerhouse, Max Martin. Having worked with Max Martin’s team on her new album, ALMA tells me about the sound advice and the steer which the man himself offered, in order to help make Time Machine the big pop moment that it is. We also talk politics, what with the recent Finnish elections making it impossible not to and I find out a bit about Helsinki as well as what ALMA loves most about her home country. On our website, at www.melodyam.com/alma you can also find a playlist dedicated to some of ALMA's finest pop moments.

Ásgeir became a huge star in Iceland just as he was turning 20 years old. His debut album, which came out in 2012, ended up being the fastest-selling debut album in Icelandic history. We’re talking even more successful than Björk!   Originally performed in Icelandic, the songs were subsequently translated into English with the help of John Grant, and released internationally under the title In the Silence. The leading single from it, “King & Cross”, has - to date - had just under 60 million streams on Spotify alone.   What is it that makes Ásgeir’s music so attractive to the ear? It is, essentially, about the combination of the poetic lyrics (some of which were, in fact, written by his father), Ásgeir’s soft and soothing voice and the melodic richness that shines through both those of his songs that are layered with many dimensions of arrangements and those that are more stripped back.   Ásgeir’s most recent record, Time On My Hands, released in 2022, took the sound he had developed over the preceding decade and incorporated an additional, electronic aesthetic into the production, creating a beautiful blend of folk and pop.   For this episode of Melody A.M., Ásgeir has very kindly given us two acoustic recordings to share with our listeners. One is an Icelandic version of his song “Eventide”, which originally appeared on his 2020 album, Bury The Moon. The second recording is a stripped-back revisit of his 2019 single, “Youth”.   In our interview, Ásgeir tells Melody A.M. about the harsh winter they’ve had in Reykjavik, he talks about the evolution of his writing and his sound, he gives an insight as to how he sometimes likes to pass the time when he’s on tour and shares his dream of where he’d like to one day perform live.

For fans of cutting edge pop music, there is currently one particularly exciting Norwegian record label making a real impact. It’s called GEMS and this episode of Melody A.M. is dedicated to one of its key signings, DØSSI. Being raised near the fjords on the West coast of Norway, Ingrid Døssland grew up on 90s pop - Shaggy’s ‘Mr Boombastic’ and the music of the Spice Girls being just a couple of examples of her early childhood inspirations. Her own music is something completely different, however. Being something of a virtuoso - she’s been playing piano and cello since she was very young and she’s also sung in choirs - DØSSI’s music has a tender, gentle and folky slant on pop music. At the heart of it is her beautiful voice, which was recently on display, as it were, at London’s St Pancras Old Church, where DØSSI performed together with fellow Norwegian musician, Inger Nordvik.  DØSSI’s debut album, “love, let go and love again”, came out at the very end of 2022. It offers emotional songwriting and beautiful melodies, including the absolutely mesmerising title track as well as the Melody A.M. favourite, ‘wildflower’, which DØSSI has recorded a special acoustic version of for the podcast.  In our interview, DØSSI also speaks about how she very nearly went down the path of becoming an opera singer, we discuss cinnamon buns as an innovative approach to selling gig tickets and we hear about what the Bergen-based musician loves about the city that is now her home. Make sure you also check out our DØSSI playlist on our website at www.melodyam.com/dossi which features ten of her best tracks (to our ears!).

This, the first episode of Season 2 of Melody A.M., is dedicated to Icelandic musician, Emilíana Torrini, who began her music career in the mid-1990s, contributing vocals to the debut album by Icelandic band, Spoon. She went on to release her own debut, a covers album, in 1995. Having subsequently moved to London, she signed a record deal with One Little Indian, home to the likes of Björk, Chumbawamba, Skunk Anansie, Sneaker Pimps and the Sugarcubes. In 1999 she released her breakthrough album, Love in the Time of Science, which soon established her reputation as a talented singer, songwriter and live performer. The album featured electronic beats, introspective lyrics and Torrini's powerful vocals, which some compared to Björk and Kate Bush. Throughout her career, Torrini has collaborated with a diverse range of artists, including Belgian duo, The Colorist Orchestra, with whom she has worked on her new album, Racing The Storm, as well as pop icon Kylie Minogue. 'Slow', the chart-topping hit Torrini wrote for Minogue with long-term musical partner, Dan Carey, celebrates its 20th anniversary in Autumn 2023. With a career spanning over nearly three decades, Torrini continues to make music that piques the listener's interest. Talking to Melody A.M. about her work with The Colonist Orchestra, Torrini says: “It’s the circus I always wished to run away with as a kid”.  In this interview, she also reveals that she's been working on two additional new albums, the first of which is due out in 2024. She also recalls what it was like working with Kylie Minogue and what inadvertent sonic quirk might have made 'Slow' the timeless hit it is. Check out www.melodyam.com/emiliana where you can find an Emilíana Torrini playlist with some of our favourite tracks from this artist.

Even if you don’t know his name, there can hardly be a human alive who hasn’t heard at least half a dozen songs by Max Martin, who’s done more to shape today’s pop music landscape than almost anyone else. He’s launched the careers of legends, and been the go-to guy for anybody whose career needed a surefire hit.  Born in Stockholm, he learnt the skills of the trade under Denniz Pop, one of the most successful songwriters and producers of the ‘90s, and quickly became his own pop powerhouse. He’s achieved success beyond anyone’s wildest dreams, with, to date, 25 number ones on the US Billboard charts.  In 2016, he was awarded the prestigious Polar Music Prize by the King of Sweden himself. And now there’s even a jukebox musical, & Juliet, featuring some of his most beloved songs. If you’re still not sure who he is, how about a roll call of some of the talent he’s worked with? There’s Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, Kelly Clarkson, Robyn, Backstreet Boys, Adele, The Weeknd, Taylor Swift, Coldplay, Lady Gaga… need we go on?  So we couldn’t have a Nordic music podcast without discussing this titan. We invited brilliant music journalist, Michael Cragg, who is also the founder of Maxopedia, the one-stop shop for all things Max Martin, to join us on the podcast and share his thoughts on the Swede and his greatest achievements, those Max Martin tracks that you didn’t even know were Max Martin tracks, and his take on what the future holds.  Don’t forget to check out our Max Martin Playlist at https://www.melodyam.com/max where we took on the painstaking task of whittling down his hits for your delectation.