Who are you and how long have you been active?
My name is Sven Sundberg, and I am a songwriter/composer from Springfield, Illinois. I play piano and guitar, and I specialize in creating relaxing, melodic instrumental pop songs. I learned to play the piano at a young age, but I’ve only been recording for a year or so. I have always written melodies as far back as I can remember.
What trends will be big in the next year?
As far as popular music goes, the recent move away from singer/songwriters will continue, unfortunately. I would expect to hear more sound-alikes of Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, etc., as we have been hearing lately. In the instrumental music circles, I would hope that more immediately recognizable music with easily memorable melodies would come to the forefront. A song doesn’t need to be flashy or overdone to become popular, and I hope to prove that. I would love to see this genre develop crossover appeal.
How does a track move from initial thought to finished effort?
My favorite part of the writing stage is discovery. I can sit for hours playing a series of chords until I hear something with a hook, something catchy and memorable. Once I’m “in the zone,” the rest of the song is built around that hook, and notes seem to start flowing in support of the melody. Some of my best songs are the ones that seem to write themselves!
How has your style evolved and changed over the time since you first started? Where do you think that your overall sound will go to in the months and years in the future?
My style has become much more structured and polished since the earlier days. I now look at each song as a whole, hoping that the melody is supported and the chords are easily memorable. I ask myself, “Is there anything about this song that makes it easily identifiable?” I hope I will continue to grow musically, and I’d love to experiment with new sounds and styles. I will most likely lean more towards Instrumental Pop than AC and Easy Listening.
On any Youtube video, there are countless genres thrown around for any song. How does that help or hurt music and musicians, and what genre(s) would your music fall into?
I believe that a good song or good artist doesn’t fit neatly into one genre, but there is a limit to how many genres truly fit each song or artist. Crossover between genres is a popular thing now, so it is good to widen your audience by appealing to more than one genre. But an artist’s overall style can easily be watered down if the songs become too eclectic or genre-bending. I tend to stick to a handful of crossover genres: Instrumental Pop, World, Adult Contemporary, and New Age.
How do you feel things are different musically and culturally between parts of the United States and the rest of the world?
It seems to be much easier to gain a more devoted following in many other countries. Artists can easily remain popular in a certain country outside America much longer than here at home. Artists aren’t dismissed so quickly once the next big thing hits the airwaves. For example, Daniel Powter had his one big hit here in America and that was it. But he remains popular in certain European countries and continues to chart well there.
Musicians usually talk about a dream concert, or those earlier acts they would like to play with. What would be your dream lineup?
Definitely Daryl Hall and John Oates come to mind. I would have loved to sit in and play the keyboards with them. Daryl Hall now has an online series, “Live From Daryl’s House,” where he has popular musicians as guests and they sing and play each other’s songs with a full band. My sister Debby turned me on to this show. I would love to sit in on one of their sessions!
We’ve heard and seen some crazy things at performance; what incredible or crazy times have you had on the road?
I hardly ever play live, since my music is highly programmed. Instead, I ask people to host listening parties and I attend as a special guest if I am available. This is a much more intimate atmosphere, and I get to know people better than in a one-sided performance.
What role does alcohol and other recreational drugs play in regards to music?
It depends on the type of music, I believe. I can’t see many folks getting high to the type of music I compose, but club music would be different. It has gotten worse in club circles than it used to be, and some of the music (such as Trance) seems to support the use of recreational drugs in order to fully enjoy and “feel” the music.
What does the rest of 2012 hold for you, and how can readers connect with you and your music?
I am currently working on my 6th CD, tentatively entitled “Rejuvenation.” I hope to release the new CD before the end of the year. If you would like a physical copy of any of my CDs, they are all available at CDBaby.com. MP3 Downloads are available everywhere else, such as iTunes, Rhapsody, Amazon, and Bandcamp. Or you may listen to my music at Jango, Spotify, SoundCloud, MySpace, YouTube, or on my website, www.svensundberg.com.
Any other thoughts for NeuFutur readers?
You bet! Think of my music as you would think of a fine wine. It takes time to come of age, but once it does, it is very pleasing to the palate! Relax and be soothed by it. And keep reading NeuFutur, it’s a one-stop read for many different pleasurable topics!
How can people contact you?
I have a Facebook page, www.facebook.com/SyncopeML, and I’d love to hear from you. I post many of my new songs and lots of updates on my Facebook page, so it’s definitely worth checking out. I also have a contact form on my website, www.svensundberg.com. Or you may send an email to [email protected].
Awesome music by my brother!!
Aw, thanks! 🙂