Arts Archives - Page 5 of 6 - Sofia Talvik - Americana / Folk with Swedish Roots

September 4, 2011September 4, 2011

Thoughts about booking a tour

I’ve just started booking my US tour, starting in Florida in December, and first of all I have to say how amazed I am by these quadrillion of music venues. It seems like every café, restaurant, library and music lover hosts concerts. I’m also amazed how many of them are folk venues, or at least host folk music as well as other genres.

In Sweden nobody even knows what folk music is, here it’s fiddles and Orsa spelmän (if you all want to know what happened to ABBA after the 80’s). (I guess I’m not being totally fair because people here have heard Fleet Foxes and mostly the folk genre is called singer/songwriter here though I don’t think it’s totally right.)

Once in an interview the reporter asked me how I would define my music, and I answered “americana/folk”. When I read the published interview my answer was American funk. That says something about Sweden and folk music. But in the US, folk music almost seems like a cult. And here I am ordering feather hair extensions tuning my Luna guitar. I will probably fit right in!

So anyways, coming from a country that may be small but is really big when it comes to music export (again with the ABBA) I must say that Sweden is a puny country when it comes to live music. I was wondering the other day how many people would actually be confident enough to host a house concert here in Sweden. To actually let musicians and other people into their homes.. I mean what would the neighbors say???

So it’s really uplifting to see how many venues there are to chose from in the US. Unfortunately I’m not alone with this knowledge and I’m competing with so many bands. I just have to pray that I stand out in the crowd and that all these people will find it in their hearts to invite me to their homes, their cafés, libraries, galleries and what not.

And if you live in the US and want to host a house concert with yours truly, get in touch here http://book.sofiatalvik.com!

August 4, 2011August 4, 2011

V – Update #4

Janne Manninen producer of 'V - Part Three of L.O.V.E'

For the third part or the L.O.V.E saga I had my bass player Janne Manninen lay his electric fingers on my songs. It’s now just a few weeks left before it’s released and we need your support to make it through the final stages of production. Thank you so much for pre-ordering the EP HERE! For this update we caught a few words with Janne in the studio!

Hi Janne! You’re the producer of ‘V – part three of L.O.V.E’. Please tell us a bit about the sound of the new EP!
My idea was Sofia Talvik but with an electro touch. More synth bass and more retro drums. But in a new modern style. Not as stripped down as her music usually is and with that extra electro vibe. And I also wanted to introduce the electric guitar that I know Sofia has in her closet …

What’s your main inspiration for the production of this EP?
All the good music I listen to… its a secret! And also a bunch of friends who I’ve met in my life that have inspired me with their musicality and their great ideas!

You’re usually the bass player in Sofia’s backing band. How do you feel that this experience has been different from when you usually play with Sofia?
Finally I get to decide which instrument should be the loudest one in the mix! Otherwise its not much difference, music is always music to me whether you are the bass player or the producer.

What have you been up to this summer?
Mostly hanging out with my son and my girlfriend. My son is almost a year old and he is a great inspiration by just being himself. And I have been touring in Norway with the Swedish singer Melissa Horn and that has been a good tour but also a hard tour due to the terror attack that happened in Oslo in the end of July! The Norwegians are great people, but it’s expensive in Norway.

What’s your favorite memory from touring with Sofia?
The US tour in 2010. Three weeks of tennis in Hawaii, a lot of time in Rafe Dogs car, riding the mechanical bull in Austin and meeting friendly and funny people. Discussing taxes with Americans is always an adventure 🙂 And the motel in Van Horn – the place to be if you wish to see a guy that looks like the psycho from the movie ‘No country for old men’ … uuuuuuu

On tour with Sofia Talvik — Check out the guy on the phone in the background

You chose ‘Jonestown’ to do a ‘re-make’ of, which version do you like the best, yours or the original one?
The Original! Im so tired of producing and mixing my version! But if the original had some pedal steel that would be even better… 🙂

Tell us three things we can expect from ‘V – part three of L.O.V.E’?
Synth bass, drum machines and pedal steel guitar!

And finally, is your favorite color purple?
If you want to know the answer of that you’ll have to ask the clerk in the souvenir shop on USS Midway in San Diego. According to Rafe Dog the entrance fee is only 5 bucks but I would be prepared to pay a liiiiitle bit more. than that …

December 14, 2009April 26, 2018

Sofia Talvik’s Xmas Calendar: #14

I once tried to bribe Fredrik Strage in the breakfast room at TV4. He was going to talk about new hip music, and I was going to play live at the TV4 Morning show where Fredrik is a profile every now and then. Apparently Fredrik wasn’t that easy to bribe that time, but he did want to be a guest in my Xmas Calendar when I asked him nicely.

If you’re easily scared, this is not an episode for you. Fredrik shows us his favourite scenes from Christmas horror movies, and he seems to have an evil side of himself as well …

Due to being unable to include the copyright material from the movies in this episode of the Xmas Calendar, I had to cut this episode up in parts, I’m sorry for the inconvenience.

Gremlins

Nightmare before Christmas

Silent Night, Deadly Night

December 18, 2008August 25, 2011

New interview on Riveting Riffs!

Canadian Music Zine “Riveting Riffs” has just published a fresh interview with me!

Preview
“Sofia Talvik is a pop star on the rise. She has already conquered her native Sweden, won the hearts of those at Chicago’s Lollapalooza music festival in August of 2008, and in March of 2009 the gifted singer / songwriter, with the breathtaking vocals, will be appearing at SXSW in Austin Texas, followed by an appearance at the Canadian Music Festival in Toronto, Canada. Talvik, who writes all of her lyrics in English, has received strong radio play on Sweden’s radio stations, and recently recorded a mini concert and interview for SR P3, which was aired on November 12th. Her current CD Jonestown is causing quite a stir on the international music scene, with her single, “My James Dean…”

Read the full 2 page interview here:
Sofia Talvik on Riveting Riffs

April 12, 2007August 2, 2017

Guesting Swedish Radio p4

Hey!
This Friday, between 10.30 and 11.00 am, I'm guesting the p4 radio show Hasse & Ylva.
Unfortunately I won't be doing any singing but I will be talking , so don't miss it hehe.

Update: Listen to the show here. (Starts 5mins in after the news.)