What friends are for

K Composite #13

I was talking to a friend the other day about how hard people in Sweden have to support their friends and be happy for their success. We even have a epithet for it “The Jante Law”. Wikipedia lists it as “a pattern of group behavior towards individuals within Scandinavian communities, which negatively portrays and criticizes individual success and achievement as unworthy and inappropriate.” Or as Morrissey so eloquently put it: “We hate it when our friends become successful”.

It’s a quite unpleasant thing and you will see it everywhere, even how people are portrayed in media sometimes. Well I’ve had my share, being an artist and performer. It’s sad when there’s a competition between artists and other actors in the music industry, when we all could benefit from helping and supporting each other. Especially in such a small country as Sweden.

But I think the worst thing is when people who are your friends don’t support you or can be happy for you. Every day I’m stunned by how wonderful my fans and friends abroad are. Helping me out in so many ways. Some whom I haven’t even met. Like with my pledge for my EPs. Or now that I’ve applied for an artist visa. How generous and helpful people really are.  

However It makes me just as sad when real life friends brushes off my pledgemusic project with the notion that supporting by pledging would be the same as them giving me a salary. Like I would use the money to party on the town or something (and the funny thing is that they’d gladly buy me a beer any time). And then, they all enjoy my music for free on Spotify. Don’t get me wrong. I want people to enjoy my music for free, but I’m sad to experience that Swedes sometimes are not as generous and loving as other nationalities.  

My new goal is therefor to be a better person and support friends and colleagues more. And today I’m starting with my friend Scott. Scott is the writer, designer and publisher of the magazine K Composite. He’s been doing it for years and now he’s working on a new issue. If you like independent magazines, you’ll like K Composite. It’s basically a really beatutiful magazine containing interviews with regular people. Scott has a pledge at Kickstarter to fund the new issue and I think you should all check it out now.

What was that? … Well of course I pledged!!! 

 

 

K composite
K composite

 

On the Road

We’ve been stuck in San Diego for a few days. Not that I’m complaining, we’ve been mostly sitting in the hot tub with a beer, but we’re all longing to do more concerts. We played at Acoustic Music San Diego which kind of left us with mixed feelings as the greeting from the manager there was less than pleasant. But we’re all looking forward to our gigs in Austin. As we’re actually staying for 2 extra days after SXSW is over we were talking about maybe getting us another gig, like a SXSW after party kind of thing. That would be fun!

Tomorrow we’re hitting the road again and to make the days pass and spend less time in the car we’re cutting the trip into a 3 days drive instead of 2 days of loooong hours in the car. We’ve mapped our route on roadsideamerica.com and have a few funny things to see on the way to Austin. I’m looking forward to Shakespear’s Ghost Town, and the guys want to see the Bush Gallery of the Pacific War.

I’m not in Texas yet but I did manage to buy myself a pair of seriously cool cowboy boots today! They’re blue so I’m feeling like sining “blue suede shoes” only I have to change it to “blue suede boots” haha.

For all of you that want some free music as a special treat for SXSW, text SXSW2010 to 41411 (US only).

See you at SXSW!