Agnes Talks Conquering America, New Music & Why Swedish Pop Is Absolutely The Best
Recording the album in Sweden, among her people, felt like the right thing to do. “I think we are really good at pop music,” she said. “I don’t know why, but there are a lot of really, really great songwriters and producers from Sweden. Pop music is the best from here. I think it’s because there’s a lot of great songwriters who always listen to each other and they’re like, ‘Oh, okay, they’ve done this. I can do something better!’ When you have something close to you, you’re always on your toes.”
As for the sound of Veritas, she said that it wasn’t a calculated departure. “I love moody kinds of music,” she said. “When I listen to music, I like to mix happy and moody. With this new album, I thought it was exciting to make the production not too perfect. TO make it a bit dirtier. I think that’s why it went more moody.” She laughed. “I don’t know — I was co-writing all the songs, so maybe that’s why!”
While she preps new studio sessions, one of the standout tracks from Veritas — the excellent “Got Me Good” — has been given a refix courtesy of Swedish DJ Bassflow, who injected it with a new vibrance. “It was so fun for me to do that song, because I’d had one song that I was listening to a lot — ‘When Love Takes Over.’ There were two girls from Australia who wrote that song. I love their stuff and I really wanted to work with them. So my manager called them and asked if they were interested and they were like, ‘Yeah, we love Agnes!’ So they came to Stockholm and we did this song together — so for me, it’s really important, because it’s the first song we did.”
It might be a smart calling card if she chooses to give the UK or U.S. another shot, which she says is in the cards. “I do really want to go back,” she said. “Two years ago when I was there touring, it was incredible. We say Swedish people are a bit shy, but you’re not in America! It’s really incredible when you stand up on stage and perform. It’s so much love.”
Photo via Gröna Lund
