Singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Emil Svanangen is the man behind Loney, Dear. In the past year, they have been signed to label giants EMI and have toured with Of Montreal and Low, amongst others. Aloud caught up with the man backstage after his gig at the End Of The Road festival to discuss crap music and life as a computer troubadour…

How do you think your set went?
I think it was very nice, I enjoyed it very much.

You’ve been compared to the likes of Sufjan Steven. Do you think that is reflective of your music?
People have been comparing me to Sufjan for a long time. Recently, I’ve started to feel they maybe right. I enjoy his expression. I wouldn’t say I have taken inspiration from him but I think I’m starting to realise now that I should be taking inspiration from him. I got into him a bit this year. He’s a much better storyteller than I am.

How does Loney, Dear compare to your earlier solo work?
I try to keep things as much as possible. I am working on lots of albums at the same time so it’s a difficult development. I want to win people by being nice to the people who like me. I think that people who like it know that it has a similar way to it.

There seems to be a big wave of good Scandinavian music emerging at the moment what do you think is behind this sudden influx of good new acts?
I think people have a lot of time and money in Sweden so they don’t have to worry too much about the working of musical democracy which perhaps lets people do what they want. We have the right government which I think makes a big difference. The art in Sweden has had the chance to develop rapidly. Of course, everyone has to worry about economic issues, but I think it is a lot more relaxed in Scandinavia than, say, in the States. In the States, you have to have money to get to the right places. It’s a good time for us in Sweden and I think that’s showing in the music coming out of there.

You release records on your own label, Dear John. How do you think this benefits you?
It’s not really a label - it only has a name because I was given a sheet which asked for a name. But now I think Dear John recordings is the best label in the world! We don’t have a web page or a blog and we only have one artist. That said, EMI/Parlophone are releasing our new record in England and Sub-Pop are releasing it in the States so I’m hoping something good comes out of it.

There seems to be a lot more humility in Swedish music than in the English scene at the moment. Why do you think that is?
I think it goes in waves, I’m not an expert in the music business but I have heard a lot of crap music branching out all over. Sometimes business people think that good music is the key to selling records and sometimes they think that releasing things that have been done before is the best way to sell records. Actually, it seems for the moment that the music coming out of Sweden is better than it ever has been before. We were royal providers of Britney Spears style crap. It’s not that I don’t like a particular song or style – I can enjoy any music – but a lot of that cheesy pop is just crap music. But that’s not to mean it can’t be great music either. I’m not saying everything about it is bad but the whole idea of not trying to do something original and produce your own voice I just don’t like.
Time is a very good filter for music. If you look back, for the most part time has eroded all the crap so I prefer listening to and mixing the past. At the moment I’m very fascinated by the techno scene and a lot of 80s music that was trying to stand out from the pack. It’s the stuff you’re not really supposed to listen to, the stuff that grows old faster than the milk in the refrigerator.

Do you think you’re now writing more for the public than for yourself?
No, I am writing for myself. I make music only for myself but sometimes it strikes me that maybe someone is going to hear this music. I think it’s best to think like I did before anyone heard it and I kind of like that. I like performing in front of people but the emotional centre is in the songwriting. I don’t like the travelling so much. The songwriting is still my passion. I don’t need to share it with anyone else other than my friends, but of course it’s nice to reach out to people and listen to their opinions.

Have you thought about writing for others in that case?
No, life is too short to not do and see everything you want to.

What’s it like being away from Stockholm as often as you are?
It’s okay, but as I don’t have an apartment yet it makes it that little bit harder. I guess I’m a computer troubadour. My life is with my computer, yet when it comes time to record, even though I do it on my computer, I can’t do it unless I’m in Stockholm. There is no need to rush and it’s not that important in comparison to all things happening in the world.

How would you describe your music to people who haven't heard it?
I’ve discovered that people find it quite tricky to label me, but I haven’t thought about it that way. I just try to make music as accessible as possible without trying to change anything. I think it’s great, beautiful music, nostalgic and sentimental. But if you’ve never had any problems I think you probably won’t find anything in it!

Mark Thompson