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DIY, Sweden, and Sync with Håkan Persson (Swedish Red Elephant, I Don't Speak French, Indie Shake)

Metadata

description

Håkan joins the pod to discuss building a music career, the Swedish scene, and the importance of community. He's a great friend, collaborator, and inspirational guy. I think you'll love to hear his heart-warming philosophy on music! Håkan Persson is a songwriter, producer, artist and label owner from Sweden. Born and raised in the south of Sweden as the youngest child of two school teachers. From an early age Håkan became enamored with all types of music and soon began recording his friends music as well as his own. While studying at university he met Louise that became his ongoing parter in music for almost all future projects. Coming from the punk / Indie scene Håkan has always maintained the d.i.y mentality. Building collectives and communities of musicians and likeminded individuals. Taking the octopus approach, Håkan has racked up 65 million streams with electronic project Swedish Red Elephant, placed songs with indie outfit I Don’t Speak French for commercials and TV shows. As well as running a successful studio and indie label “Indieshake”.

status

complete

date

2023-06-13

kind

guest

guestSlugs

hakan-persson

listenUrl

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lovemusicmore/episodes/DIY--Sweden--and-Sync-with-Hkan-Persson-Swedish-Red-Elephant--I-Dont-Speak-French--Indie-Shake-e25lebv

appleUrl

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/diy-sweden-and-sync-with-h%C3%A5kan-persson-swedish/id1567355195?i=1000616857842&uo=4

spotifyUrl

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0fRPstavehbWQdp5pHSKdd

youtubeUrl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6Kex7osmXs

topicsDiscussed

Electronic music
Genre
The music business
Songwriting
Collaboration
Scoring for picture
Piano, synth, and keys
Guitar
The history of rock
DIY labels and community in Sweden

hostNote

Håkan Persson writes, produces, and runs a label out of Sweden, and he traces all of it back to his mother's love of music and to writing his first song at eight years old. He's since built **Swedish Red Elephant** into a 65-million-stream electronic project, placed songs with **I Don't Speak French** in commercials and TV, and founded the label **Indieshake** on a DIY, community-first ethic. We talk through his path from the punk and indie scene into electronic music, a genre he says he hated the first time he heard it before falling into writing top lines for it, and what changed his mind. He walks through how sync licensing actually works for an indie artist, why brands are often more open to unusual indie voices than people assume, and where he draws the line on selling out: "there are different degrees of selling out." The conversation keeps returning to community: Håkan's belief that going far in music means going together, and how Sweden's grassroots label culture makes that possible in practice.

selectedMoments

label
Håkan's love for music from a young age
startSec
92
note
Håkan shares how his mother's passion for music influenced his early exposure to various genres.
label
Early songwriting experiences
startSec
179
note
He recalls writing his first song at just eight years old.
label
Fear of failure in music
startSec
257
note
Discussing how starting artists often feel intimidated by the success of others.
label
Challenges and changes in music perception
startSec
336
note
Håkan explains the challenges of being evaluated on today’s social media.
label
Evolution of musical tastes
startSec
490
note
Håkan talks about his initial disdain for electronic music and how his view evolved.
label
The symbiotic relationship with commercials
startSec
902
note
He describes how commercials can prioritize unique indie voices.
label
Views on selling out in music
startSec
1286
note
Håkan discusses the complexities of 'selling out' in the music industry.
label
The significance of community in artistry
startSec
1640
note
Reflecting on how understanding shared struggles can elevate songwriting.
label
Swedish music culture and support systems
startSec
1859
note
He highlights the impact of Swedish culture on music production.
label
Building an artist-friendly label
startSec
2831
note
Håkan discusses the founding principles of his label, Indieshake.

excerptQuotes

text
I became enamored with all types of music... My mom was really into music, she was like a hippie in the 70s.
startSec
93
reviewed
true
text
I remember growing up... before smartphones you could play a really bad show and nobody would care.
startSec
337
reviewed
true
text
I hated dance music when it first came out, but then we fell into doing top lines... it's all about the instrumental and the top line.
startSec
491
reviewed
true
text
A lot of brands are looking for stuff that sounds interesting... enjoy taking tiny indie artists and giving them money.
startSec
901
reviewed
true
text
Nobody cares if you sell out a little bit... there are different degrees of selling out.
startSec
1285
reviewed
true
text
I think it's so important to have a community around you when you're trying to navigate this industry...
startSec
1610
reviewed
true
text
You can do it yourself, but if you want to go far, go together.
startSec
3244
reviewed
true
text
There are so many artists pushing the envelope... it's kind of like a beautiful mix of genres and styles in Sweden.
startSec
2021
reviewed
true

faq

question
What inspired Håkan Persson to start making music?
answer
Håkan was inspired by his mother's passion for music and the diverse musical influences in his family.
question
How does Håkan Persson define success in the music industry?
answer
He believes success is about sustaining oneself through music while maintaining connections in the artistic community.
question
What is the DIY music culture in Sweden like?
answer
The Swedish music culture is deeply rooted in community support, with many artists benefiting from grassroots initiatives and label structures.

transcriptPublished

false

draft

false

Content

No body content; see metadata above.