Hello Jonas! It’s good to be speaking with you again. How have you been doing in this time?
Hey! I've been doing good. I've kept myself occupied with building a new house as well as a new studio, and we just had a little baby girl, so life is good!
Has being in “Lockdown”, or at least spending more time at home, made you look at the way you approach creating music differently? For instance has it made you more or less creative?
It has been challenging. It has made me realise how much of the creative process, is doing shows and connecting with a crowd. Traveling and interacting with people has always been a very motivating factor for me, so it's definitely been a time of adjustment.
We’ve worked together on your debut sample pack that was released on Sample Magic. Can you tell us a little bit about what it was like to create a sample pack, and would you recommend this format to other music producers as a way of making an alternative income?
Working on the sample pack was one of the most surprisingly rewarding things I've done in the studio. I have never made and produced sounds before without the intent to use it in a specific song, so I realized it was a very fun and creative way to work. I also ended up using these sounds in my own work substantially, so I think this is a highly productive process for any producer. It can definitely be a good way to earn an extra income source as well.
We've been loving every single release that’s been coming out on your label “Mood of Mind” this year. What a great collection of music! Who’s on your list of artists to look out for this year and beyond?
Thanks! I'm really proud of all the great music that these guys have been releasing. We have upcoming music from Arturia, who released the killer Moments EP, and then from a new artist Zehv, so look out for that!
As you are living in Norway, and it’s such a vast and beautiful country, I've always wondered, what are your hobbies/interests outside of making music?
It is a beautiful country for sure, and I love to go for hikes in the woods and the mountains with the dogs, but most of the hours in the day are definitely spent on music. I feel very lucky to have my hobby be my job. That being said, it looks like I will be caving in and getting the new PS5 hehe.
Last but not least, what words of wisdom would you offer to a music producer of any level who might be struggling at the moment?
It is a tough time to be in the music industry for sure, and especially if you are dependent on doing shows. It might not seem like a positive time to pursue music at the moment, but I think there are great avenues to make money in music today that might be overlooked. Like we touched on earlier, producing sample packs can be great fun as well as lucrative.
There is also a huge market for sync music. Companies are always looking for music to sync up with their commercials, films, radio ads, etc. So I think it's definitely worth some time getting more familiar with that part of the industry.