In this interview spotlight, we chat with Martin Forsell about the newest release, influences, navigating the digitized music world and more.
Q&A along with links and streams below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
I grew up and live in a small town called Nässjö in the heart of southern Sweden. Over the last 10 years I’ve been experimenting with different genres in various constellations to feel what is right for me. I would probably label myself as a Singer-songwriter in the indie folk genre.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to stay the course?
Ever since I was young I’ve been very interested in the creatives, both art and music. School never really intrigued me so college was never really on the table, I instead chose to focus on my music and evolving as a musician, because I do think there is an audience out there for the music that I create.
Who or what are your biggest influences when it comes to your creativity?
My influences has evolved a lot over the years but it probably began with Ted Gärdestad’s song “Helena” which to this day is one of my absolute favorites. But beyond that I’ve taken inspiration from Bob Dylan, Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens), Velvet Underground, Joy Division as well as newer music like Tallest Man on Earth, Bon Iver and Nathaniel Rateliff. I can’t seem to get enough of music that have a strong focus on lyrics.
How is your new release different than previous ones? Did you set out to accomplish anything specific?
For the first time ever I’ve been working alongside two talented producers, Håkan Persson and Louise Lindenger. I’ve also gotten help from two fantastic musicians, Andreas Bohlin and Tony Svensson. I would say that my new singles have a greater sense of purity and honesty, in both lyrics and music, than anything I’ve ever created before.
Do you face any challenges as an indie musician in a digital age? On the flip side, how has technology helped you (if it has)?
To be able to reach all corners of the world with your music easily is definitely a huge benefit for unestablished artists. At the same time, these means of distribution also increase competition. It is hard to stand out in the vast ocean of music that is made available each day without a record label backing you and helping you promote and reach the right audience with your music. To some extent, you could say this has shifted the focus from making great music, to instead getting people to click a link, like and share etc.
How do you feel about streaming services? Any romantic attachments to the physical formats: vinyl, 8-track, cassettes, CDs?
Spotify is great in that it lets you keep your full music library in one place and lets you bring it everywhere you go. I also enjoy their “Related Artists” feature for finding new and interesting music. I’ve found tons of great stuff through that! However I do think it is great that the vinyl is back and I’m planning on releasing my debut album on vinyl. The extra effort that comes with playing a record on vinyl gives you more of an opportunity to appreciate the music all the way, more so than simply putting on a mixed playlist on shuffle.
Where can we follow you online and hear more music?
My debut single ”Bliss” and my newest single ”Liberations” is available on Spotify, iTunes, SoundCloud and other popular music platforms.
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/martinforsellofficial/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martinforsell/
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1bHgRv0x4aXZA4UMMffKu3
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-331100930
Anything else before we sign off?
Thank you so much for the interview and for letting me be heard a little bit more!
