From tours in North America and Europe with artists like MØ and Phantogram, Skott releases magnificent singles and is taking over the pop music industry.
Tell us about your latest EP ‘Chapter I’, how was it working on it, and what is the story behind it?
The EP was inspired by seeing fans cover my songs in a bunch of different ways. I asked them which of my songs to they’d like to hear acoustic versions of, and ‘Chapter I’ was born thanks to them. So it’s been especially exciting to share this one with them, and also been fun to see my songs in a completely different light than the original versions.
Who have been the people who influenced you the most and from whom you were inspired?
Video game soundtracks for sure. For example, Koji Kondo who composed a lot of iconic and amazing Nintendo soundtracks like Zelda. And Final Fantasy, I listened to this stuff a lot growing up. And also the folk music where I come from played an important role in my musical upbringing.
What inspired your mega single ‘Tired’ and what do you hope to communicate with this single?
The guitarist in my band and I wrote the song, and it was originally supposed to be for his solo project. But every time I heard it, I kept singing along, and then we realised that maybe that’s the way it was meant to be, a duet. The song is almost like this ‘Tired’ mantra that keeps repeating, where you’re so exhausted, but at the same time you just can’t stop moving forward.
Has COVID changed you as a musician or how you approach your creative process? Have you learned anything new about yourself during quarantine?
Without touring or live shows, I’ve found a lot more time for writing and producing new music. So that’s been an unexpected upside of an otherwise odd an unfortunate situation. I don’t know if I’ve learned anything new about myself, but since travel hadn’t been a thing for a while, I’m definitely appreciating the quality time I’m getting at home. And to be honest there’s nowhere I’d rather be during midsummer, which is a beautiful time of year and kinda a huge holiday where I’m from in Sweden.
Who is the next artist you would like to collaborate with?
A dream collaboration would be to work with Labyrinth. What I’ve heard of his stuff is incredible, he seems like an amazing writer and producer.
From all the singles you’ve released so far, which one still makes you excited every time you hear it?
It’s always different depending on my mood, but right now I’d say ‘Lack of Emotion’. I like that it’s in between genres and emotions in a playful way that I enjoy. It’s like a mellow disco emotional rollercoaster.
Can you share any upcoming plans with us?
I’m working on my second album, amongst a few other exciting projects that I can’t say too much about yet. My first album “Always Live For Always” came out last summer, and I’ve just been in the studio basically since then, working on the next one. I can’t wait to share the new stuff with you guys!
What excites you most about being a singer and performing around the world?
It’s still crazy to me to think that a song I’ve made can reach random people in random corners of the planet. I love reading and replying to the comments on my Instagram (@skottpeace by the way, come say hi) and finding out that ‘Wolf’ has a superfan in Argentina, or ‘Burning Incense’ has diehard fans in Russia. That stuff blows my mind and just gets me more excited to release even more music.
You are an inspiration for lots of people around the world, including artists, music producers, and music fans. What message would you like to send them during this difficult time?
I think it’s important to take time for yourself, and enjoy the little things. Sometimes it’s easy to focus only on the big things, but I feel we shouldn’t forget about or underestimate the power of little moments or little things you enjoy.
