Q&A: Swedish Pop Star Skott Shares How “Connection Between Souls” Inspired New Single “Evergreen”

Q&AMusic

Jul 8

☆ BY Hazel Rain ☆

“IT’S ALMOST LIKE THE DEEP CUTS MAKE US COLORFUL” — sings the Swedish artist Skott in her new pop single, “Evergreen,” which came out on June 17. This is her second single released recently, following “Sunshine,” with her second full-length album on the way for this fall.

Skott first began playing music as a child, learning how to play the violin by ear. She was only familiar with Swedish folk at the time but became inspired by other genres in her adolescence when she started playing video games. She was amazed by their soundtracks and taught herself to play piano and sing so that she could help write them someday.

As her talents became more recognized, she had the opportunity to write for a music publisher. She had graduated from music school and was writing for other artists. This did not last long for her, though, as she didn’t have the freedom to express her words in the way that she wanted. Skott then began to pursue a career as a solo artist, releasing her first single, “Porcelain,” in 2016, which became an overnight success.

Since then, her popularity has grown, and for good reason. Skott works to redefine pop, constantly experimenting with her sound. She values freedom in her work, now recording independently. “Evergreen” is inspired by love and nature, and is bound to make anyone want to embrace their inner child and run through the forest.

Read below to hear more about Skott and her new single.

LUNA: First off, how are you doing?

SKOTT: I’m loving the summer weather right now but also keeping busy in the studio and filming music videos for a couple of my new singles coming soon. I’m good, thanks — midsummer and this time of year is magical.

LUNA: Congratulations on your new single, "Evergreen"! Tell me about it.

SKOTT: Thank you! It’s about a love that’s timeless, that grows over time like a beautiful tree. It gets taller and more vibrant as the relationship continues. When we filmed the music video, we just walked around the garden at my family’s farm and there happened to be a lot of apple trees blooming beautifully that day, so everything sort of just fell into place with the theme.

LUNA: What does music mean to you? Why did you decide to be a musician?

SKOTT: It’s a lot about the melodies for me. I grew up in a small village where everybody learned to play the violin, and that had a big effect on me. I enjoyed making my own compositions and eventually friends noticed and liked my stuff, and I chose to go to a music school when I was given the opportunity.

LUNA: I read that playing video games is what first made you passionate about music and that you wanted to write soundtracks for them. Can you share a bit about what this was like?

SKOTT: Yes, I loved listening to soundtracks like Final Fantasy and Zelda. I like how a great game soundtrack can help you imagine a world, even without visuals. I was crazy excited when I found out my song “Porcelain” was in FIFA, and I dream of even making custom music for video games someday.

LUNA: How does your new single compare and contrast to other music you have made, in the processes behind making it and its sound?

SKOTT: It might be my “happiest” song yet. I’m not sure, you’ll have to listen and tell me what you think. It’s quite bright, and I wanted to capture this feeling of freedom. My previous stuff has often had darker elements or soundscapes or a lot of melancholy. There’s a little of that in “Evergreen” as well, but I’d say it’s definitely more uplifting than usual.

LUNA: I saw that you're releasing your second full-length album in the fall. Do you want to share a bit about that — anything that excites you or what the process behind it was like?

SKOTT: I’ve been working on both writing new songs and producing them this year, and there’s a lot of nature themes and references in my second album. I’ve also been directing a few videos for the album, so make sure to visit my YouTube channel so you don’t miss when they come out! I have a lot of fun in the process of making my music videos.

LUNA: Do you feel that your songs represent different aspects of yourself and your perspectives on the world? In what ways?

SKOTT: I wrote the song with someone special in mind, so it is connected to me personally in many ways. “Evergreen” is about this growing connection between two souls, and maybe it sounds cheesy, but there are a bunch of lyrics in the song that might describe the relationship I’m in.

LUNA: How does your relationship to nature affect your relationship with music?

SKOTT: Staring at a gorgeous landscape or seascape or mountain can inspire a melody. And lately I’ve been getting back to my roots more: a tiny lakeside village in Sweden where everybody has a violin. Some people say that there’s something in the water there because a bunch of artists and musicians happen to come from the same region. But whatever the case, I believe there’s something special about the forests and rivers there and the wild creatures. It’s not rare to see deer in my backyard or huge wild birds like a wood grouse — we named one Ralph.

LUNA: I found this statement of yours really interesting: “I also sing in my ‘kids choir’ voices, which is me pretending to be a whole gang of little kids with different characters. They often come out in my more playful songs that bring out the inner child in me. The kids carry a lot of energy and hit those higher notes with a lot of power because they don’t care about getting it right or pretty, they just shout at the top of their lungs.” Can you tell me what first inspired you to do this? Such a cool idea!

SKOTT: I’ve actually been doing my “kids choir” voice since the first song I released — it’s a fun way to add a different energy to a song. You can hear them sing along with me the chorus of “Kodak & Codeine,” for example, or “Porcelain,” among others. I guess I kind of consider it like a “signature Skott sound,” if there was one. The kids have stuck around since the beginning. I can’t get rid of them — they just keep showing up.

LUNA: What are some goals you have for your future, and do you have any upcoming plans?

SKOTT: Goals would be to compose music for a video game or a fantasy film or something. And I’d love to visit Mexico again, actually. Vive Latino was one of my favorite places to play — the crowd was so warm and amazing. A tour there would be awesome. But for now I’m focused on finishing productions for my full-length album which should be out this October. I hope you guys like it!

LUNA: Is there anything else you want to share?

SKOTT: Just thank you to everyone listening to my music and checking out my videos. I put a lot of heart into them and your support means everything.

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