Jenny is from Gothenburg and goes under the name of Paperwing – a musician who describes her music as ‘avantgarde-ish.’ Today sees the release of a her new single, so we spoke with the singer to find out more.
Tell us who you are and what is your sound?
I’m Paperwing, or Jenny as people usually call me, and I’m an artist, composer and producer from Gothenburg, Sweden. I make my own music in the avantgarde-ish pop sphere.
What exciting projects have you got coming up?
I’m finishing up a new EP, and the first single is called Dedicated and released today (November 13). Super excited!! This is actually my first ever cover – it’s one my friend NEAs song. I got inspired when listening to her music, and I thought this one would be cool to do in an acoustic ballad kind of way. It’s been so fun to work with her material and to add my own take to it. NEA’s heard my version, and it feels so nice to do this with her blessing!
Where did you grow up and what music influenced you?
I grew up in the same place I currently live in – the city of Gothenburg, on the western coast of Sweden. Both my parents were working musicians – mom played piano and saxophone and had a lot of jobs as an arranger and composer, and my dad was a pretty prominent saxophone player on the Swedish jazz scene. It was a special way of growing up. What was normal for me was strange for others – my parents were usually at home daytime, but then went away on tours for weeks at a time. During my childhood I’ve been subjected to a whole lot of different music. At home we listened a lot to jazz and fusion – Wayne Shorter, Miles Davis and stuff like that. I went to concerts with my parents, listening to freejazz and experimental fusion. But as a child growing up in the 90’s and early 21st century, I also listened (and sang and danced 😉 ) to a lot of mainstream pop and radio music – like Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys, Hanson etc. When I was a bit older I started to explore a bit more of my own musical tastes, and I listened A LOT to artists like Björk, Joni Mitchell and Coldplay. I can actually hear a lot of that sound coming out in the music I create today.
What cool places do you recommend to visit in your city (bars, restaurants, etc)?
My number one go-to is a place called Björns Bar – it’s a small cellar bar with a lot of great wine and small dishes. I love to spontaneously pop down for a glass and a bit of charcuterie. Brewers Beer Bar is also worth a visit – a lot of locally brewed beers and kick-ass pizzas.
We love recommendations – what have you been listening to, watching, or reading recently?
I’m just finishing up a Gilmore Girls-marathon, I think it’s such an awesome series! The different mother-daughter relationships, and the dialogue! Also, the movie about Eurovision, with Will Ferell, oh my god I laughed out loud, it was really funny.
I’ve had a period where I’ve not been listening to music, almost at all – it comes in waves for me, depending on where I am in my own creative process. Sometimes I need outside inspiration, and sometimes I need to be alone with my own music. It’s similar with books – I go through periods where I’m glued to a book and can’t put it down, and then long stretches of time where I don’t read at all. The last book I read was a real mind blowing piece of work – You Are the Universe, by Deepak Chopra and Menas Kafatos, about quantum physics. Whoa!!
Finally, what was the last thing that made you swear out loud?
I guess it was the other day, trying to pocket park our old 1995 Toyota Corolla on the street outside our home, hungry and tired after a long day of recording 😂
Interview by Alex Minnis
