This week we get to take a tour inside the mind of Steffan Rundquist, this week's featured independent artist. In my opinion, his words below very accurately capture the process most of us go through in becoming a musician. First there is challenge, then inspiration, followed by internal and external discovery, and eventually songwriting and mastery of one's instrument and/or voice. -Steve
My songs are a combination of acoustic reggae, pop/rock/ska I love reggae! especially Bob Marley. Bob Marley opened the door for me to spirituality. I grew up in Sweden in a very materialistic society. The eternal sound vibrations from Bob Marley's music made me see beyond this material world I was living in. Bob Marley was so courageous in his way to tell the truth about corrupt politics and societies etc. I listen to Bob Marley to get inspired to be brave. I also have traveled around the world for a long time (including as a child- my father was a sailor in the Merchant Marines and I went with him around the world for months at a time) and I have seen a lot of beautiful things but I have also seen a lot of injustice. I came to a point in my life where I had to make a choice with my lyrics and music. Today I write 50% love songs and in the other 50% I criticize injustice.
I have only an acoustic guitar, that goes with me everywhere I go. The melodies come from my heart. I sit with my guitar and my eyes closed and slowly and softly I'm singing melodies that are growing into a song. The lyrics of this EP are positive, about love and also critical to manipulating politicians and big impersonal greedy companies. Normally I write the lyrics separately, in a park, bus, library, in bed, a cafe, somewhere where I can focus on what I want to say with that song, sometimes in a meditative, dreamy state of mind. Then when I write a song I always play it in the street to see how it works in front of people. I have played 140 concerts and 150 street shows in the past 3 years. Furthermore I want to say that my brother Tomas (guitarist of "Macaco"- Spanish band) is and has always been a big inspiration for me, he is my favorite guitarist and you can hear him play the solo guitar on the song "Crying" on this EP. We played together all my life, I started playing in bands when I was 14 and I bought my brother his first guitar. My songs are real to me, my music and being an entrepreneur are who I am.
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| Steffan Rundquist |
I have only an acoustic guitar, that goes with me everywhere I go. The melodies come from my heart. I sit with my guitar and my eyes closed and slowly and softly I'm singing melodies that are growing into a song. The lyrics of this EP are positive, about love and also critical to manipulating politicians and big impersonal greedy companies. Normally I write the lyrics separately, in a park, bus, library, in bed, a cafe, somewhere where I can focus on what I want to say with that song, sometimes in a meditative, dreamy state of mind. Then when I write a song I always play it in the street to see how it works in front of people. I have played 140 concerts and 150 street shows in the past 3 years. Furthermore I want to say that my brother Tomas (guitarist of "Macaco"- Spanish band) is and has always been a big inspiration for me, he is my favorite guitarist and you can hear him play the solo guitar on the song "Crying" on this EP. We played together all my life, I started playing in bands when I was 14 and I bought my brother his first guitar. My songs are real to me, my music and being an entrepreneur are who I am.
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