Music: Interview with Jon Magnusson, eclectic #songwriter and musician

We always find the most interesting musicians around the world and it's a pleasure to introduce Jon Magnusson, a Swedish songwriter and musician with a wide range of musical talent. Read on to find more about his music!

Welcome! Please tell us a little about your background and where you are from.

I'm from Stockholm, Sweden and I have been playing music since I was a little kid. But I've been doing it more seriously the last 2.5 years. 

What kind of music do you play and why did you choose this genre?

I started playing mostly indie and folk but with time I have explored new genres like jazz and progressive rock. I have even done some electronica and hip hop collaborations.

It’s great to explore! Who was your greatest influence to follow in the music career? Why?

I use to say I have three big influences: 1. Swedish and British punk 2. Leonard Cohen 3. Simon & Garfunkel.

Excellent influences! Do you also write the lyrics and compose the songs?

I do almost everything. From writing music and lyrics to producing and recording. I do collaborate with two great producers/engineers as well.

Very creative! You seem to be involved in most of the production of your music. When was the first time you performed live and how did you feel?

2 years ago in a little venue in Stockholm and I was dead nervous but on stage it felt amazing.

I bet it was nerve-wracking but I’m sure you are pretty comfortable performing! Is there a specific performance you feel was your best so far? If so, where and why?

A gig I did at a pub in Brighton, UK. A lot of people showed up and even though almost no one knew my music I got them to sing-along to the last song. 

Fantastic! What do you enjoy the most about your interaction with the fans?

That it gives me both encouragement and inspirations to write new songs. I love when people share their story with me.

Awesome. You just mentioned that your fans give you inspiration to write new songs, but is there anywhere else that makes you draw inspiration to compose? 

From a lot of different places. Real life experience, literature, other's experiences. I also like writing from others perspective, build up a character and try to imagine myself in his or her shoes.

What are you working on now and what are your plans for the future? Where can we find and buy your music?

I recently finished an instrumental EP that's more prog folk/jazz/psychedelic and I'm planning the release of it. Then you'll never know what I will come up with :) Best place is via my website www.jonmagnusson.se where you can find links to all different places where you can buy/stream my music.

Congratulations on your newest release! Is there anything else you'd like to add?

I love getting to know my listeners so please get in touch via e-mail or my messenger m.me/jonmagnussonof

Thank you so much for your time, and we wish you lots of success in your music career!

 

Music: Interview with talented Italian Singer and Songwriter Francesco Liccari

We're pleased to introduce Francesco Liccari, an Italian musician who sings, composes, and plays the guitar. Find out more about this talented singer/songwriter by reading his interview and listening to his songs!

Please tell us a little about your background and where you are from.

I’m from Trieste (Italy), a border city where different cultures meets together. There, I started taking lessons of classical guitar when I was a child. Under the guidance of my teacher, Andrea Massaria (professor of Jazz guitar at Venice conservatory), I’ve learned almost everything I know about music. 

And since you’re been playing since you were a child, what made you fall in love with music?

Listening made me fall in love with music. I’ve always listened to a lot of music since I was a child. I began with the artists my father listened to (the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd) and then with the ones my brother listened to (David Bowie, Queen, Cat Stevens, Fabrizio De André, Donovan). Then, I found my own tastes, listening to Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Woody Guthrie, Leonard Cohen, Lou Reed, Velvet Underground, Francesco Guccini, Edoardo Bennato, to name a few. At some point, I felt the need to write my own songs and so I did it.

You’ve mentioned several of your favorite singers. Can you consider any of them as your greatest influence to follow in the music career? Why?

At the beginning, it was Bob Dylan. His lyrics taught me the importance of words and feelings, and through his music I learnt my own way of writing. The second greater influence is David Bowie. He taught me how to change, how to make my music different. As a songwriter, I can find my way of writing music and then continue all my life with it or I can change it, like Bowie always did. This is the most important lesson, do not copy what you have already done but strive to always be different.

That’s a really good lesson for every artist. I’m assuming you also write the lyrics and compose the songs?

Yes, I do. I love to create something new every time, writing the right words for the right music. 

When was the first time you performed live and how did you feel?

The first time I performed live was in 2009. My songwriting project had yet to come and I was playing in a cover band at that time. I felt scared and also excited, and it was funny but totally awful! The first time I performed live as Francesco Liccari was in 2010. I played just a couple of songs I wrote the year before but was definitely better than my first performance.

That’s great. Is there a specific performance you feel was your best so far? If so, where and why?

No, there is not. Certainly playing at Sofar Sounds was a nice experience and I also think I did some really good performance after Enrico Casasola joined my project, playing bass. However I can't pick one as the best. I usually perform trying to share my feelings (through music) with the audience; if I succeed, that is a great performance. So every performance is different; it can be good or bad, but a good one can't be better than another good performance.

It makes sense. What do you enjoy the most about your interaction with the fans? Who is your audience?

Talking with them after a gig, or on social network. It is extremely important to me to get to meet my audience not only in general, but every single person. They give me strength and the reason to keep playing. Music is made for listening; without my audience, my music would be useless. Who is your audience you ask me? People with something in common with me; they find something in my music that they also feel. I see that like an invisible thread linking each other.

It’s a wonderful thing when your music resonates with your audience. And how do you draw inspiration to write your music? 

Everywhere: from real life, from stories I hear, from my lucid dreams, from the emotions I feel. A mix of memories, time and irrational. The inspiration for the lyrics I write comes to me like a stream of consciousness, all at once.

What are you working on now and what are your plans for the future? Where can we find and buy your music?

I’m working on my third EP. I'm going to reveal the title in a preview to you; it will be "Four letters: love". Its main theme will obviously be love. However it won't be a collection of love songs but a reflection about love.

You can find my previous EPs on Soundcloud, you can buy them on Bandcamp and you can find some videos here: http://francescoliccari.it/video/

I hope you’ll enjoy them!

I’m sure we will, and thank you so much for revealing the name of your next EP to us! That’s special. And is there anything else you'd like to add?

Support independent music/musicians, we have a lot of independent music out there. Do not let the majors choose which the right music is for you. Same goes for movies, books, paintings and all the arts. Don't let others decide for you, choose by yourself.

Finally, and in conclusion, I would like to thank you for the interview!

Thank you for your time, Francesco, and we wish you much success in your music career! 

To follow Francesco and find out more about his music, click on the links below:

 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Franz_Liccari

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrancescoLiccari/

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/francesco-liccari

Bandcamp: https://francescoliccari.bandcamp.com/

Website: http://francescoliccari.it/