Mária Čírová is a singer born in Trnava, Slovakia, in 1988. She reached fame after winning the last season of Coca-Cola Popstar, a reality show in her home country. Since then, her career has grown steady, and last month she presented us her newest single. "Unikát" is a strong song which explores soul and R&B beats.
Born in Essex in 1995, Sam Callahan found fame after participating on the tenth edition of the British The X Factor. After the reality, he kept working with music, and not long ago he presented his latest single: "I love it when you" is a great mix of electronic beats and pop!
We are sure you have heard of German singer Gabriele Susanne Kerner. Well, maybe you don't know her by her real name, but for sure you've heard of Nena and her worldwide hit "99 red balloons", right? Well, she is back on track and as amazing as ever! Her new single, "Genau jetzt", is the third single to emerge from "Oldschool", Nena's 17th (!) studio album. The song is a deep and very interesting ballad, which explores alternative sounds and the delicate voice of the singer.
American rock legend Prince sadly passed away some weeks ago. Some charts around Europe have blossomed with songs of his as an hommage, and the highlight comes from France: "Purple rain", one of Prince's most anthemic songs, is leading the charts this week.
Sounds European! is very proud to present another amazing exclusive interview. We are back to Sweden, land of an amazing singer and songwriter who we had the honor of talking to. These are our 10 questions for Erik Hassle:
Sounds European!: Tell us your story with music. What are your first memories with music? Who were your idols when you were growing up, and who are your idols now? And how were your first own experiences with music?
Erik Hassle: My first memory is "Man behind the mask", by Alice Cooper. It was my older brother's favorite song, and he could play the octave synth bass. Stevie Wonder was my idol growing up, and now he is in hard competition with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. My first experience with music was when I sang "Hey Paula" in sixth grade. It took a lot of courage, but I loved it.
SE!: Honestly, it is not easy to define a genre alone for the music you produce. How would you define it to us? And how would you like the listeners to perceive it?
EH: I think it's up for the listeners to define. I grew up with a lot of Motown soul and millennium pop. And the millennium era is still a mystery to me. :)
I think that it is up to the one who listens to decide. You never know how the response is going to be. But if one person likes it, I'm happy.
SE!: Your first album was already a masterpiece. We love not only its singles, as "Hurtful", but also the other tracks – we specially adore "Isn't it obvious". You charted in Sweden, Denmark and United Kingdom. How do you analyze your first work? And how did it feel to reach such an acceptance at your very first try?
EH: Thank you so much. You're so nice! :) My first time in this bussiness, I was lucky to meet amazing people that mentored me, developed me and believed in me. Grizzly, Mac, [Tommy] Tysper, Fredrik Berger and I worked on my album "Pieces" for two years in a studio in Stockholm. It was a blessing to get to sit by and hang around amazing music people, and to get to learn about the studio environment so early. I was still in high school, and really tired of being in school, so I tried my best to get to be hanging more in the studio. In the beginning, since they were all working on other stuff too, I only got to come down maybe one weekend a month – and I remember I was so pumped up every time.
SE!: Your most recent singles are receiving great feedback, both from the press and the public. "No words" was a big hit on Spotify. We feel a more mature Erik Hassle in these songs. How would you describe the evolution of your music from the first album until the latest singles?
EH: It's been seven years, I think, since I released "Pieces", and of course I've been through a lot of life stuff during these years that have made me more mature. But I'm also more confident in my own opinion and now I know more what I want. Going to Los Angeles about three years ago was a huge injection of inspiration and productivity. I think it's important, for your evolution, to deal with situations where you maybe don't feel totally comfortable, ride out the storm – and then, every now and then, you get to move a step up on your personal ladder.
SE!: You are one more Swedish name beginning to gain ground in the international music market, especially in the United States. There is a magic connection between Swedes and music. How do you see this relation? Why do you think Sweden produces so many great names for worldwide music?
EH: I think, because of the long winters, we have to search for something to cope. Also, Sweden these days is a fairly friendly country with a lot of admiration for culture and entertainment from the rest of the world. With pop, I think we're good at borrowing styles and mixing them together.
"I think it's important, for your evolution, to deal with situations where you maybe don't feel totally comfortable, ride out the storm" (Picture: official Facebook page)
SE!: You have toured and collaborated with many great names of music. Can you name some of them to us? Who were the ones you keep the best memories of?
EH: The last couple of years, I toured in the United States with Broods, Tove Lo, MØ and Twin Shadow. I keep so good memories from this time. The tour with MØ was extra special because her band played with me on stage and her sound engineer did the sound for me, so they treated me like I was part of the family. :) It was a very nice Scandinavian family vibe all over that tour.
SE!: You are also a great composer. What do you like to write about? Are there any occasions or places which stimulate you to compose? What are some of your compositions which you enjoy the most?
EH: I like to write about everything that slips my mind. Often, it's when something happens that affects me with either love or sadness. I get into a mode where I speak about my own, and the affected one's, feelings – and often it becomes a song. I love to write with my "brother" Daniel Ledinsky [who, along with Hassle, composed several songs, such as "Can't remember to forget you", for instance], and we work together a lot in different cities.
SE!: If you could choose anyone, who would be some Swedish and international artists you'd like to collaborate with?
EH: I love Seinabo Sey. She seems like such an amazing person. I would love to sing with her sometime!
SE!: What are your professional projects for the near future? What can your fans expect?
EH: In August, we will release my fifth album, and I really hope it will be a blast for everyone!
SE!: We would like to post a song of yours to close this interview. What is your favorite song of yourself, and why?
EH: My favourite song that I have done is "No words", I think it sets a good mood.
Swedish singer Noonie Bao is back to Sounds European! with one more amazing single. "Reminds me", her most recent release, is a fantastic mix of her country's finest pop with Noonie's delicate touch of alternative sounds.
Every new single by Mark Forster is another reason for him to be one of our top favorite German artists. That's exactly how we felt after listening to "Wir sind groß": it's such a great single! Groovy, catchy and involving, allowing Mark's talent to shine all over.
Rock from Spain is usually great, and the latest single by La Habitación Roja is a true sample of this. "Nuestro momento" is groovy and has a mix of intensity and softness which fits amazingly well!
Finnish artist Venior is back to the pages of Sounds European!, and get ready: her new single is outstanding! "Robber" is a catchy dance pop with highly captivating melody and an extremely catchy chorus. Venior is clearly becoming one of the best news of the year!
Puggy is a band formed in 2004 in Brussels by French bassist Romain Descampe, English vocalist Matthew Irons and Swedish drummer Egil Franzén. They quickly became one of the most popularly acclaimed bands in the country, having released three quite sucessful albums so far. Their most recent single is "Lonely town", a song in which they explore a more alternative and relaxing sound.
