Interview: 5 Minutes with JUNG
Flying in from Sweden and landing on our doorstep shortly are JUNG. The pair have just released their latest single, ‘Somebody Like You’ with an upcoming EP shortly on its way. With a precedence of impressive releases (their single, ‘Let Him Go (ft. Clara Mae)’ reached platinum in Sweden and while two others reached gold), it’s fair to say we’ll be watching the pair closely. Their upcoming EP, She is slated for release on the 29th of October via Universal Music Sweden and we’re already counting down the hours. The duo have been teasing their fans with hints for their upcoming video, releasing a picture here and sharing a comment there about what to expect. However, we became curious about the duo behind the music: how they create their heartfelt lyrics and where they find inspiration.
Stream/ download: ‘Somebody Like You’
Join us as we catch up with the two brothers (Tom and Henrik Ljungqvist) in the exclusive interview below.
Set the tone for us. Why the arts?
We didn’t really have a choice, it chose us and we just had to let it flow.
Which comes first when you’re producing – the sound or the idea?
Oh wow, it’s never the same process. Every song has its own journey, its own way of coming to life. So it can really differ from one song to the other, to be honest!
Does your material feature any collaborations?
Not really on the upcoming EP; however, there will be some collabs soon…
What’s on your current playlist?
Right now we absolutely love Grant’s new song ‘Whats A Woman’ to you? Also, the Elton John, Dua Lipa, and PNAU collab is amazing!
Tell us about the chemistry you have with your fans on stage.
It’s the best thing we know. It’s what drives us nowadays. Just the thought of coming out and playing in front of our amazing Jungsters (that’s what we call our crowd, hehe). The thing we love is that the people in the room are creating a moment that later on will be a unique memory that we share together, only us that were there. It’s real, it’s unbeatable.
What techniques do you experiment with to get your original sound?
I think we try to just write and write and write. Try out new stuff all the time, doing whatever we feel like, whatever mood we are in, at the moment. And sooner or later, if you are lucky you have found something that could be original or so.
Now when I come to think about it, I think words, words are our way in. Because we always try finding themes and words and moral dilemmas that are a bit twisted, and perhaps that is our way in to try writing something original, even though that’s never really actually our goal. I mean, of course that would be cool or whatever, a big bonus definitely. But what really drives us is to write good songs. If they are original or not, that’s up to someone else to decide.
Take us through a day in the recording studio.
Henrik with the guitar and Tom by the piano. We love to work with other writers and producers, to see what magic can appear. The studio is a free space for us, where we can be safe with good (and bad) ideas. It’s also in some way like a therapy session: we talk about everything there. And in that, we know what we want to create and share.
Was there a specific moment in your life where you thought, “this is what I want to do”?
Not really a moment. More of a certainty that this was the most fun we ever had, and we just kept doing it because we just had to feed our souls.
What do you keep close by while you’re playing a set?
Coconut water, hehe // Henrik
Just water, coconut water tastes like fart // Tom
Any emerging artists on your radar?
Our friends Jacob Douglas is amazing! He also opened for us on our last tour. Aron Blom is also a friend and co-writer we work with every now and then (with an incredible voice).
What gets your creative juices flowing?
Oh my, everything and nothing. A great soundtrack, paintings and beautiful people, clouds and colourful skies, bouncing beat and big snares looping with dreams synthesizers, guitar picking and odd piano chords blended with a vibe melody… And some broken voice desperately whispering something honest about how shitty life can be sometimes, always with a sparkle in the eye and a smile on your face… what was the question now again? 😉
Take us through your collection of gear, tech or software that accompanies your creative expression.
We are simple men, living simple lives with our guitar, piano, och voices – setting the spine of our music.
Any side projects you’re working on?
Henrik has an indie band called “Join The Riot” worth checking out! And Tom is part of one of Sweden’s biggest podcasts called “Tom & Petter”.
How have you refined your craft since you entered the industry?
I think we are constantly evolving, trying to become better songwriters and performers. It’s a process that never ends, ultimately just trying to be as pure as possible in expressing ourselves as artists.
Breakdown the news for us: what can we expect from you this year?
We are just about to release our second EP of the year, called ”She”, in a triology of EPs building our upcoming album. And in November, we are finally going on the road touring again for the first time in two years, which is massive.10-12 stops in Sweden, finally meeting our audience live again, and we can barely wait!
Famous last words?
Like Fabrizio Romano ”Here we go”
Follow JUNG:
Spotify – Instagram – Website – Facebook – Youtube – Apple Music
