SHY Martin

SSW: Let’s talk about your background. We know you grew up in a family of music lovers and you started playing instruments from a really young age. When did you write your very first song and what was it about?

SHY Martin: When I was about five years old I used to make up songs for my baby sister. I didn’t know how to read at the time but I was still going through books pretending I was singing the songs from them. The first whole song I wrote down was called ‘kärleken kommer’. It was in Swedish and means ‘love comes’. I was around 11 years old and wrote it on my guitar. It was very deep and poetic haha.

What type of music did you grow up listening to? Who has had the greatest influence on your taste in music overall?

Since my mum and dad were constantly listening to music when I grew up, I listened to whatever they were listening to: U2, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, ABBA, Ebba Grön, Roxette etc.

Originally from the small town of Lerdala, Sweden, you studied in Örnsköldsvik and ended up moving to Stockholm. Tell us a little more about your journey – where do you now call home?

Until I was 12 I spent most of my time in the small village I grew up in. When I was 13 I started studying in another village for three years and after that I spent three more years studying music in a small town called Skara. After high school I moved to a town called Hjo where I lived and worked for a little bit more than a year before I moved to Örnsköldsvik to study music for a year. Now I’ve lived in Stockholm for the past five years. But even if I’ve been here for a while it’s taken a long time for it to feel like ‘home’. I guess it’s because I’ve been moving around like crazy while also traveling a lot. A few months back though I finally bought myself an apartment and for the first time in years I feel like I have a place that really feels like home.

How would you describe your sound in terms of feelings?

Emotional, dreamy, melancholic

You just released your new EP, “Sad Songs”. Such an amazing record! Tell us a little bit about it – what were your inspirations behind the project and how long did it take to complete?

Thank you! Most of the songs on the EP were written during the past year with close friends of mine. My goal with this EP was to be more honest and personal with my lyrics than I was on the last EP. I also wanted this one to be more stripped down, so most of the songs were written on guitar, and in other places than the studio.

What’s your favorite song you ever wrote, either for yourself or other artists? What’s the story behind it?

I think my favorite one is still ‘All We Know’ that I co-wrote with my boyfriend and The Chainsmokers. Maybe it feels extra special because it was one of the first songs I released but also because of the story behind it. Me and my boyfriend wrote it on my parents’ couch two hours before taking the train back to Stockholm four years ago. I remember we listened to the voice memo the whole way home to Stockholm and both felt like it really had something special. It was such a fun song to write and it came out so quickly. A few days after we were brainstorming about where to send it and who it would fit. We decided to try and send it to The Chainsmokers and started googling after their email. After 20 min we found an email to what we thought was their manager and sent the song. Same night they emailed back in caps lock ‘DONT SEND THIS TO ANYONE ELSE’. A few months later it got released, which was of course a huge moment for both me and my boyfriend.

What’s something people might find surprising about you?

I have a twin brother called Martin, which is also where my name ‘SHY Martin’ comes from.

What types of music and artists are you listening to right now? Any up and coming Swedish artists to look out for?

I’m listening a lot to Tate McRae, I think she’s amazing! There’s a lot of great new artists from Sweden you should definitely check out if you haven’t already! Elina, Nirob Islam, Zikai, Svea, NEA, Skott, KIDDO, Alexander Tidebrink, to name a few.

You were involved in Spotify and Max Martin’s The Equalizer Project (an initiative devoted to fueling equality in the music industry) and have supported many philanthropic initiatives to empower female artists in music. Tell us a little bit about your passion for this cause.

I think it’s super important to highlight females in the industry as there are so many talented female creators out there that don’t get the same attention as men in the industry. Looking at the history and stats it’s very easy to see that the majority of names are men which is crazy to me but also not surprising. I think it’s slowly getting better but there’s still a long way to go to reach equality in the music industry. By highlighting already existing females (producers, songwriters, artists etc) young girls will get role models and through that gain the confidence to start making music themselves.

The music industry has been severely impacted by the current global situation and we’ve all had to adapt. Have your plans for releasing music changed? Have you found any new and creative ways to connect with your audience?

It hasn’t stopped me from releasing music but I’ve had to postpone all the touring and writing trips I had planned this year which is sad, but I’ve also really appreciated being in Sweden for a longer time. I’ve had more time to spend with family and friends and also more time in the studio than I’ve had over the last two years. So I think I’ve written a lot more songs. I’ve actually tried to spend less time online during these past few months and focused more on the music. Which I think I really needed.

When you were just starting out, what did you do to get your music out there? Any advice for aspiring songwriters or producers about either the craft or business?

I spent hours and hours writing songs working on my songwriting and craftsmanship. I’ve also written together with more people than I can count. I’ve learnt a lot from writing with others. Other than that, have fun, work hard, find your go-to people that you feel comfortable working with, and try not to focus on other people’s careers. That will only get you distracted from your own journey. Also, be creative with getting your music out. Use the tools you already have in front of you: Instagram, Facebook, Google, YouTube, Spotify etc. Don’t be afraid of reaching out to people. These days everyone is just a message away.

How do you use your intuition in your creative process?

I guess I use it every time I write a song. There’s no way to know what will happen with a song after it’s released or even if it will get released so it’s just a waste of time thinking about those things, that’s business and timing. Feelings are always honest and for me, the best guideline. I’ve succeeded in my creative process when what I’ve created makes me feel something.

Let’s talk more about your personal journey. What are the hardest lessons you have learned in life so far?

One thing I’ve had a hard time accepting is that people come and go in your life and a lot of times it’s out of your hands. It’s heartbreaking when people you love leave your life for various reasons, but knowing that also makes me appreciate the moments I have even more.

What do you consider to be the epitome of happiness?

For me happiness is spending time doing things I love, with people I love. I’m very lucky to be able to work with my passion the way I do, together with my closest friends and even family (my big brother and my boyfriend). I’m also very lucky to have a very close relationship with my family that means everything to me.

We’ve got one last question for you! Thinking of yourself as a soul on Earth, what do you think your purpose is? What would you say to someone who currently feels lost and is still trying to figure out their calling?

Treating everyone and everything with love, kindness and respect. Even the smallest gestures do change the world. I think it’s inevitable not to get lost, or feel lost at some point in our lives. But I also think these three things can help anyone through even the hardest times.