Interview: Pressure

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What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

Well, I have been in music since childhood. Music was a big part of me growing up. I discovered music through my parents and through listening to what my older sisters where listening to. Then what kept me in music was some great teachers, musician friends and discovering new and exciting music/artists. I felt a strong connection to my own heart and soul. 

I know that I need to be able to express myself so if I wouldn’t be into music I would probably be a writer!

What do you like to do when you're not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

I like to be social with friends and my family, to travel and experience things and to explore different things in life. I am always up for a good a new challenge! I could be anything really. I will try most things, at least once haha!

How long has your band been around?

This setting in the band has been around for 2,5 years!

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

We are from Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. I would say that this is influencing our music a lot. Our lyrics are very, very important to us. We work with them very long and thorough. And we always write our music in Swedish, and then later translates them into other languages! 

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you.

The name Pressure came out of the idea that we base most of our songs on! We sing about different thing. The pressures around us and how to try to handle or tackle them. We want to help everyday people around the world to overcome and embrace the pressures felt from everyday existence. Our lyrics show that there are two sides to every story - the good and the bad. Every song has a double meaning.

Tell me about the best and worst shows you have played.

Yeah, haha, we have done a lot of shows during the years. One cool show was playing on a rooftop of a high tower in Sweden. That was a cool setting and a good crowd. 

A bad show? Do we do that? Haha, well. The worst show must have been when during a show when we got a really bad sound engineer and got a LOT to much treble, so people were starting to get a headache. 

Tell me about your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you haven’t already?

Oh, there is many places that are great to play at. Hard to choose one. We really like to play at clubs and bars to get close to our audience. We love to interact with them as we play. That’s live music for you! Cannot do that through a live show …

We want to play EVERYWHERE!

If you could play any show with any lineup who would be on the ticket?

Yeah! Sabaton and Metallica could open for us ? 

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band?

Have fun, go with people you really like, the band will become a second family to you. Have fun! Remember that you will have to and MUST like to rehears and do your part. Remember that it takes a lot effort, but it all is worth it. Believe in your music because in the start you will be your greatest fan.

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

Just do it man! Go for it again! It’s a great ride! Never give up and never surrender!

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why? 

We have a lot of songs unreleased that are very special and close to me. But of the songs that we have released it must be “Beaten But Not Dead” This song is about when life has beaten you down, everything looks very dark but you still doesn’t give up. You know you are beaten but hey you are not dead, one day you will rise back to your feet, stronger and more confident than ever. Nothing can bring you down in the end!

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

Our first single, “Osårbar” which loosely translates into “Untouchable” in english! It’s a great rock song. Listen to it!

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

I, Simon, write most of the drafts. I usually do a draft version of the song with all the instruments and vocals. Then I show it to the rest of the band. Our lead singer takes over and finds his key, I rerecord the song according to his key and then he starts to rework the melody and lyrics that better fits the song. After this we record the song again with our vocalist singing it. Then we take it home, listen and our other guitarist gives his critics. After this we take it to the band and record it “for real”. Then we send the song to our producer and get feedback that way as well. When we are all satisfied we are done!

We get inspired by our own life stories and feelings. We write from the heart and about things that we have seen, experienced or been close to. Its all real. We often store ideas that we share in the band. So we have a lot to write about. Inspiration and motivation for a song can come at any time of a day or night and then I have to write them out!

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

We would like to help people find themselves and give them the tools to handle different kind of pressures that life can and will put in their way.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

Of course! We have disagreements. We fight sometimes or perhaps argue is more to the point. But we have a good tone, and we talk a lot. We are really good friends, so we solve our disagreements and move on! If we cannot solve it, we vote and majority wins!

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that's coming up?

Yeah, look out for our upcoming Album early next year! You can find news about the band on

Instagram @pressuresweden or Facebook @pressuresweden