Interview conducted May 5, 2021
By Dan Locke
HENRIKES is a pop project consisting of vocalist/writer Henrikes and producer/writer Märta Grauers. With takeoff in HENRIKES’ melodic universe in combination with Märta’s creative productions and experience, they have created a dreamy electro pop sound with influences from both emotive film music and 80’s synths. Their inspiration comes from legends such as Depeche Mode, Kate Bush and contemporary artists like London Grammar, Lykke Li, Anna of the North, BANKS, Susanne Sundfør and Kleerup. The songs always tell a story in a cinematic way oscillating between darkness, hope, love and nostalgia
You are based out of Stockholm Sweden. What is your upbringing?
I actually did grow up here, moved abroad for a few years and now I’m back J
How did you discover music?
I’ve always been singing ang luckily my parents acknowledged this at an early age and made me audition for a music school
How did you start to write music?
I never considered myself a songwriter but in music school I tried a songwriting course and it sparked my interest. I’ve always been singing and loved arranging other people’s work, and I’ve always been writing stories and poems. In songwriting I realized I could combine the two. I sang jazz at that time and loved improvising melodies so I started to combine this with lyrics and that’s how it started.
How did you get your ironic name?
HENRIKES is my Portuguese surname with a Scandinavian spelling.
Describe your music.
Dreamy, electronic, hopeful, melancholic, emotive, poetic, pop
What was your first performance like?
My first ever? Wow probably terrible haha.
Royalties never appear like magic. Royalties are only sent to you through work undertaken by a PRO to ensure that their members are getting paid. If you’re not yet signed up to a Performing Right Organization like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC, you may not be receiving all the royalties you deserve.
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP ?
Yes, to STIM
What makes a good songwriter?
Hmm.. That is a broad question. But I guess someone who can make 1+1 = 3, meaning that you match words with melodies in a meaningful way that fits and lifts the message and/or conveys the feeling that you want to express. Nick whom I’ve worked with often says a good songwriter is someone who has something to say and that is also true.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
I tried to pitch a song to a children tv series when I was young, recorded it on a video camera but I think (hope) that tape is lost. But otherwise, I don’t have any proper recordings of my first original songs, and that’s probably for the best!
What is the process of writing your music?
Such a good question that I love to ask other people but personally think is hard to give a short answer to.
It truly varies. It can start with pretty much anything. A phrase I’ve written down, or a melody I have in my head. Sometimes I just walk around in my flat and sing something. I’m good at starting but not as good at finishing them 😉 The rest of the process is normally about that – finishing the ideas. I’ve written some songs in an hour and some in a couple of years.
How was it to work with Liisi Koiksou?
Oh, Liisi is truly amazing. Such a talent and lovely person that I look up to!
Your songs have been played Scandpops, Amazing Radio UK, RTE 2XM with Nostalgic being aired on the Swedish series “Sofins Anglar” as the signature melody. How did you feel once you heard that you music was being played on television?
Extremely happy. It has been a dream since forever to have a soundtrack in a film or series.
Tell me about your debute EP “Naïve Again “?
In NAIVE AGAIN the listener is taken on a journey of an emotional cycle. It begins with an immersion of getting caught up in something that is altering between reality and fiction, then moves into the unnerving awakening of realising it didn’t turn out as expected, which leads to ultimately looking back with a hint of bitterness and idealisation of the past. The sound of the EP is filled with passion for warm analogue synths, retro drum machines and dreamy arpeggios.
How is it to work with Marta Grauers?
To work with Märta is a true honour. It doesn’t feel difficult, it’s rather that we have so many ideas together that we barely can keep up.
Tell me about your upcoming video “Fictional”?
Yes, the video is out on Youtube – go check it out! It plays on the lyrics about reality vs fiction. I’d love to hear your interpretation.
What is your favorite track on your album?
Oh, very difficult to choose. I like them all for different reasons. A secret little favorite of mine is Fragments.
What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
Well.. It is what it is. That is my feeling. But I would have loved to release a physical album back in the day, and do look back at those times nostalgically.
The symbol # is known as the number sign, hash, pound sign and a sharp sign in music. The symbol has historically been used for a wide range of purposes Since 2007, widespread usage of the symbol to introduce metadata tags on social media platforms has led to such tags being known as “hashtags”, and from that, the symbol itself is sometimes called a hashtag.
Are people forgetting that the # is a part of music?
I guess people probably aren’t even aware, unless they’ve studied music theory
Digital vs. vinyl?
Vinyl
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
Vem vet – Lisa Ekdahl. It means Sunday afternoon from my childhood. The lyrics are still appealing to me, the chorus is just “who knows, not you, not me, we don’t know anything” and that pretty much sums up life doesn’t it J
If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
No, I fully hope and believe that we will go back to normal with that eventually. I think we are missing live music too much and if anything, we have realized that during these times.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
Focused on writing. I also started to bike and doing yoga, which were forms of exercise that for me helped to cope with anxiety
Do you know if the city of Stockholm has seen your video Stockholm so they could use it to bring in tourists?
Haha I don’t know that actually, but maybe we should send it to them!
How do you stay healthy during the lockdown?
Exercise and routines have been key for me to stay healthy
Are you still doing boxing?
Haha, I’m not yet doing boxing! It’s a dream of mine but I’ve had an injury and haven’t yet gotten to that stage physically.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
Learning to edit my own videos was one recent. I’m trying to learn how to play ukulele. I have rediscovered playing video games from when I was a kid, classics like Crash Bandicoot, Tecken 3 and Tomb Raider!
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In October that is going to change at least on Facebook. Facebook is cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.
The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] This will includes [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only. How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?
I’m guessing it will contribute to people seeking other platforms for these music purposes.
Tell me about the making of your Blackbird video?
It was a collaboration with director Franki Bravo, and filmed by José Pouchucq, who helped make the idea of visualising those lyrics In that way come to life. I love the contrast between the calm stripped down song and the boxing. Victoria Boyanova who is an amazing muay thai boxer agreed to participate and I feel truly honoured that these people helped our vision come to life!
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show?
I think artists and bands are being very creative in interacting with their fans in other ways online and through social media.
Is pay to play still a thing? Now pay to play also means thinks like playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.
Unfortunately I think it still is
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
Well, why not! Don’t think it would replace live though.
In the past if a musician stop doing music they find a new career. For example David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants.. If you can’t do music what would you like to be doing?
I would like to support victims of abuse in one way or another.
What is your happy place?
I want to say my bed haha but I guess you decide how you want to interpret that
Alot of musicians such as Stevie Nicks, Bob Dylan, Taylor Swift, Journey, Def Leppard, and Shakira have sold their catalog rights within the last year. Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog for a reported $300 million. Once you get to the age of about 70. Publishing is far more lucrative then the mechanical royalties paid to artist based on sales, airplay and streams. A good example of this is Michael Jackson brought the rights to the Beatles catalog in 1985. And in the late 80’s the Beatles Revolution appeared in a Nike commercial.
The lump sums being offered by publishing firms are more tax friendly concerning estate planning.
Do you think you would be willing to sale your back catalog if someone like Universal is will to buy everything, such as all the rights to all your songs? Another factor is mortality.
Wow.. I’d like to think no but I guess even Beatles did it. There’s no way of knowing exactly what one would feel in that moment and what life looks like then.
Spotify’s ‘Stream On’ event on Monday (February 22), the company confirmed that more than 60,000 new tracks are now being ingested by its platform every single day. This means people are added new tracks uploaded to its platform every 1.4 seconds.
The figure, announced by Spotify’s co-Head of Music, Jeremy Erlich, means that across the course of this year, approximately 22 million tracks will be added to Spotify’s catalog. Spotify confirmed in November last year that its platform now played host to around 70 million tracks.
Therefore it’s reasonable to assume that, by the end of 2021, SPOT will be home to over 90 million tracks. And that in the early part of next year, it will surpass a catalog of 100 million for the first time.
But still back at the beginning of the year Spotify deleted 750,00 songs, mostly from independent artists. What do you think what that could mean to independent artist?
Well, it is certainly tough being independent! Perhaps new forums will appear and become more popular as a consequence of that
Sony Music in November and Warner Music Group in December, The ByteDance-owned video app revealed on (February 8) that it has struck an “expanded” global licensing agreement with Universal Music Group. Now that TikTok is now fully licensed by all three major record companies, will you start using TikTok more?
I don’t use tiktok at all currently but perhaps it is unevitable..
Anything you would like to say in closing.
Thanks for having me!
