Swedish producer, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist and DJ Léon Rova has been slowly building a following of late, with his track Forever and Ever sounding particularly spectacular. I wanted to have a chat with him to find out a bit more about his music – check out the interview below and see what you think!
By Jane Howkins
You recently released a new track titled Forever and Ever, which we reviewed. What can you tell us about the song?
Forever and Ever was a song that came together rather quickly. I basically made the track in one evening from a burst of inspiration.
How has the reception been so far to Forever and Ever been so far, and where can it be purchased?
It’s been great, it’s been getting lots of great feedback and I’m really happy that the song is finally out. It’s available on all streaming platforms.
Do you plan to release any more singles in the near future?
Yes, I’ve been working on a lot of stuff which I feel is good enough to be released – the plan is to release 1 or 2 singles before the new year, before eventually dropping an album.
Are there any plans to release a full-length album or an EP?
Yes, I’m working on a smaller album which is set to release early next year, I’m really excited about it!
Your music belongs within the EDM genre. What/who influences you most as an artist? What have you been listening to recently?
There are so many artists that have inspired me greatly and the list would be far too long to put on here. But when I was making Forever and Ever, I felt really inspired by Fred Again, Kanye West and Tyler The Creator. The way all three of them incorporate samples into their music is so cool to me. I mean, Kanye’s kind of a god within the sampling category and Fred can generate so much emotion from a short audio clip of someone talking.
I was also listening to Men I Trust a lot at time. I find the way they write chords and melodies is really cool, so maybe some of that slipped in there.
What is the writing and recording process like for you?
90% of the time I start with my guitar. I’ll write a melody or a chord progression and either record it or translate it to another instrument. By this time, I often have a vocal melody in my mind, but nothing fully formed. Then I go on to making the full track and lastly, I’ll write and record vocals.
I think the reason why I do it in this order is because production has always been my favorite thing to do. I love arranging the chords, programming drums and playing around with synths. It’s experimentation – nothing beats the feeling of finding a sound or a groove that instantly inspires you.
You’re based in Sweden. What is the music scene like there at the moment?
Like most countries, it’s hip-hop and rap dominated, I don’t mind hip hop at all as it is one of my favorite genres but like everything else, too much of one thing can get tiring. On the other hand, it’s also great seeing how these Swedish rappers are getting international attention. Such as 1.Cuz who featured on an Ed Sheeran song and performed with him live. That’s great!
It’s also this which I believe sets me apart from the rest, there aren’t many people here making the music I do whilst also creating it from scratch.
Did the pandemic hinder you much?
Not much at all. I was still in school when the pandemic hit, so I actually didn’t mind it that much to be honest. I’m a person that doesn’t mind spending time on my own, and during the pandemic I had much more time to sit down and write music. The way I make music is quite time consuming, since I write, record, produce, mix and master all by myself. So that extra alone time that the pandemic came with worked out well for me.
Do you have any tour dates lined up for the UK?
Sadly, I don’t… I would love to tour the UK. In my opinion they’ve got the best crowds, the energy is unmatched. So, it would be a dream to perform in front of British fans.
Any last words for the fans?
Keep your eyes and ears open for new music because there is a lot on the way!