Swedish songstress Tove Lo has taken the world by storm recently. After signing to Island and Polydor Records her debut studio album spawned the hit singles “Habits (Stay High)” and “Talking Body”. Lo was featured on DJ Alesso’s song “Heroes (We Could Be)” that was on constant radio rotation and ruled the dance charts. She opened for Katy Perry on her World Tour last year and released a song on The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 soundtrack. She written hit songs for artists like Cher Lloyd, Lea Michele, Ellie Goulding, and Hilary Duff.
Nexus talked to Tove about the new single “Timebomb”and current collaborations.
Jerry Nunn: When talked last time you were in Chicago and you were just getting started. Now after three popular radio singles how has your life changed?
Tove Lo: It has been unbelievable, incredible, and very intense. I need some days to just take it in and think about it. When I was onstage here yesterday it was such an amazing show and so many people came. There was so much love! I like to take a moment to look at everyone and remember this. It is hard to take it all in because everything is full speed all the time.
JN: Has there been a famous person that you have met that surprised you?
TL: All the famous people I have met are so nice. Charli XCX is nice and I am a big fan of her work. MS MR who I performed with yesterday were one of my favorite bands for such a long time and I just met them. I am the first person to be co-writing a song on their album. We performed that yesterday. It was so surreal. People I have met have been down to earth. Some people might get a bad reputation for being bad but I have not met any that were rude.
JN: You are on Adam Lambert’s new album with the song “Rumors.” How was it working with him?
TL: Amazing. He’s one of the funniest guys I have met. We had a lot of fun together.
JN: You wrote on Hilary Duff’s new album so you have been busy!
TL: I was just thinking about it. I am on three albums that were released this year that were not mine. It is kind of crazy.
WCT: It gets your name out there.
TL: Yeah, and it is important to me to keep growing as a songwriter as well. I love writing for others so I am happy I get to do that too.
JN: How is your voice doing after vocal surgery?
TL: Good, I finally feel like it is back to its strong self. There were so many months that I was struggling with it. It is amazing to feel that I am back and it’s good and working. I get tired sometimes like every other person but at least my voice is here, do you know what I mean? It is a big relief off my shoulders knowing I will be able to sing.
JN: Are you writing new music now?
TL: I am. When I am at home I go to the studio for a few days and write. I try to squeeze in as much time as I can for my next album. I have been on the road most of this year so there will definitely be some writing on the road too.
JN: What will be the next single from Queen of the Clouds?
TL: “Timebomb”, it is very explosive!
JN: Do you feel pressure to have radio hits now?
TL: I don’t really think about it that way. I am so proud of my album. I love every song that I wrote on it. It is very me. Of course it means so much when the songs do well. It has been an incredible journey. I want “Timebomb” to do very well but it is like David Massey, who is president of Island Records here in the States says, “There is no point in me telling you numbers, you look like you don’t care.” I tell him, “I care, I just don’t understand it!” [laughs] He gets me and my music. It is about delivering something with passion. It feels great that I am surrounded with a team that gets me. They love working with the music I am making and that is it.
JN: You have made a complete album with little vignettes linking all of the songs together. People should buy the whole thing not just singles to get the whole concept.
TL: Thank you. That full record form may be dying but I don’t think it’s going anywhere anytime soon because it is still very important. Maybe in the electronic scene and DJ scene it is good to have singles but that is a different environment when artists write things themselves. It is a whole body of work. I’m not saying anything is better than others but it is a different way to think about it.
I was really impressed to hear all of these guys making full albums. It is a whole new thing of not being DJs but being artists. It is a whole new world. I think it is really cool.
JN: Vinyl is back.
TL: I love vinyl!
Stay on the Lo at www.tove-lo.com.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLEVRNV4CVQ&w=560&h=315]
