Anders Holst, a Swedish jazz singer based in New York, talks to contributor Oliver Gee about his new album, his upbringing in Southern Sweden, and his unusual journey into the world of music.
Anders Holst is no stranger to change. A one-time corporate big-shot in Stockholm, Holst threw it all in at the age of 45 for the microphone, the audience, and the silky harmonies of smooth jazz.
Now, 10 years on, Holst is celebrating the release of his third studio album, "SoHo Suite", and tells The Local about the long road from rural Malmö to the bright lights of the Big Apple.
“I've had music throughout my life.” Holst explains. “I wrote my first song aged 11. Music has been an integral part of everything. But instead of following that path, I chose to study at the Stockholm School of Economics, aiming for a corporate career.”
“As the years passed, I grew tired of the profession, and realized there was more to accomplish in life. I had to find the passion, the voice, the music.”
He made the jump from his role as a partner of a leading consulting firm in Stockholm to singing contemporary adult music and running his own independent music label – Unheard of Music.
“Often, it’s the other way around,” he laughs. “People give up on the music industry and try to find a real job. I did the opposite.”
Holst found the ‘musical voice inside’ and decided to listen to it, leaving Sweden for New York in 1998. He nurtured the idea of taking up music for a further five years before taking the plunge.
This choice (and this voice) has since spawned three albums - "Five" (2004), "Romantika" (2009) and this year's "SoHo Suite" - as well as a nomination for The American Smooth Jazz Awards in the category of International Male Vocalist of the Year. NBC even dubbed him "The Sting of Stockholm".
Holst explains his latest genre-spanning album pays homage to his New York neighborhood, and takes inspiration from the stories of everyday life, romance and the soul. And it’s not only the vocalist who comes from Sweden.
Collaborators on the album include Grammy award winner Magnus Lindgren, Ulf Johansson arranged strings and horns, Goran Kajfeš was on the trumpet, and Per Johansson played saxophone and flute. The musical director was Mat Byström and Arla Suurna was the producer.
Read more on: http://www.thelocal.se/35056/20110720/
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