“It could be anyone, so why not you?“ – How Namasenda restored the hope in my dreams

NAMASENDA:
I think it influenced me in the way that I was extremely bored because there was nothing to do, and I didn’t really have that many friends. I think that made me develop a rich inner world. I’ve always had a sense of storytelling and thinking up stories in my head. I was reading quite a lot, and I think consuming a lot of art and books. Also TV shows and movies because I didn’t really do anything else, they shaped me quite a lot.

NN:
Exactly, I was always watching TV, literally everything. I think consuming art made me super interested in making something. I was watching The OC and all these things, and I was like, “Oh, there’s a whole world out there. There are so many things I want to see and experience.” I think the boredom actually helped me quite a lot because if I had had a lot of things to do, maybe I wouldn’t have developed such a strong inner world.

NN:

No. Which is kind of… I was thinking about it on the plane today. It’s kind of crazy that I don’t have another plan. I’ve been thinking about how I would handle things not going the way that I want them to, and I don’t have an answer to that question. But yeah, I’ve always wanted to make music. I’ve always loved music, and it’s been my only goal, the only thing that I want to do.

NN:
Yes, thank you so much.

NN:

I would tell myself: keep going. It’s going to be hard, but keep going. I’ve always been very driven. I’ve always known what I wanted, even if I didn’t know how to get there. I knew I would find a way.

Maybe I would tell myself to start earlier because, coming from a small town, I didn’t know any musicians or artists or anyone who worked in the music industry. I didn’t know how it worked. It felt so far away. I wish I had started writing songs earlier because it has taken me quite a while to find my own way of writing and my own voice. I feel like I finally arrived when I made this album, “Limbo“.

NN:

I don’t know, but I would have had more experience writing, performing, and doing all those things. But then I’m also happy that I started when I started.

NN:
Right now, I don’t feel like I’m in limbo at all, which is great. When I wrote the album, I
didn’t know where I was going, what I was doing, if it was good enough, or if anyone was
going to listen. Then I realized I’m doing this for me because I love making music,
regardless of whether anyone listens or not. It was a tough time, but I’m happy it was
because something beautiful came out of it.

NN:
People always ask me this, and you just feel it. It’s like when you’re in a relationship and
you know it’s over. You just know it’s time to let it go. It’s very intuitive to me. Some songs we worked on for months, but we just knew when they were done. Sometimes you can’t even pinpoint what needs to change—I just know whether a song is finished or not.

NN:
I think I’m much more honest with this record. I’m being honest with myself and with the
people listening. I also had the chance to really dive into every little detail. The guys I work with are always like, “Let’s try it, let’s see.” It’s never about anyone’s ego; it’s about what’s best for the song. I love working that way. I also trust myself much more now, and I think that’s the biggest difference.

NN:
It changes all the time, but I think my favorite is “Alright.” I also love “Love Island.”

NN:
“Alright” felt very vulnerable. It just happened. I knew it had to be on the album.

NN:
After all, we’re the same, humans are not that different.

NN:
I don’t really think about music in genres. I think about whether I like it or not. People always talk about genres, but to me it’s all pop music. I love pop songs, the pop formula, making hooks that are catchy, fun, and smart. Pop is such a broad word because you can still play around within it.

NN:
I’ve only made one song in Swedish called “Rosa,” which means pink. That song also just happened. I didn’t mean to write it in Swedish.

NN:
It does. It feels much more vulnerable. Swedish is a very intricate language, and I love artists who sing in Swedish. When the songwriting is right, it’s incredibly powerful. But for me, I don’t think I’ll write many more songs in Swedish.

NN:
I watch TV. Right now I’m watching Welcome to Plathville. I love reality TV. It’s such a fun way to watch people interact with each other.

NN:
Exactly. People say reality TV is stupid, but I think the opposite. It’s like studying the human race. It’s anthropology.

NN:
Exactly. That’s why I love it.

NN:
I think people sometimes see me as cold. That’s how I perceive it, at least. But I like to have fun. I don’t think life is that serious. I just want everything to be fun.

A couple of very exciting things. I’m also working on new music and a new album that I’m really excited about. Hopefully I’ll get to work on it a lot this summer.

NN:
The people I have around me. I have amazing friends and family, and I feel like that’s a reflection of who I am. I’m really proud of them.

NN:
So many things. Today one of those things came true, but I can’t tell you about it yet. I’m just very happy. I can tell you once it’s happened. I’m hoping for world domination, honestly. I want to be seen, but I also struggle with being seen. I doubt myself and I’m insecure, like everyone is. It’s funny because that contradicts my dreams, but humans are full of contradictions. I’ve always had big dreams, and I hope they’ll come true.

NN:
It is scary. But not doing it is scarier. When I die, I want to look back and feel proud. I want to think, “I did this, I went there, I met these people.” I want to feel everything and do all the things. What are your dreams?

NN:
That´s my plan too. Right now I live in Stockholm, but I think Barcelona is really the place for me. But your dream is attainable. Someone has to write those articles. It might as well be you. Someone has to be on the billboard, someone has to walk the red carpet, someone has to write the articles people love to read. It could be anyone, so why not you?

NN:
Thanks for having me!