Thank You for the Music: Tommy Tysper

It’s been a while since I’ve done a songwriter interview for my Thank You for the Music series, so I decided to get in touch with one of the writers from my new favourite writing/production trio. Tommy Tysper, Gustav ‘Grizzly’ Jonsson and Marcus ‘Mack’ Sepehrmanesh were responsible for Erik Hassle’s album, as well as tracks by VV Brown, Amy Diamond and Ashley Tisdale, among others. I chatted to Tommy (pictured below) about his achievements so far, plans for the future and of course his opinions on entering Eurovision!

You’ve already worked with VV Brown on the brilliant Shark in the Water, but which other UK artists would you like to write for?

Thank you! Some of the ones I’d like to work with are Calvin Harris, Marina & The Diamonds and Amy Winehouse.

Eurovision is a big deal in Sweden – have you ever submitted an entry for Melodifestivalen, or would you consider doing so?

I did it once with a Latino rapper called Mendez. It was fun, but once was enough for me. I’m not really that into it. I think if you want to write a great song that fits for that purpose you need to be dedicated to that like some are, and my focus is on other kinds of projects.

Why do you think Sweden has provided us with so many successful songwriters over the years?

Probably because it’s cold and dark, you stay in the studio and work a lot. If it would have been warm all year long I bet I’d chill out in the sun most of the time! But also, a lot of music from Sweden is very melody-driven and has been for a long while. I think that has influenced Swedish writers and makes us do good pop songs.

Are there any other artists whose whole album you are working on, apart from Erik Hassle?

I’m working on this dance-based project called FireFace, which has taken a lot of my time since we finished Erik Hassle.

Which songwriters inspired you to follow in their footsteps and become a writer yourself?

I listened a lot to Prince when I was growing up. I admired his diversity and skills in writing and productions (earlier stuff though). Max Martin was also a big inspiration. He’s a great writer and made me pursue that career.

Which of the songs you have written are you most proud of?

I’m proud of Shark In the Water and Hurtful… maybe because they’re pretty new and I haven’t got tired of them yet. But I think they’re really good songs.

Do you think it is very important for singers to write their own songs?

Not necessarily. I mean, if you have a really good voice but can’t write, I still think you can become a good artist. As far as I know Elvis didn’t write that much, and he was an awesome artist and singer. Of course it often adds emotions to the song if the lyrics are self experienced, but if you’re a bad writer leave it to somebody who’s good at it.

Can you recommend any up-and-coming Swedish artists who we should be looking out for?

Sophia Somajo, Niki & The Dove, Lykke Li, Vincent, Donkeyboy (Norwegian, almost Swedish!), Dada Life, Dyno, Maskinen…

Thanks Tommy! Some very interesting answers and I especially agree that songwriting should be left to those who are good at it. There must be so many great singers out there who refuse to record other people’s songs and therefore never get the chance to record that song that could make them a superstar. For more info about the production company Tommy is part of, check out www.ten.se.