Maja Ivarsson broke through at the age of 23 with The Sounds' album "Living in America". The group from Helsingborg, formed already in high school, got to tour as an opening act for big names like Foo Fighters and No Doubt.
The Right Time
Earlier, Maja Ivarsson and The Sounds had declined to participate in Melodifestivalen, but now she thinks the time is right.
Everyone knows that nothing is plugged in on stage, that the musicians don't play live. It feels very wrong if you're known as a good live band. Now I see it as an artist competition and I have a damn strong song that fits the format.
Do you have any fear of losing credibility with old fans?
No, I think exactly the opposite. We've never been invited to the fine rooms anyway, it was always talk about how we weren't credible enough.
In 2012, Ivarsson participated in the third season of "Så mycket bättre", but she never toured with her interpretations from the program, something she looks forward to doing now.
There's something calculated in that you're supposed to make money from your participation, so I never did it back then. But now I feel: The Sounds are still here, we're not breaking up. Now I can actually use both old and new material and show the breadth I have as a solo artist.
Talking About Relapse
At the same time as her participation in Melodifestivalen became known, Maja Ivarsson went out and talked about her relapse into drug abuse. She started abusing drugs in high school and after being drug-free for many years, the addiction came back after an operation during the pandemic, when she was given strong painkillers.
It feels okay to talk about it now, since I own my own story. I've received many messages on social media, people asking how I did it. Almost everyone knows someone who has had that kind of problem, and I think it's extremely important to talk about it and break down the prejudices.
She says it's also a safe Maja Ivarsson, who with good self-confidence goes out as number two on stage in Luleå on Saturday.
I've said that I wouldn't want to be the one who goes on after me. That's how I've always thought, that as an opening act, you should give the audience a damn good show. And without sounding arrogant, I know I'm good at what I do. Really.
Ann Edliden/TT
Facts: Maja Ivarsson about...
TT
...the song "Living in America":
"I was like a child when I wrote it. But it's also more relevant than ever. Which is almost a little scary, after so many years."
...the Melodifestivalen entry "Kamikaze life":
"Already when we wrote it, I thought this is a hit. You can feel it. I hope our old fans, many of whom have kids now, will think about voting for it and that a new generation discovers this kind of music and thinks it's cool, ballad-friendly and fun."
...winning Melodifestivalen:
"The annoying thing is that I have a gig booked with The Sounds when it's the European Championship final. A dream gig in Los Angeles, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. I would have had to cancel that gig, but that's a luxury problem, really."
Born: October 2, 1979
Lives: Malmö
Family: Mother, siblings, and a son.
Background: Started as a singer in the band We Like the Feetsmell. Broke through in 2002 with The Sounds and the debut album "Living in America". The band has released a total of six albums and toured around the world.
In 2012, she participated in TV4's "Så mycket bättre". In 2013, she spoke out about her drug abuse in "Sommar i P1".
She is one of the songwriters behind the summer hit "Hej hej Monica", along with The Sounds colleague Felix Rodriquez and Nic Schröder, who sang the song.
Maja Ivarsson came second in "Sveriges mästerkock VIP" in 2021.
She also makes more electronic music in Crew of Me & You, with Felix Rodriguez.
