Swedish-Ukrainian Olga Myko has long been one of Swedish pop's hidden gems. As a songwriter, she has co-written hits such as "Tusen spänn" and "Slutet av sommarn" for Tjuvjakt, Fanny Avonne and Molly Sandén.
"I wrote songs that I thought, 'God, I can't give this away, I have to have this for myself,' " she says.
The success has not been long in coming. The song "Use me!!!!!!!" has been streamed over 40 million times on Spotify and the single after that, "Who's that calling?", is also being streamed extensively. But success is still hard to grasp for Olga Myko.
Growing up in a family of musicians
The 26-year-old artist grew up in Vårberg in Stockholm surrounded by music with violinist parents.
"I've played the violin, the piano, grew up with baroque music and baroque performances. I haven't been able to escape music in any way."
Becoming a concert violinist didn't appeal to her, but pop music did. Already at the age of ten or twelve, she started writing songs with her best friend Fanny Avonne - with whom she also wrote "Use me!!!!!!!".
The path to her own expression has taken time, however. Inspiration has often come from personal setbacks; her first EP is described as a pure depiction of heartbreak.
"I think it's been simmering inside me, all the songs and stories. It suddenly becomes easier to write when, unfortunately, you've been through some shit," she says.
Wants to honor her origins
A central part of Olga Myko's identity is her Ukrainian origins. Her mother is from Ukraine and as a child Olga spent almost every summer there. However, she has not visited the country in over ten years, partly due to the war, and she misses it very much.
I want to somehow "pay homage" to my Ukrainian side by using a lot of what I grew up with in my aesthetic. Myko is also an abbreviation of Mykolaiv, which is my mother’s hometown.
Now the Grammy Awards await, where Olga Myko is nominated in the category of alternative pop of the year.
"I've had a bit of imposter syndrome around my music. I kind of think it's just me and my friends who listen. But it turns out that's not the case," she says of the nomination.
Facts: Olga Myko
Real name: Olga Sundin.
Current: Grammy nomination in the category of alternative pop of the year (as artist) and song of the year (as songwriter), the next single – "Tv" – will be released on April 14.
Age: 26 years old.
Family: Mom, dad, four siblings, boyfriend.
What I do outside of music: Likes to sculpt, paint, play "The Sims" and "Animal Crossing".
Listens to: Mixed music, including The Alchemist, Rosalía and Yung Lean as well as the soundtrack to "The Sims 2".
Planned gigs:
21/4: Stockholm
23/4: Oslo
1/5: Spot Festival (Denmark)
14/5: Opens for Rose Gray in London
14/6: Kesärauha Festival (Finland)
7/8: Along the Akerselva River (Norway)
