Helena Josefsson and her plans for 2010

Some of our few readers could be asking themselves about Helena Josefsson. She is busy like always. Helena answered to a message from Kamila Aleksandrowicz in the Guestbook of the Official website. Read it below. The picture of Charles-Didrik was taken by his aunt Sofia Josefsson.

LJdM

I have been busy, studying in Copenhagen, to become an opticitian like my younger sister! I want to work part-time with it along with music, because as a parent I want to give my family more possibilities. And studying takes a lot of time :) But it is fun to learn new stuff! On top of this we live at my mother´s place because of a large renovation of our flat which is really needed.

About my second album I don´t know, who or when it could be released... But the good part is I am working on more music videos for it with friends, and we have started rehearsing with Sandy Mouche which I enjoy more than ever! Just for fun, like when we first begun playing together. And I am planning for a show with my friend Malin Nilsson the magician.

PS: Help Haiti people by purchasing my music on CDbaby
If you buy music from me, my band Sandy Mouche or anyone through the site CDbaby 1 USDollar will go to helping Haiti survivors of 12th January earthquake.

Helena Josefsson - H.J.

History:

• Main sources: helenajosefsson.com - Guestbook; Sofia Josefsson's blog

Helena's new single in Swedish (III): roxette.ro's interview about past, present and future projects

Elena Lenghel (roxette.ro): How did you start your musical career?
Helena Josefsson: In school when I was 14-16 years old we could choose extra subjects and I chose playing or singing in a band. in the beginning I only got to play the keyboard, but when the older girls went on to other schools I got to get friends with the microphone. We made a soirée and I got a great kick out of it. With songs like "Satisfaction" , "Black Magic Woman" and "I will always love you" :o)

E.L.: Your husband is a musician too?
H.J.: Yes! We met in Italy where both our choirs were competing. He also works with commercials.

E.L.: Are you always happy (you certainly seem so)?
H.J.: Oh no. But I am always happy when I sing. And when I get to sing to an audience. It is like i get a chance to have my own little space in the world. There, I can be who I want to be. In private, I am quite sensitive and anxious. But when I feel insecure, I go to an empty room an sing for a while, and I feel better. Or if I meet new people and I don´t know if I am good enough to be there, I imagine them as animals. For example when I was new in this band, Per was a little pony and Jens (drummer) a little rabbit. Christoffer was a turtle. Or I try to see them as children. Maybe because I feel like a little child and it is not easy for me to play with a lot of grownups :o)

E.L.: Tell us about your band and your projects!
H.J.: My band Sandy Mouche is like my second marriage. We are preparing for the next album and I have now started dreaming about it, how it will feel. It is an honour to sing with these guys. Friends for life and we match each other musically in a once-in-a-lifetime way.
My soloproject: I have an album waiting for release. I have recorded one extra song together with Martin and Per from Sandy Mouche. As soon as I can I will put it on my website and so on.

E.L.: Tell us something funny about yourself!
H.J.: ... In my lower jaw , in the middle there is a milk-tooth. Because i have too few teeth and nothing came up underneath :o) I try to brush it carefully so I can keep it for as long as possible! If you see me looking like a witch you will know why!

E.L.: How is life on a tour?
H.J.: The concerts are amazingly funny. The time in between can be a bit lonely I think. Hotel rooms. But I try to walk around in the cities we visit. I have discovered the most beautiful parks and cafés that way.

E.L. Was it a difference recording in English?
H.J.: It is even easier to play with my voice and find different characters!

E.L.: How is your new life as a mother?
H.J.: More love, more smiles and laughs, never boring, too little sleep, more exciting, much more scary protecting a little innocent child

E.L.: What do you see for yourself in the future?
H.J.: An adventure with my little family. I wish we could live in a little house!
Creating songs and concerts more beautiful than I´ve ever done (with my own project and Sandy Mouche).

Interview by

Elena Lenghel, from Romania (aka mixella)

Helena Josefsson - H.J.

Helena's new single in Swedish (II): lya Volkov interviews Helena in helenajosefsson.com

Ilya Volkov: Do you like reading or watching movies? What kind of books or movies do you prefer? Some sad ones or thrillers or may be adventure stories? Comedies, dramas or biographies?
Helena Josefsson: Oh yes. I love Tim Burton movies and movies with women fighting with swords and movies that are very realistic like "After the Wedding" by Susann Bier and movies that are very far from our time, like Bram Stoker´s Dracula!

I.V.: Do you like travelling? How do you prefer - by ferry or by plane? I've read about you rode bike when you were a kid, right? Or may be just by car, bus or train?
H.J.: I prefer bus and bike, you see more, you get the wind in your face, you can rest, you can sing or talk to yourself a lot! I love making small trips to the sea or the woods around here.

I.V.: What is your favourite music? Which music influences your oeuvre - music and singing? What kind of music do you like to create?
H.J.: I have sung in a girl´s choir since the age of 7 and that is still the most beautiful music I have ever heard. I want to create music from my heart something that warms myself and the listener, makes us feel better.


I.V.: How do you prefer to perform live - in big venues or in small pubs or clubs with only 200-300 listeners when everyone sing along?
H.J.: I am not picky, as long as the music is the main thing, no breakfast eating and listening in between the chewing.

I.V.: How do you usually spare weekends? Do you go to the country-side, some small rides around Sweden or Danmark?
H.J.: Yes I want to go out of the city. It is much nicer in the countryside if you want to get new energy, a lot more baby-lambs, a lot more flowers, a lot more picnics, a lot more space, a lot more snow, and so on, all of which I love!

I.V: Did you have any of your relative a musisian, who could have influenced your music? Do you have a hero? Like Per's father was for him. Do you have a man or a woman, whom you want to act like?
H.J.: I look for new heroes. Michael Jackson is my house god. Kate Bush is my godess. My mother let me sing in a choir and dance, play the piano. She could be a great jazz singer I believe. Her parents were musically talented- her mother had a record store and her father was a painter who still plays the violin. My father influenced me too, even though he sings a bit out of tune :o) He grew up by the woods in a village called Virserum. Nature is my hero.

I.V.: Do you like cooking? What's your favourite dish? ;)))))))
H.J.: I do! But only simple things. My mother makes salmon on a bed of sea salt with peas, potato mash and a cold sauce. I like to make chicken stuffed with lemon and plums in a claypot! Blueberries and raspberries.... I would like that for breakfast, dinner and supper!

Interview by Ilya Volkov
-(a.k.a. Kreecher)- Roxette House

Helena Josefsson - H.J.

Sandy Mouche, kept on ice (V): collecting inspiration

What´s going on?

I am ...
- Collecting inspiration for new Sandy Mouche songs
- Preparing recording of Martinique´s and my duo of covers, Sommardis.
- Preparing for the Party Crasher tour
- Resting to get rid of my four-week flu
- And above all, enjoying the company of three months old baby-boy!

I wish you a good time!

Helena Josefsson - H.J.

Helena's second album, waiting to be released (IV): still waiting for someone to release the album

Happy New Year! Just a little report on what I am up to now! I am a mother since 08.11.08 and it feels great!

Now christmas has passed and as always I am already longing for spring! But it feels like spring when I read all the love on my guest book- wow.

I want to thank you all for the congratulations we have received for the baby and also for the positive Party Crasher comments! It makes me happy!

2009 - it will be an exciting year! Making music, singing, but now with a child in my arms feels fantastic. No news about my new album, yet, but it is complete, just waiting for someone to release it.

My new album is finished just waiting to be released, but by who? I will soon find out. While I wait, Martinique and I are composing some new songs together, for Sandy Mouche.

Cyberhugs from me to you!

Helena Josefsson - H.J.

Hej Helena, I just want to wish you a very healthy and happy New Year for you, Martinique and the baby. I'm happy to hear that you're busy recodrding some songs for Sandy Mouche but can I ask you when your album will be released. Love always.

Kamila Aleksandrowicz,
from Białystok, Poland

Helena's second album, waiting to be released (III): Our baby!

2008 11 08, our first child was born! He is starting to get used to us and we just feel amazingly happy!

I want to send a big THANK YOU! for all the love he has received here on the guestbook!

Well, honestly we do not quite know yet who will release my new album or when. But I feel confident and happy because the music and the artwork feels great! It will be very different, in many ways, at least so it feels. The sound is more electronic even though there are some acoustic songs, too. I started making some demos in Garage Band which helped me create a bit different melodies than I used to. Normally I am very locked up to my poor piano playing, I think it is hard to play one rhythm and sing another. But now I could record funny backgrounds and let the melodies grow onto that. The lyrics are a little braver I think than before, sometimes tougher, clearer, more intimate but still more straight forward, they give me more laughs and tears, bring more pictures to my head.

Helena Josefsson - H.J.

Comments by fans:

According to www.gessle.com Helena gave birth to a baby boy last week and Gessle is in line to offer flowers and champagne! :) I am pleased for both of them! :)

Alison Lowther
(aka roxerally), from Bolton, UK

I have just read it in gessle.com. Wow! Congratulations, Martin and Helena!

Alberto Fuente (aka Lantartida),
from Madrid, ES

Grattis grattis med lilla pojken Helena & Martinique!!!! Wow...that's what i call BIG news! Hoppas allt går jättebra med den nya lilla familjen :D Kramar från Holland!!!

Saar Plunkett (aka Sarah den Rara),
from Alkmaar, Netherlands

Big congratulations to Helena and Martin on the arrival :) xxx

Louise Rees (aka welshroxer), Wales, UK

- The Helena Josefsson Society

Helena! It's so exciting and amazing you now have a child!Great news! I'm joining to congratulations! I wish you all a very very nice future full of happiness, flowers, peace and love! Best regards to Martinique! WOW! Let's celebrate!!!

Mikhail Cherkasov (aka Mishka),RU

Måste ju titta in och säga grattis! :) Så jättekul verkligen, hoppas ni mår bra på alla sätt. :) Kramar!

Sanna Doolk, from Småland, SE (aka spaceless or Papillon)
HJ Fanclub Portal

Dear Helena! So great to know the news! It must be so exciting get a new life into the family! All the warmest regards to you and Martinique!!! you guys rock! Hugs, Ilya.

Ilya Volkov
-(a.k.a. Kreecher)- Roxette House

Hej! I am so glad, happy and wish you, Martin and your little world all the best, peace and love!!!

Dominic Schimmelpfennig, from Berlin

Congratulations Helena and Martin, I didn´t even know that you were pregnant. What a pity. A mystery. Anyway congratulations! Huge hug for three of you!

Kamila Aleksandrowicz,
from Białystok, Poland

hejsan morsan ;) Grattis! önskar er båda all lycka i världen...

Emma Sonesson (aka BiLLY) - HJ Fanclub Portal

Congratulations to Helena and Martinique!!! It´s probably because of the pregnancy that we haven´t heard so much from Helena lately, which is understandable... So, I guess it´ll take some more time before the new album will be released, but I know it is worth the wait! :-)

Christoffer Strandell (aka Johnny Pierce; aka Stoffe),
from Jönkping, SE - The Helena Josefsson Society

Christoffer Lundquist is mixing Helena's second solo album (VII): The recording has landed! almooooost….!

Now I have been listening and listening to recording, and my reaction was all new- Martin and I started listening in a car on our way to his mother´s summer house, not far from the studio. And my head started banging and I started shouting and yelling and dancing there in the car-I have never felt that way from listening to my own music. But somehow, I always knew that one day, I would be able to really dance to my music. Finally! When we came back home, I sent a copy to the guardian angel and record company Per Gessle. Nervous… would I have to write even more songs? Now he has listened too, and he was also happy with the results! Luckily….!! The funny part is that the two songs he likes least are my own favourites :o)

Still, he felt he missed one song from the demo recordings. It is a Greek song that I have heard in the flamenco lessons, and I have made my own lyrics. He asked us to record this song. I am happy about it because the song is very interesting but it means that the album is NOT quite finished yet. I could not get an appointment in the studio until the end of August or so. But finally it WILL be finished and I am already longing for when we will start playing the songs live!

While I am awaiting for it all to be finished, I am going for a vacation! First we will visit my father on his 60:th birthday just above Gothenburg, and then, to Martin´s relatives in Piteå, in the very north of Sweden.

2008.07.02 Slottsträdgården, Malmö

Now I won´t have so much to write about the record for a while but I will keep you updated as soon as something happens!

Love, Helena

Helena Josefsson - H.J.

On July 2, 2008, Helena Josefsson took part in a magic show of her friends Malin and Ola Nilsson in Slottsträdgårdens kafé, in Malmö's wonderful organic garden situated just behind Malmöhus Castle adjacent to Kungsparken.

LJdM

Christoffer Lundquist is mixing Helena's second solo album (I): my lucky day was yesterday!

Konsthallen restaurant of Malmö

Restaurang SMAK-Malmö Konsthall
S:t Johannesgatan 7
211 46 Malmö

Yesterday at 18.00 in Konsthallen restaurant (the art gallery restaurant) of Malmö was my lucky day!

A foundation called Sparbanksstiftelsen, give away scholarships to young (didn´t know i still fit into that category :o) local artists- and this year I was one of the lucky ones! The honour is enormous and the prize helps me so much to support myself during the recording and promoting of the coming album. A short inspirational trip to London where Martinique and I will see the musical “Billy Elliot” will be something to remember this lucky night by! Thank you thank you thank you Sparbanken!

I was honored by my mother Margareta, my father Per Olof and my friend Hanna, and Christoffer Andersson my pianist and friend. You can see them all on the photos. We played one song from the coming album and it felt great, I was just so happy I almost cried…

And here is the motivation from the jury:

“Helena Josefsson is a left handed, firm woman who has decided to take at least one risk a day. This has led to the brave step from working as a shop assistant to concentrating fully on a carreer as a singer. She has already met a large audience during her tours with Per Gessles group Son of a Plumber. Also, she has sung on recordings with Andreas Johnsson and The Ark. But above all, she has her own carreer, where she gets to show her precise sense for lyrics, melody and singing. She puts strong feelings of love and longing to life, but also a fantasy world inhabited by fairies and trolls. She is delighted by the theatrical, but her personality and stage precense is always enchanting and disarming.”

Helena Josefsson - H.J.

Helena is recording her second solo album (V): Hooray things are being done!

First I want to send you a big hug! Thank you for remembering my birthday!

It feels great to be an adult. Now I know even more that it is up to me how childish I want to be!

That night, when I turned 30, I woke up from the regular intimate noises from the couple in the flat above... She has such a loud voice, she should do something creative about it not always sing the same tune like she does at 5.30 in the weekend mornings, when her postman boyfriend´s natural clock wakes him up and then he always wakes her up and then... The concert begins! But he never makes any sound though! Only the whole wall is shaking :o)

Well this night I felt, I had had enough, now I am a grown up for real, and I don´t have to listen to this all the time, and I went up to their door and talked with a soft but firm voice, through the mailbox: " Can you please please keep it down! Please!" My neighbours could never be real indians, living a whole family in a tipi, caring about each other not only about themselves.

It felt really good that I stood up for myself! Like a proud indian :o) I´m not so used to that. I have to practice in small situations, like this, to listen to what I really need to feel comfortable, and then act by it.

I hope you also get great birthdays, I wish I knew when they are but I congratulate you in advance now :o)



Just some thoughts from me here in the studio, I am waiting for Christoffer Lundquist who is at a cat-funeral. One of the five kittens, born a week ago, didn´t survive and now he is out with his family mourning.

Then we will keep working with the new songs, and tomorrow it is time to sing...!

Helena Josefsson - H.J.

- Video:

Päron the studio cat at Aerosol Grey Machine Studio in Skåne. Video by Alistair Campbell, from Australia. August, 2007

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and a happy new year!!!
I hope your christmas will be, it not white, cosy and full of rest and laughter! And that your 2008 will be filled with a lot of love and wishes that come true!

I have been recording so many demos now and I just can´t stop, I enjoy it so much-but now my throat is so tired that I have to make chrstmas food and candy, that is fun too :o)

Here comes a christmas-hug from me to you!

Helena Josefsson - H.J.

Idag hade Hella o Martin öppet hus i sin nya lägenhet :D

Hanna Josefsson, from Malmö, SE

So it's Christmas again... a year older, a year wiser... along with the truthserum: The 'En händig man'-project lives on another while with the unassuming but fresh medody 'Pratar med min m&ssa' ('Talking To My Cap') which together with Son Of A Plumber's unexpected spy-alarm 'Shopping With Mother' has become a 4-track single ('Pratar med min müsli [hur det än verkar] / Shopping With Mother'). Out now at e.g. your nearest recordstore in Sweden (if you manage to find one).

Aside from that during the year... well, the tour ('En händig man på turné') was fab, I know I have said this before. Time to say it again. And the 'En händig man'-album still feels strong and good. Heard 'Dixy' the other day in the meat department at ICA and it sounded hmmm... cool. And the book ('Att vara Per Gessle'), yeah, most people seem to agree that it's neat and heavy! No, shame aside, we've received a major response to it. Sven Lindström is happy, so I am happy. What more? Well, my blog is pretty paralysed for the moment. Got tired of myself one day and didn't find anything sensible to write about. Will start again when I have something important on my chest.

Thought of treating to an old demo from 3rd October 1985 as a Christmas present for all of you who are interested in yesterday, 'Lycklig jul' ('Happy Christmas'), which was written for my third Swedish solo album which never materialised (at the time). As you might know, I actually translated most of the songs into English and those translations formed the base for Roxette's debut album 'Pearls of Passion'. Mats MP Persson plays the guitar so one gets a sun burn in the middle of the winter, and I recall that we had bought some new rhythm box which we tested on this song. Yeah.

Regards from around the Christmas tree, vetja!
Merry Christmas from P.

Per Gessle

Ring them bells… Ring them bells….
Hola out there in Roxette County! Just a quickie to wish you the merriest christmas of them all!!! Thanks, as always, for your endless support. See ya next year (one way or another…)
P&M, Stockholm

Roxette

EHM Turné 8 - Göteborg

21 July Göteborg Slottsskogsvallen

Official video

LJdM

Göteborg was a big party for 12000 people on the great Slottskogsvallen, the place where Gunder Hägg set his record 1000 years ago. Göteborg is always a very special place to sing. I feel like home out there. The response is outstanding right from the very first chords and yesterday it was the same. Thanks to everybody who was there yesterday and who is hoarse today!!!! We also played for the filming team that is taking care of the up-coming DVD. We continue with the show in Stockholm in August. We tried to escape from the boring rain. We had a famous visitor after the gig; James Burton of Elvis’ band came to see us. He is a buddy of MP’s. My family is in Liseberg, their flight is leaving immediately. Get to Strömstad at 4 am. See ya there

Per Gessle

Here I just want to share some photos with you.

Here you can see my big sister Charlotta and I, and on the right her friend, after the show in Gothenburg. I showed them to the tour bus when no one was around, I wanted to show them all the facilities. I have never seen such a luxurious thing: massage chair in the bus, dvd movies to watch in a leather couch, fridge full of beverages, and lots of beds! Look at the beautiful sunflowers that Ilya from Russia brought… It felt so unreal, like a fairy tale… It was a great night thanks to the audience and the good weather!

Take a look at the fantastic flowers… Don´t they make you happy! Flowers are so alive, they bring life to a whole apartment!

Love, Helena

Helena Josefsson - H.J.

Comments by fans:

We woke up late. weary. strolled down just in time for breakfast haha! we wandered into town and looked around the shops for a little while. It was a bit wet outside so we didnt wanna go over to Slottskogsvallen to too early. That and of course waiting is boring, so any excuse to avoid it!!! We found this lovely little jewellery shop… cant believe I havent seen it there before! Got the cutest star necklace. definately one for gig-going hahaha. By the time we’d finished looking around, had some lunch and gone back to the hotel, it was getting pretty close to opening time at the venue so we had to get going. There were a few people there but nothing tooo much. We made the front row! and it was filmed for the DVD heheh… sooo hope i’m not on there. Per was really performing for the cameras that night… it was one hell of an amazing show. Felt really sad when it was over just knowing that it would be another 12 days until my next show hahaha!!!

Ailsa Plain (a.k.a. xarrrr)

HJ's spreading summer light (V): Helena, up close and personal

Helena Josefsson is a Swedish singer, composer and lyrics writer Helena Marianne Josefsson was born in Kalmar, Sweden 23/3 -78. Her parents divorced when she was 7 and they moved with mom and her new love to a village called Björnstorp (outside of Lund, southern Sweden) when she was ten. She has got four sisters. She is left-handed and can play keyboards, tambourine and harmonica.

Helena began to play in some groups in Lund and Malmö (ewing.1, Plastic Soul, The Good Mornings) before forming in the fall of 2001 the band Sandy Mouche with her husband Martinique Josefsson and the Blomgren brothers. So far they have released and E.P. (Sandy Mouche, spring 2003) and two albums (White Lucky Dragon, September 2004; and ... and poems for the unborn, January, 2006). She has been doing backing vocals for a lot of Swedish and some foreign artists: The Ark, Righteous Boy, Swan Lee, Junior Senior, Andreas Johnson, Sebastian, Hideki Kaji ... In 2003 she took part in recording Per Gessle's solo album Mazarin as a backup singer. She also participated in Mazarin Sommarturne 2003 with Per Gessle and the band. A year later in 2004, Helena was invited to record Gyllene Tider's anniversary album 'Finn 5 Fel!'. She also participated in Gessle's 2006 solo album, Son of a Plumber, providing backup vocals and occasional leads.

In 2006 she worked in her first solo-album, "Dynamo", written on her her own and produced by Christoffer Lundquist (Brainpool, Roxette). It was released in 2007 with some performances in Sweden. She also participated in the last Gessle's solo album (En Händig Man) and in his Summer Tour in 2007.

I have been reading about Helena and I am pleasantly surprised to discover a very interesting character.

Mario (aka Sleepyhead) - LJdM

What do you want to become when you grow up? Either a troll or an artist!, I replied to that question at 7 years of age. When I think about it, trolls and artists do have rather much in common. What I wanted, and still try to achieve, is the sense of liberty, being part of nature, getting room in the city, finding a spot for mushrooming. That it is all right to be the way one is and still being able to receive love. Being an artist and composer is probably one of the few lifestyles where one can be a troll simultaneously!

When you are born, you are complete but then shell after shell is added as protection against dangers around. Or society forces you to take different parts, needs and patterns you don´t really need or want. Then one can spend the rest of one´s life finding and removing the bad shells, and saving the good ones, one by one. At least that´s what I want to do.

Writing music and singing has always been a great joy in my life. Other things that make me happy is dancing (flamenco, hip hop, jazz), power yoga, painting, spending time with my husband Martinique or family ( I have four sisters! ), watching movies, the forest and the sea, baking cakes and cookies!

I love dancing: flamenco is my latest discovery, but I love the aggression in hip-hop dancing, too! And one more thing! When I was around 6 years old I adored chewing gum so much I would scratch off the ones on the ground:o) You know the white things one the asphalt that have been stepped on. And then I would chew them. And I asked my best friend My if I could take hers when she didn´t want it anymore.

Helena Josefsson - H.J.

HJ's spreading summer light (I): Midsummer 2007

I go straight to Halmstad where I will spend two weeks rehearsing with Mr Gessle for the tour www.enhandingman.se! It strikes me when I sing in Per´s band, how he and his music has become so popular and loved, while he is nothing but himself in a very honest and simple way. That is most inspiring!

In the weekend I and Martinique will go to a friend´s house and celebrate Midsummer´s Eve, and we will contribute with a strawberry cake, mmmm it will taste so sweet...!

Helena Josefsson - H.J.

Yet another grrrreat midsummer spent in Furulund with loved ones.

Since the Danes don’t celebrate midsummer like we do, I had to work and therefore me and Hanna showed up at around 18:30.

By then the rest of the gang had already been at I for a couple of hours, but we soon caught up.

Björn Folbert, from Löddköpinge, SE
- folbertdotcom