Name: Agnes Hustler
Nationality: Swedish
Occupation: Singer, songwriter, activist
Recent release: Agnes Hustler's new single, “Heaven Underground”, a collaboration with Leyonclou, is out via Agnus Dei.
Recommendations: A must-read is A Life by Simone Veil.
A must-listen is the song “Her” by Sky Li (the producer & co-writer behind Heaven Underground)

If you enjoyed this interview with Agnes Hustler and would like to find out more about her music, visit her on Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok and Soundcloud.
 


When did you start writing/producing/playing music and what or who were your early passions and influences? What was it about music and/or sound that drew you to it?  

I began singing at 2, wrote my first song at 13 and began producing at 18. Also played the piano for a short time as a child and began playing guitar at 12. My home was always filled with music, we’re a big choir family where everyone sings kind of and all sorts of music were played at home, from Swedish classics to Earth Wind & Fire and AC/DC.

It feels like it’s in my DNA somehow. I can’t remember music not being a fundamental part of life. All moments of life have a soundtrack. Especially the most vital, most emotional ones. I need to sing them.

When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening and how does it influence your approach to creativity?

I feel strong emotions, often my body and head relaxes when I listen to music. Or I feel furious, excited and ready to take over the world. There’s the whole spectrum, palette of happenings when listening to music.

Listening makes me feel powerful with what I can achieve with my songs and performances. It reminds me of the ability to connect, touch and ignite hope in people on a higher level through music. Help people through bad times and good times.

How would you describe your development as an artist in terms of interests and challenges, searching for a personal voice, as well as breakthroughs?

I’m very proud of my journey and development as an artist. It’s been really tough. The music scene where I’m from is or at least was extremely male dominated growing up, there weren’t any role-models that had done what I wanted to do so I had to carve my own way through a tough climate.

Luckily I’ve always been cross-genre, been singing in dozens of languages and genres and also not cared if I write soul, hip-hop, pop or ballads. That’s made me grow so much and the audience loves it.

Staying independent is probably the greatest strength and what’s helped me find my voice and audience the most.

Tell me a bit about your sense of identity and how it influences both your preferences as a listener and your creativity as an artist, please.

Since a young age, I’ve had a one world one people mindset, travelled a lot, had friends from all over the world, studied international relations etc. That’s made me who I am as a person, listener and artist.

I enjoy almost all types of music and wherever I go I find inspiration to write new songs. The richness of our diverse population on Earth is my fuel as an artist.
 
What, would you say, are the key ideas behind your approach to music and art?

Making people feel and be as good as they can and taking care of our planet. Gender equality, making young girls, non-binaries (and boys) believe that they can do W H A T E V E R they set their mind to.

I definitely believe music can change the world and is doing that the moment you read this.

How would you describe your views on topics like originality and innovation versus perfection and timelessness in music? Are you interested in a “music of the future” or “continuing a tradition”?

Interesting. I don’t think about either of them much to be honest. I create what I want to create and I feel a need to create.

Call it music of the future or continuing the tradition of spreading messages of feminism, self-empowerment and environmental issues.

Over the course of your development, what have been your most important instruments and tools - and what are the most promising strategies for working with them?

Working on mental health through different sorts of therapy alongside discussing it with near ones and professionals. Being surrounded by people with great social skills and understanding for mental health. This is key for anyone in life I think.

Take us through a day in your life, from a possible morning routine through to your work, please.

Welcome to a day in the life of the boss.

I wake up, get my best sports outfit on and go to the gym or for a run and have breakfast.

I usually go either to the studio and stay there until night working on songs with a producer and/or songwriter. Or I go for an admin day where I have meetings with music business partners, plan things like tours, music releases, brand partnerships, create Tiktoks etc. Or I have a music video / photo shoot for up-coming releases or a magazine editorial.

In the evening I usually have more meetings, rehearse for up-coming gigs, and write more music. Later at night I try to make time for an episode of a TV-series and reading. I meditate at least once a day.

Could you describe your creative process on the basis of a piece, live performance or album that's particularly dear to you, please?

My latest single “Heaven Underground”.

I had known for a very long time that I have to write a song about the climate emergency. I simultaneously had a collab with artist Sky Li (Linnéa Norlén] planned and said why not do it together? We began writing this pop rock song about the climate crisis. I wanted it to be a raw, honest song about climate change with a sarcastic humorous edge to catch people’s attention and not be scared away to face the crisis we’re in the midst of.

The pop rock climate change bop we ended up writing turned out to be too far away from Linnéa's sound. So I invited Lejonclou to sing with me and co-write on the track instead. Alva (Lejonclou) really gave the song an extra edge with fun lyrics and melody ideas such as bringing Greta Thunbergs ‘‘how dare you’ into the chorus.

I (obviously) wanted to do a music video as well and reached out to Harvest Films to make my visual vision of the song come alive.

Listening can be both a solitary and a communal activity. Likewise, creating music can be private or collaborative. Can you talk about your preferences in this regard and how these constellations influence creative results?

I love to get the best of both worlds. For some of the most intimate honest songs I feel a must to write alone, my song “Through The Fire” is a great example.

But creating with others has a power of profoundly widening a soundscape and mixing different tastes and influences. “Heaven Underground” was perfect for a collab. Everything depends on the song.

How do your work and your creativity relate to the world and what is the role of music in society?

Music and society need each other. I think we as artists have a responsibility especially towards kids and younger people to emphasise what’s important in life and what is not.

Freedom of speech must reign, but morally we carry a responsibility in my opinion.

Art can be a way of dealing with the big topics in life: Life, loss, death, love, pain, and many more. In which way and on which occasions has music – both your own or that of others - contributed to your understanding of these questions?

It helps my understanding of these topics a lot. Music shows the extreme vulnerability that is a part of us as humans, and that’s amazing. It reminds us to take care of each other and be kind.

How do you see the connection between music and science and what can these two fields reveal about each other?  

I know science has proved that music has great health benefits. Other than that I haven’t thought much about the connection.

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you feel as though writing or performing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

I feel like they’re not completely different, they complement each other. Writing music feels more holy and profound somehow but making a cup of coffee makes me appreciate life and feel inspired to share that life through music.

Music is vibration in the air, captured by our ear drums. From your perspective as a creator and listener, do you have an explanation how it able to transmit such diverse and potentially deep messages?

I honestly don’t know. I think G-d might be behind it.