About Me
Buy Janina's full length album at iTunes Store (downloads), CDON or at CD BABY!
 
On her enchanting debut album, Janina invites us to her very own world of music.
At the age of 22, Janina has already arrived as a songwriter, and found a style that suits her.
It truly comes from somewhere deep inside of her, whether her writing covers singer/songwriter ballads, emotional intensity or lighter pop.
Sometimes it's guitar based, sometimes the songs were written on piano. But they always sound natural.
The album's opener is All Of Me.
- It was one of the first songs I wrote. For some reason it seemed obvious to everyone involved that it should
also be the first track. It features strings and a tension that hopefully makes people interested in what
the rest of the album has to offer. Musically, it's quite simple. But it has a certain atmosphere.
Daniel Bellqvist, lead singer in Eskobar, guests on two songs: Remember, remember me and Little People.
- I was getting ready to redo some of my vocals for the former after Daniel has recorded his parts.
And hearing his voice, I was so taken by his performance that I couldn't make a sound. I got goosebumps
and started crying instead. There is something so vulnerable in his voice.
I was also very moved by some of the other musicians' performances. Svante Henryson's cello for instance.
The musicians make it easier for me to enjoy the music, to make me forget that it's my own album.
- I don't know if I come to any conclusions. I mostly write to communicate with myself, as a form of therapy.
But in the long run I hope it's something everyone can relate to. Before making the album, my friends pointed
out to me that I didn't tell them my thoughts and problems. That I was being secretive. Maybe my songwriting was
a way for me to get my feelings out which meant that I didn't have the need to tell people how I felt.
But I think I'm being more talkative again, Janina laughs.
She is eager to point out that not all lyrics are autobiographical, even if some people close to her use them to look for clues.
- There are a lot of fantasies and made-up stuff in there as well. And the stuff that's "true", doesn't
necessarily deal with my own life. Sometimes it has actually been about the person who asks me who the song is about!
Janina herself likes intimate artists, like the Irish singer/songwriter Damien Rice.
Without sounding at all like him, she sees a kindred spirit in him: an artist, with a genuine
presence and an ability to catch the attention of a live audience, even if they are not familiar with a single song.
It was Peter Domnérus from Janina's record company, Ladybird, who got the idea to bring Janina
together with Peter Kvint and Simon Nordberg. It turned out to be a successful move.
- Right from the start I could feel that they understood my music, she says. Peter Kvint
suggested things that I was willing to try out. And when I had gathered courage to present more of my own ideas,
he liked most of them as well! This gave Janina the confidence needed to make her vision come true,
even though most of the musicians involved where in most cases more than twice her age and had impressive track records.
Peter Kvint confirms that Janina can be very convinced in her ideas for a song, but also adds "that it's hardly a problem,
since she is usually right!"
Apart from music, there are several other passions in Janina's life.
- I have always wanted to become a veterinary surgeon, since I love animals in general,
and horses in particular. I also love to cook. Apart from music, the recording of the album revolved a lot around food!
The fact that Janina did a lot of the cooking was highly appreciated by the musicians Magnus Persson (drums and percussion),
Sven Lindvall (bass), Jesper Nordenström (keyboards), Alexander Gerdt (guitar) and of course Peter (producer) and Simon
(engineer), while recording at Rommarö!
Updated 2007-06-12
