Oh, honeybees! We have an exclusive for you. Skott is a singer-songwriter from Sweden, known for her ethereal, mystical melodies and delicate voice, and we have an exclusive interview with her! Skott takes inspiration from the folk genre but incorporates the idea of fantasy thanks to her childhood imagination and her love for video game soundtracks. She digs deep into her childhood memories and brings them to life on her newest release, Roses N Guns.
Roses N Guns has ten tracks, capturing the essence of life and death, love and heartbreak, positive and negative. Each track holds its own sense of fantasy, with its own story. Skott has created a universe, using the album artwork as an interactive map where each song is its own place on the map.
Her sense of artistry is incredible, and we had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Skott for this interview, discussing anything and everything in the Skott universe.
Skott Exclusive Interview
We’re so excited to be able to sit down and talk about your music with you! So, what got you into music?
In a way, it all started with the violin. I grew up in a small village where most kids also learn to play, including my two big sisters, and then my eyes were opened to a whole new world by video game soundtracks. The way video game composers can emphasize an environment or storyline through the addition of music is something that’s always stuck with me. Eventually, I went to music school where I started as a songwriter for others but realized that I wanted to release my own music as well and things grew from there.
What was it like for you as a singer-songwriter growing up in Sweden?
My hometown is surrounded by wild woods and a beautiful lake, so I’m definitely drawn to nature when it comes to inspiration. I also used to sew my own costumes and build my own crude weapons and role-play in the woods, sometimes as an elf, and that probably has also influenced my music in some way. I’m into fantasy.
Your music is so unique and so beautiful – how would you describe your sound, and what would you cite as your inspiration?
That’s a tricky question. I like that it’s hard to categorize my artistry within a box, and I wouldn’t say I actively avoid what’s popular or trendy in the music industry, but I am definitely into exploring uncharted territory. If I feel inspired by a particular emotion or moment, I enjoy diving into that feeling even if it means making something unusual or something that might not be “cool” right now.
Nature and specific emotions are probably some of my biggest inspirations, but some of my influences include Susanne Sundfør, Muse, and Koji Kondo, who composed a lot of the epic Legend of Zelda soundtrack. The Final Fantasy soundtrack also influenced me when I was young.
We love the ethereal and mystical nature of your newest release, so talk to us about your latest single ‘Roses N Guns.’
Thanks! I was going for a fluttery, flowing sound for that one, complemented with a less-expected drum pattern. We actually produced a few different instrumentals before going with the final version that you hear now. The lyrics are about a forbidden teenage romance; powerful and painful. The song is also a metaphor for the more destructive side of my creativity. It’s scary to give someone an intimate piece of yourself, who can decide to either cherish it or toss it away.
We love concept albums – what inspired this one?
The title Roses N Guns is a wordplay on my name “Skott,” which happens to mean “sprout” and “gunshot” in Swedish. I interpret it as a little rosebud and a gun. It’s a play on words that represents “life and death” and “love versus heartbreak,” and these are themes that run throughout my album.
As for the cover art, there are all kinds of nooks and crannies on the treasure map. I hope people explore the continent and all of its details. Each song on the album is a magical location on the map, and there are references to a lot of my past and current works in there along the way.
We’re obsessed with how you tell stories with your songs – talk to us about your writing and lyrical style.
Thank you! I usually try to dig deep into an emotional state or particular feeling while writing a song, a process that embraces vulnerability. A lot of the songs on my album are actually comforting to me in some way. ‘Silver Bridges’ was inspired by a lovely quote my grandmother used to say, that the moon’s reflection in still water is actually a mystical bridge, where loved ones can pass over into the afterlife. ‘Memory Shore’ is based on another story my mother used to tell me as a child. I find these moments and stories comforting and calming, which I hope comes across in the music.
One of our favorite songs off Roses N Guns is ‘Hail Mary.’ What did the writing and recording process look like?
I wrote that one years ago, actually, with a few very dear friends. It just never felt like the right time to release it until now, so I revisited the production. It was an older demo that always had a special place on my hard drive, and for years it was just a piano with my vocals – but it finally gets to spread its wings and do its thing.
What do you hope people take away from the Roses N Guns album?
I hope they see it as a journey, and hope that it intrigues some people enough to actually follow along on the treasure map. I truly went back to my roots while writing and producing a lot of the album, and many of the lyrics run pretty deep. I hope the songs resonate with people and that they’ll want to explore and hang out at different magical locations on the “map,” depending on their mood.
Another one of our favorite songs is ‘Glad it’s S.A.D.’ Talk to us about the meaning of the song.
Being sad about losing something or someone shows that it meant something. That you got to know someone special, or experienced something special in your life, for a moment or a while. Not much seems to last forever, and I try to look at loss in this way – that times of sorrow and mourning are natural, and part of experiencing a life full of love and precious things.
We love the music video for ‘Roses N Guns’ – it was self-directed, so what were the original ideas behind the visual?
Thanks! The video contains one of my biggest Easter eggs yet. Not only does it include a hint to finding a hidden treasure in the cover art (it’s literally a functioning treasure map!), but if you watch the video and look through my past cover art, there’s a throwback to my very first release ever.
It was filmed near my hometown, and I wanted to create visuals that mixed magic and mysticism with some of the natural environments I grew up around. The more videos and the more artwork I put out there, the more self-references occur, so I’m enjoying the process of building an entire Skott universe. The lore behind it all keeps evolving and growing.
What are you hoping to accomplish for the rest of the year?
I’m excited to get back in the studio and put out even more songs this year! Now that I’m independent and no longer signed to major labels, there’s even more freedom to experiment and try new things. I’ve just started a Patreon for those who want to connect with my artwork and myself more directly, and dive a layer deeper into the Skott world. I’m excited to play live shows again as well. So, make sure to stop by my Instagram, where I post all my updates, so you don’t miss out on any adventures!
Thanks so much to Skott for chatting with us in this exclusive interview!
Enjoy our interview with Skott? What did you think about her answers? Did you learn something new? Do you have a favorite song from Roses N Guns? Sound off in the comments below, or tweet us at @TheHoneyPop.
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