the Darkness be scattered, and a large beam of light sweeps down over the empty rows of seats. Preparations are in full swing.
Ulrik Munther sits on one of the all-clad, red chairs. If two hours it is time for Jonas Gardells new show ”Queen of fucking everything” at the Circus in Stockholm, where Ulrik sings and has written the music to several songs.
the Show has a lot of joy and fun in itself but also a deal of depth and weight. My personal favorite is the song ”Our life in the twilight”, which is about when you start approaching death, and feel quite powerless. Jonas Gardell asked if I wanted to write the music and it went quickly. I think I wrote the melody in one day, says Ulrik Munther.
he returns to several times during the interview. Ulrik describes herself as a bit introvert, a thinker, without any ready-made answers.
When he 2015 released the album ”All I wanted to say”, where he wrote the music and Jonas Gardell texts, he questions whether he was a christian. It is not he. But the lyrics are clearly existential. Jonas Gardell-covern ”You are not alone,” has borrowed a few lines from a hymn about how there is ”grace for new worlds, much bigger than this, new creations and times, grace to all that will be and is”.
” I relate it not to one god but can find new worlds in other things. In its own small joys and love and friendship. To dare to show himself to someone else and receive love that is not based on the need to perform anything really. For me it has been very valuable, ” says Ulrik.
when he broke through in Lilla Melodifestivalen 2009 and won by a separate written let. Then he had in several years, composed the songs on piano and guitar at home in Kullavik outside Gothenburg. The music became a way to express and feel emotions.
In the first grade, he jumped out of a music program in Donnergymnasiet in Gothenburg to focus on the music. He got a record deal with Universal and did a cover of Lady Gaga’s song ”Born this way” which got major attention on Youtube.
Ulrik released two English-language discs, toured in Sweden and Japan, and came third in Melodifestivalen 2012 and 2013. In 2015, he made his debut as an actor with the lead role in the feature film ”Aftershock”. Although he lacked experience in front of the camera he got the chance to blossom at their own pace, and was nominated to Oscar for his efforts.
Which way it takes you away another. It is difficult to know what the long term make a happy.
at the same time he had after the move to Stockholm felt a little lonely.
– In the beginning, I lived in an empty apartment, had no peers, friends, and above all, I was pretty well known, which meant that I probably felt a little extra alone. It was difficult to find a natural context to meet friends because I was so young.
After succéåren was Ulrik had to stay up, find out what he wanted to do myself as an artist and find one’s own identity. He left Universal and moved to 2016, home to Gothenburg to make music on their own record label Dysther Records.
A psychologist helped him to cultivate a growing performance anxiety and with låtskrivarpartnern Marcus Lindberg he released last year, the ep:n ”Are you alright?”.
” Ever since I started I have had people around me. I have listened to a lot of other former and passed on what others thought and believed. It has been important for me to take a step back and not let others affect me so much.
in the green, red chair down on the floor in the Circus. Soon begins revyföreställningen, which in the spring are underway in Stockholm and in the autumn continues in Gothenburg, sweden. At the same time, he is trying to stitch together songs for a new album next year.
” I’m very happy with where I am today, but I think I might have been able to get there in other ways. So, in hindsight, had it not been absolutely stupid to take it a bit more quiet, go finish school and maybe not make the Eurovision song contest at a time. But I try not to regret so much. Which path you take so you choose remove another. It is difficult to know what the long term make a happy.