Your Living City had the chance to have a little chat with Jonas Snitt, Swedish singer / songwriter / guitarist / producer.
Jonas grew up in Paris and moved to Stockholm in the year 2000. He started playing the guitar at the age of 13 and took his first singing lessons at the age of 16.
Jonas participated in the television program The Voice Sweden 2012, has played live on Radio P4, as well as in Kungsträdgården, Konserthuset and many other places. During the summer of 2018 he was also the lead guitarist and backing singer for the Swedish rock star Mikael Rickfors.
He has recently released his single ” When I Wake Up ” on all digital platforms and the song has so far generated over 170.000 streams and has been playlisted on UK and LA radio shows. The song is written and produced by Jonas Snitt and Lars Jansson Kilman from the LA duo Bloke & Bird. This is the first single from his upcoming EP.
What made you decide to pursue a career in entertainment?
I came to that realization when I was at the music high school Lilla Akademien, where I played guitar and sang everyday. I was determined to work with music already before entering the school, but after graduation I had that extra fire in me.
Who inspired you to make music?
There are many artists who have inspired me, but I think the will to write my own songs came from John Mayer with his acoustic music. Guitarists and music legends such as Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Clapton have also been very big inspirations.
What is your creative process like?
I start with the guitar and I always try to find an interesting guitar riff or chord progression. Then I will do all I can to find a really good melody that matches flawlessly with the chords. I will maybe have some words here and there that come up, but after the melody and the chords are together I focus on the lyrics. I try to find the feeling and the mood of the song and write from there.
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
John Mayer and James Bay because they are singer/songwriters and solo guitarists just like me.
If you could open a show for any artist who would it be?
It would have been for both John Mayer and James Bay, they are very good live performers and both seem to be really great guys.
What has been the best performance of your career so far?
I would say the big scene in Kungsträdgården during the summer of 2018, a beautiful sunny day and a lot of people – with me and my band playing my songs! You can find the live clip on YouTube.
How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
I think it has done a lot of good things. Anybody can upload and promote their work so that people all around the world can see it. It’s a game changer for independent artists and there are no gatekeepers and record labels that can stop you!
What is your favourite song to perform?
When I Wake Up and others from the upcoming EP, it changes from time to time.
What is the best advice you’ve been given?
To never give up and understand that everyone’s life and path to success is completely unique. Everybody has their own journey and grows differently. Never look to the right or left watching other artists grow faster or slower. You will succeed if you stay true to yourself and your goals and keep improving all the time!
If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
I would like to see higher streaming royalty payments from Spotify, Apple and YouTube to all artists and songwriters on the platforms. So that people can earn money more easily from the hard work and investments they have done.
What’s next for you? Tell us about the EP that you are working on.
I have recorded and produced 5 songs that are ready to be released step by step. I will keep building awareness and streams for When I Wake Up and soon go to labels to present the big independent playlists, radio stations and blogs that has playlisted the song. The songs on the EP are both up-tempo and mid-tempo in the genre of acoustic/pop with strong melodies.
What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
I would say work hard and keep getting better and better at your craft and never ever give up! You will have ups and downs and it’s being consistent and having a positive mind that will make you a winner in the long run. After you have developed your craft into a high level you must learn how to market your music, there are so many ways so choose the ones that suits you best.
Celebrate your small victories because in the end success is a result of many small victories!
