gt.com: you're first single is titled
"The Real Me." Tell us about the real Svala.
SVALA: I'm very honest about my music, my lyrics, and what I sing about. I'm
creative, open, and real with my music!
gt.com: some people could read this, and think: another teen pop queen.
there's no difference between any of them! prove those skeptics wrong.
SVALA: Actually, I'm not a teenager anymore! I'm 24, so I'm a little bit older.
And, I'm from Iceland, which is an island in the Atlantic Ocean in Scandinavia. So, I grew
up totally different then the other singers that are coming out. I had different
influences, I speak a different language -- Icelandic, but I also speak English. It's
mandatory to learn English in Iceland! Everyone speaks fluent English, but we have a
native language which is Icelandic. The album is very international: I worked on it for
two years around the world -- in England, Sweden, the States...all over the place. I'm
very involved in my music -- I co-wrote five of the songs on the album and I'm involved
with all the production. I'm very in control of my whole career. I'm kinda bossy, too! ::laughs::
I like to have things my way!
gt.com: you co-wrote a few of
the songs on your debut album. where did you derive the inspiration for those songs from?
SVALA: The artists that have influenced me are definitely people like Prince,
Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, The Carpenters, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac (Stevie
Nicks, I love her!). Every day life influences me. The songs that I sing are very
personal -- I never sing a song unless I can relate to the lyrics...it's about something
I've been through or what someone I know has been through. When I'm singing or writing
lyrics, it's my way of expressing myself. So, I can't express myself if I don't relate to
the lyrics. The songs are very Svala! You know, they're just about me and the stuff that
I've been through, the life I'm leading, and friends that have been through it.
gt.com: so, you write great songs. but, what song do you wish you could
take credit for writing?
SVALA: I would have to say the song "Sarah" by Fleetwood Mac.
It's one of my all-time favorite songs!
gt.com: your father, Bo
Halldorsson, is a superstar in Iceland. has he given you any advice for this career path
you've chosen?
SVALA: Yeah, he did tell me to have a lot of fun and have a sense of humor about
it. Not take myself too seriously. Be happy and never forget where I came from, which is
Iceland. Be kind to everyone you meet, take it all in, have fun, and enjoy it while it
lasts, because you never know what's going to happen!
gt.com: you recently made the
video for your debut single, "The Real Me." what can you tell us exclusively
about the video shoot?
SVALA: We shot the video in Toronto, Canada in February. It was very cold --
freezing, actually! We had some problems dancing for ten hours in the freezing cold. We
were all cramping up. We had to have a masseuse on the location, because our muscles were
spazzing up. It was pretty bad! But, it was great fun, though. We met a lot of great
people in Toronto.
gt.com: what has been the most
exciting moment for you so far since you've become a music artist?
SVALA: Traveling. I've been all over the States. I'm in Germany one day, and
Chicago the next, and then Scandinavia the other day. It's amazing for me to travel all
over the world. Although, I've always been traveling -- I traveled a lot with my parents
when I was young. But, I love traveling. Just being on the road and meeting different
people everyday. I love that aspect: visiting new places and meeting new people!
gt.com: your album is amazing! what song is the most meaningful to
you?
SVALA: I would have to say the two ballads, "Wonder of My World"
and "Lay Your Hands." They're two songs that are very meaningful to me
-- they're about someone I know. He's a very close friend of mine, an ex-boyfriend, and
definitely an important person in my life. I recorded them with a friend of mine who's a
producer in Scotland.
gt.com: as a native of Iceland, do you think it'll be tough to break into
the American music industry?
SVALA: Yeah, of course! The competition is really hard. There are so many female
singers out now. They're all really talented -- now it seems like they're playing guitars
and pianos, which is amazing to me! It's a challenge, and that makes it exciting and fun.
It should be tough, it shouldn't be easy. It's not fun if it's easy!
gt.com: okay, spill -- which celebrity style do you admire?
SVALA: I've always loved Kate Moss and Cameron Diaz. Helena Christensen, as well.
gt.com: lovely! how would you describe your own style?
SVALA: I love designer clothes and vintage clothes, so I mix them together. Maybe
I'll have designer boots on with vintage jeans, with a blazer jacket from the 1930s, and a
hat. Just mix it up and where all kinds of stuff together. I love beautiful clothes!
gt.com: fill in the blank -- the thing I love most about being a girl
is...
SVALA: I get to dress up and put on makeup! ::laughs::
gt.com: what do you foresee for the future of Svala?
SVALA: I just want to keep on making music: recording, writing, producing,
singing...expressing myself through music, lyrics, and poetry.
gt.com: any shoutouts to your fans?
SVALA: Thanks for everything -- keep it real!
gt.com: how fitting!
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