This is the second radio interview that Darin gave during his stay in Göteborg. It's for P4 and it's here that he reveals what the next single from Exit is. Check it out right below!
It's great to have you here, Darin!
- It's great to be here! It's sunny and nice over here.
How are you doing?
- I'm doing great. I'm planning the tour right now, so I'm just about to start rehearsing with my band. Yesterday we rehearsed the choirs and the musical parts. And now we have finished the stage, the lights and the songs we're gonna play, the order of them and so on. It's gonna be awesome to start rehearsing!
You have a few songs to choose from now.
- Yeah, I've released six albums now. I just released the sixth album, Exit.
...Which was a success!
- Yes, really. It went straight to number 1 on the charts and sold gold the first week, so I am overjoyed!
Did you think that it would turn out that way when you participated in Idol for many years ago?
- I didn't think that it would turn out this way. I'm incredibly happy. I have not to take everything for granted and just go for it and work hard.
Apparently it's not certain that the winners of Idol succeeds the most later on. You ended up at second place, right?
- Yes.
And you have gotten very far. Who was the winner when you participated?
It was Daniel Lindström.
He had an upswing in the beginning but then I haven't seen that much of him. You, on the other hand, have been at the top all the time.
- It has happened so incredibly much during these years, and I have experienced so much. As I said before, you just gotta go for what you want. I'm not that kind of person that just leans back when I get my number one, I just go on and want to do even more. Like write more songs, writing down ideas for tours and concerts.
In the beginning you were a bit shy. Do you think that you're a little more forward now?
- Of course it turns out like that. But I got so much attention from nothing. And that’s a lot for a 16-17 year old. That’s why I seemed to be more shy than I actually was. I've become more relaxed in interviews and stuff like that. I feel that I can be more myself.
It was a little stressful for you today.
- Yes, the train stood still for half an hour in Herrljunga.
And you took some earlier train to get here, thank you for that! Anyway, now before we continue. The album, Exit. Do you want us to listen to Give Me Tonight or Same Old Song?
- Let's listen to... Same Old Song. (the song is played)
You told me that Same Old Song is one of your favourites on the album.
- Or maybe my favourite.
What is it about that song that is so good?
- I like the sound in this song. It's very mystical, heavy and nice.
When you were in Så Mycket Bättre, you were there with some people older than you. How was that like? They could have been mother and father and grandparents of yours, almost.
- The ones participating were very different, both younger and older persons. That was the funny thing, that it was such a sprawling gang but still we clicked so well. I think people could tell that we had very fun while being there.
What's the funnest memory from there?
- The funnest memory must have been when Linda and Olle drove a car on my day. They almost ended up in the trench. It looked very funny.
These songs that you are doing on the show, they end up getting bigger than the original songs. Why is that, what do you think?
- I think that it's because there's a story behind it. When I did Olle Ljungström's "En Apa Som Liknar Dig", there was a story behind it. I had listened to that song earlier and then I found out that Olle was going to participate. So I thought it was great to remake it and do it in my style. I didn't know if he was going to like it or not since I did it with such a modern production. So that's why, because of the show and that people do their own versions.
It must have been fun to interpret the other artists songs right in front of them?
- Yes that was fun but the funniest thing was hearing them interpret my songs. It was great.
Who did the best version?
- It was probably Maja, and Miss Li... I liked Magnus Uggla as well. So those 3, I think.
Now let's put that behind us and focus on the future. You have decided the lights, the stage... What is the stage going to look like?
- You'll see later.
How many people are on stage at the same time then?
- We're going to be 13 people on stage. I wanted to focus on the music very much on these gigs. And put together a great band, so that it would sound good, live, and with choirs.
So it's the 17th in Stockholm - Cirkus, 18th in Gothenburg - Trädgårn, 19th in Malmö. Then we have May, June, July, August... What happens then?
- Then I'm going to play on big festivals. Kiruna, Peace and Love...
Last week I received an email from Liseberg telling me that you were going to play there too. Do you remember which date?
- It's in September.
Give Me Tonight is also from Exit. That song went pretty well, right?
- It's not a single, but it ended up at top 5 on iTunes. It was number 4 a long time without being a single.
Darin.. So you're called just Darin, or the surname too?
- Just Darin. There are many people that often ask me if Darin is my real name.
A new single that hasn’t been released yet, is called...
- Check You Out. I wrote it together with David Gamson in Los Angeles. He was nominated for a Grammy in the US, for best song, with Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger". So it was great working with him. He wasn't sure about the chorus in the beginning, about the melody in the chorus that I came up with. But then we recorded it and he was like "Ok, this is a good one". So that was nice.
What are you like privately? What do you do when you're not working with music?
- I travel a lot, as often as I can.
Do you work out?
- Mostly condition. But some fitness training too, of course.
It takes a lot to be on stage, dancing and so on.
- Yes exactly. That's why I do it, because of the condition. That's very important when I'm on stage. I move around a lot, and go crazy on stage, haha!
Then it's important to eat well.
- Yeah... I don't eat breakfast, I'm bad at that. About the training, I use to go out jogging. You get more alert and feel much better.
Have you planned your future life, like getting a family and children?
- Not yet. We will see. It happens when it happens!
What are you going to do during the rest of the day here in Gothenburg?
- I'm about to do some more interviews. I'm going home today, actually.
Let's hope the train will be working! You prefer going by train, not by airplane?
- I prefer trains, yes.
Is it because of the environment, maybe?
- I'd lie if I said yes.. But I think it's more comfortable. Flying is... Even though it goes faster it feels like a longer process.
And then you can get so much more time for the money you're paying when you go by train.
- Yeah, like today when we stood still for half an hour. Then you could sit there thinking about funny stuff, and surfing the web. I got stuck with my phone.
You've uploaded something on...
- Yeah I posted a pic on my Instagram "P4 Göteborg, live right now!" and on my Facebook.
Thank you so much Darin, let’s end this with this song...?
- Ah, En Apa Som Liknar Dig.
Here it comes! Thank you Darin!
- Thank you!
Translated by Nathalie Pentler.
It's great to have you here, Darin!
- It's great to be here! It's sunny and nice over here.
How are you doing?
- I'm doing great. I'm planning the tour right now, so I'm just about to start rehearsing with my band. Yesterday we rehearsed the choirs and the musical parts. And now we have finished the stage, the lights and the songs we're gonna play, the order of them and so on. It's gonna be awesome to start rehearsing!
You have a few songs to choose from now.
- Yeah, I've released six albums now. I just released the sixth album, Exit.
...Which was a success!
- Yes, really. It went straight to number 1 on the charts and sold gold the first week, so I am overjoyed!
Did you think that it would turn out that way when you participated in Idol for many years ago?
- I didn't think that it would turn out this way. I'm incredibly happy. I have not to take everything for granted and just go for it and work hard.
Apparently it's not certain that the winners of Idol succeeds the most later on. You ended up at second place, right?
- Yes.
And you have gotten very far. Who was the winner when you participated?
It was Daniel Lindström.
He had an upswing in the beginning but then I haven't seen that much of him. You, on the other hand, have been at the top all the time.
- It has happened so incredibly much during these years, and I have experienced so much. As I said before, you just gotta go for what you want. I'm not that kind of person that just leans back when I get my number one, I just go on and want to do even more. Like write more songs, writing down ideas for tours and concerts.
In the beginning you were a bit shy. Do you think that you're a little more forward now?
- Of course it turns out like that. But I got so much attention from nothing. And that’s a lot for a 16-17 year old. That’s why I seemed to be more shy than I actually was. I've become more relaxed in interviews and stuff like that. I feel that I can be more myself.
It was a little stressful for you today.
- Yes, the train stood still for half an hour in Herrljunga.
And you took some earlier train to get here, thank you for that! Anyway, now before we continue. The album, Exit. Do you want us to listen to Give Me Tonight or Same Old Song?
- Let's listen to... Same Old Song. (the song is played)
You told me that Same Old Song is one of your favourites on the album.
- Or maybe my favourite.
What is it about that song that is so good?
- I like the sound in this song. It's very mystical, heavy and nice.
When you were in Så Mycket Bättre, you were there with some people older than you. How was that like? They could have been mother and father and grandparents of yours, almost.
- The ones participating were very different, both younger and older persons. That was the funny thing, that it was such a sprawling gang but still we clicked so well. I think people could tell that we had very fun while being there.
What's the funnest memory from there?
- The funnest memory must have been when Linda and Olle drove a car on my day. They almost ended up in the trench. It looked very funny.
These songs that you are doing on the show, they end up getting bigger than the original songs. Why is that, what do you think?
- I think that it's because there's a story behind it. When I did Olle Ljungström's "En Apa Som Liknar Dig", there was a story behind it. I had listened to that song earlier and then I found out that Olle was going to participate. So I thought it was great to remake it and do it in my style. I didn't know if he was going to like it or not since I did it with such a modern production. So that's why, because of the show and that people do their own versions.
It must have been fun to interpret the other artists songs right in front of them?
- Yes that was fun but the funniest thing was hearing them interpret my songs. It was great.
Who did the best version?
- It was probably Maja, and Miss Li... I liked Magnus Uggla as well. So those 3, I think.
Now let's put that behind us and focus on the future. You have decided the lights, the stage... What is the stage going to look like?
- You'll see later.
How many people are on stage at the same time then?
- We're going to be 13 people on stage. I wanted to focus on the music very much on these gigs. And put together a great band, so that it would sound good, live, and with choirs.
So it's the 17th in Stockholm - Cirkus, 18th in Gothenburg - Trädgårn, 19th in Malmö. Then we have May, June, July, August... What happens then?
- Then I'm going to play on big festivals. Kiruna, Peace and Love...
Last week I received an email from Liseberg telling me that you were going to play there too. Do you remember which date?
- It's in September.
Give Me Tonight is also from Exit. That song went pretty well, right?
- It's not a single, but it ended up at top 5 on iTunes. It was number 4 a long time without being a single.
Darin.. So you're called just Darin, or the surname too?
- Just Darin. There are many people that often ask me if Darin is my real name.
A new single that hasn’t been released yet, is called...
- Check You Out. I wrote it together with David Gamson in Los Angeles. He was nominated for a Grammy in the US, for best song, with Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger". So it was great working with him. He wasn't sure about the chorus in the beginning, about the melody in the chorus that I came up with. But then we recorded it and he was like "Ok, this is a good one". So that was nice.
What are you like privately? What do you do when you're not working with music?
- I travel a lot, as often as I can.
Do you work out?
- Mostly condition. But some fitness training too, of course.
It takes a lot to be on stage, dancing and so on.
- Yes exactly. That's why I do it, because of the condition. That's very important when I'm on stage. I move around a lot, and go crazy on stage, haha!
Then it's important to eat well.
- Yeah... I don't eat breakfast, I'm bad at that. About the training, I use to go out jogging. You get more alert and feel much better.
Have you planned your future life, like getting a family and children?
- Not yet. We will see. It happens when it happens!
What are you going to do during the rest of the day here in Gothenburg?
- I'm about to do some more interviews. I'm going home today, actually.
Let's hope the train will be working! You prefer going by train, not by airplane?
- I prefer trains, yes.
Is it because of the environment, maybe?
- I'd lie if I said yes.. But I think it's more comfortable. Flying is... Even though it goes faster it feels like a longer process.
And then you can get so much more time for the money you're paying when you go by train.
- Yeah, like today when we stood still for half an hour. Then you could sit there thinking about funny stuff, and surfing the web. I got stuck with my phone.
You've uploaded something on...
- Yeah I posted a pic on my Instagram "P4 Göteborg, live right now!" and on my Facebook.
Thank you so much Darin, let’s end this with this song...?
- Ah, En Apa Som Liknar Dig.
Here it comes! Thank you Darin!
- Thank you!
Translated by Nathalie Pentler.