SNS: Hi iosef, you accomplished a lot during your young career and have worked with quite a few artists after your “Idol” career. Walk us a bit through your time after the departure from the mainstream to your current adventures?

iosef: When I decided to participate, I had never really planned to do music that seriously. I wasn’t writing, producing, or any of that. I sorta did it just for fun. I loved music and singing, but it wasn’t the path I had in mind for the future. After being in the competition, I realized that music was what I wanted to focus on. First, I began producing, and writing just came to me as time went by. Since then, I’ve just been focusing on getting better and working with what I like myself, not what I think other people expect from me. I don’t care whether I work with people who are established yet or just barely getting started, as long their sound and energy is dope imma fuck with em’ either way.

We just pumped “NÅN ANNAN,” your debut single as iosef, and it’s a melodic banger – we’re looking forward to seeing the energy during live shows. How important is live performing for you?

Thank you! Live is what I make music for. Mostly. I make music for the night-time, which can be both bangers for the club or music that you listen to by yourself, grabbing a cigarette on the balcony. I don’t enjoy happy music that much. Back to live performances though, I’m very focused on the live part when I make my music. If I can’t see the song getting played live in some way, I’ll go to the next idea. Also, I love partying, and I try to interpret that as much as I can when playing live. I don’t do performances that you come to watch, I do performances for the crowd to be a part of.

You have performed on TV for a mainstream audience, which is quite different from the vibes we see from you nowadays. What has made you change your music, the way you perform, and your whole persona? Was it just part of growing up, a form of rebelling?

Actually, the live tv performing was kinda shitty. Looking into a camera for 3 minutes straight is boring as hell. Doesn’t feel like you’re performing for anyone pretty much. I was really shy at that point though, and I’m totally different as a person now. When it comes to my personality, I think there are a few things that affected me. Mostly, I had no idea of who I was and what I wanted to do when I was younger. As time went on, I pinpointed what I wanted to be percieved as and what my artist persona had to be. I still doubt myself sometimes, but I know who I am, and I do what I want, not what other people want me to do. That part of the music business kills all the fun. What I release now is me and only me, which is both scary and amazing. If I wouldn’t put my own song in my own playlist, it’s not what I want to do.

You have changed your style over the last years since you appeared first on the big stage, how would you describe your style development? Anyone, you derive inspiration from? What kind of part does it play in your life?

Fashion is almost as important to me as music. Most of the accounts I follow on social media are fashion-related. When I was younger, I wasn’t as confident and followed trends and what’s considered normal a lot more. When I put clothes on now, I always try to look really out there. I like weird stuff. There is almost no one over here in Sweden that I look up to fashion-wise, everyone looks the same. I want to break that trend. My style right now is all over the place. One day I’ll look super punk with studs all over the place, and one day I’ll look like a fucking pokemon trainer or some shit like that. Rules are boring. I won’t leave my home if I don’t feel like people might look at me weird.

What role did sneakers play for you growing up, and which role do they play now when it comes to your fits?

For me, my interest in sneakers came mostly with my interest in fashion. I have way too many shoes at home right now. Won’t give them away, though, since I know I might want to use them for something in the future. I try to use all of my sneakers, though. I like beat shoes over shoes that are all new. I base most of my fits around pants and sneakers, that combo is always really important.

Let’s talk influence, a word nowadays that is thrown around a lot. Who are your “influencers” and who would you like to influence?

I don’t have that many, but they are all mostly in music. Travis Scott, Frank Ocean, James Blake, and Nirvana, to name a few. As to who I’d like to influence, for me, it’s important to teach people to just be themselves. You’re never gonna feel good trying to please someone else. Even though selfishness might seem like a bad thing to many, it’s important to focus on yourself and what YOU want. This goes for everything in life. You know yourself better than anyone else. I hate the fact that I sound like a motivational speaker when saying so, but it’s how I feel about it.

What can we expect from you soon?

A lot of stuff! More music is out real soon, which is the most important thing coming up. I’ve got a sick feature on my coming single, so I’m really looking forward to that.